CALGARY – Canadian beef continues to take hits from groups in the United States that claim the meat is not properly inspected at the border.
The meat inspection and food safety criticisms have been defended by Canada and the United States Department of Agriculture. Both governments insist Canada’s meat inspection is of the highest standards, said Larry Sears, foreign trade chair of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
However, after recently attending the Montana Stockgrowers Association annual meeting, Sears said more work needs to be done to protect Canada’s right to export beef under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
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Questions from Montana producers and USDA meat inspector Bill Lehman continue to raise consumers’ doubts.
Lehman has been under close supervision at his Sweetgrass, Mont. post as a meat inspector and will be transferred to Detroit in mid-January. He has rejected a number of truckloads of beef and pork at the border since the North American Free Trade Agreement was implemented in 1989.
No rejections have occurred since he was placed under close supervision, said Sears.
The CCA charges Lehman is biased against Canadian meat and has demonstrated unethical behavior with his charges that the beef coming to the border is contaminated with manure, grass or bone chips.
“He (Lehman) has destroyed the credibility of the USDA and FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service),” said Sears.
Montana Stockgrowers at its annual meeting raised concerns about Canadian beef imports.
Sears said the situation was uncomfortable because many average producers were angry with the number of imports yet don’t fully understand meat import regulations.
Several resolutions attacked Canadian beef imports.
In a press release from the Montana group, import quotas were requested to reduce beef and live imports to levels that don’t exceed three to four percent of the combined beef and live cattle trade differential in the U.S.
They also want the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to address other concerns to combat high levels of Canadian beef coming into their country.
These include a mandatory weekly reporting of all live cattle and beef imports and exports. This would cover price, volume, ownership and country of origin.
The Americans believe beef from South America or Australia is shipped to Canada and then re-routed to their country.
Another resolution asked for labeling changes that label and identify U.S. beef as well as imported cattle and beef.
Producers want stiffer regulations to ensure consumers don’t get beef from any country that uses in the beef production system pharmaceuticals, feed additives and pesticides that have been declared hazardous in the U.S.
A resolution asked the USDA Grade Stamp only be used on U.S. raised and processed cattle. Producers said live slaughter cattle or carcass imports should not receive a USDA quality grade.
In addition, the Montana stock growers asked that an International Trade Commission’s study of the effects of the NAFTA include an investigation of the meat inspection procedures on imports.
As of Dec. 14, Canada shipped 1,002,643 slaughter cattle to the U.S. along with 192,263 tonnes of beef. Last year in the same period, Canada exported 842,646 slaughter cattle and 161,430 tonnes of beef to the U.S. By comparison, the U.S. shipped 40,473 head of slaughter cattle and 99,639 tonnes of beef to Canada this year.
At the same point in 1995, the U.S. had shipped north 30,488 head and 103,836 tonnes of beef.
