The federal government plans to stop inspecting B.C. meat packing plants, shifting the work to the provincial government and, according to the Agriculture Union-PSAC, putting consumers potentially at a higher risk of consuming E. coli, listeria, salmonella and other hazardous contaminants.
“To save a few bucks, the federal government is creating a two-tiered meat safety system in which some Canadians enjoy higher standards while others suffer higher risk,” said Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union-PSAC, which represents federal food safety inspectors.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has provided provincial meat inspection services on behalf of B.C., Manitoba and Saskatchewan for years.
Provincial and territorial inspectors conduct those inspections in the rest of Canada.
The CFIA’s position is that it is focused on delivering services that are core to its mandate, such as inspecting federal meat facilities.
Because provincial meat inspection is not part of the CFIA’s core mandate, CFIA intends to shift that work to the provinces, according to the CFIA’s website.
No one from CFIA responded to Business in Vancouver’s calls by deadline.
Glen Korstrom
Twitter: GlenKorstrom