Source: MEATINGPLACE, 4/2/15

The union representing Canada’s food inspectors said the government has reduced the number of inspections it conducts at meat plants in northern Alberta, raising the risk of contaminated meat reaching the public, CBC News reported.

Cuts to Canada’s food inspection programs have created a double standard where meat sold domestically is not inspected as well as meat that is exported, Agriculture Union President Bob Kingston said at a news conference.

He said inspectors are present three days a week, down from five, in plants that produce meat for the domestic market. “Lives are at risk,” he was quoted as saying.

The news conference came a week after a recall of chicken products in western Canada and Ontario due to fears of Listeria contamination, according to the CBC report. Inspections were increased in Alberta following a 2008 Listeria outbreak tied to Maple Leaf Foods in which 23 people died.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in a statement, said its field inspection staff has grown by 19 percent since 2007, though the number of inspectors fluctuates as priorities and areas of focus change. “The overall health and safety of our food system is always top of mind,” the agency said.

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