ONE of the most critical responsibilities of government is to guard public safety.
It appears that guard was let down in Ontario recently when a large, provincially inspected abattoir was allowed to continue to operate despite a history of rule breaking and corner cutting.
Aylmer Meat Packers in Aylmer, Ont., was finally shutdown in late August, its meat recalled and a police investigation launched into allegations that the plant butchered down stock.
Media investigations since have shown there were unheeded warnings from the agriculture department about the adequacy of the Ontario meat inspection system.
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Even before the Aylmer situation came to a head, a meeting in June sponsored by the Ontario chapter of the National Farmers Union also pointed out problems with the province’s meat inspection system, particularly the high turnover rates among inspectors since the system changed from one of full time staff to contract workers. The concerns were dismissed by the government as labour dissatisfaction.
It now seems that in a haste to control spending and provide tax relief, Ontario has cut inspection systems that should have been enhanced.
The Aylmer situation was the last thing Canada’s beef industry needed as it struggles to cope with the fallout of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Together, BSE and the Aylmer incidents highlight the need for changes to meat inspection and slaughter protocols.
Despite tests, the public has shown great confidence in Canada’s food system. But we dare not test it further, lest we risk a European situation where citizens no longer trust the government’s ability to ensure safe food, leading to devastating consequences for farmers.
The BSE case has prompted changes in carcass processing. The Aylmer case now turns the spotlight on provincially inspected meat plants.
While federal plants follow the same rules no matter where they operate, provincially inspected plants run under less stringent and more diverse rules depending on the jurisdiction.
All provinces also allow small meat processing plants to operate under municipal inspection. Several, including Saskatchewan and British Columbia, have made their system voluntary.
The provinces and Ottawa must re-examine the meat inspection systems with an eye to better harmonization creating a robust national code.
Otherwise, weak or poorly enforced standards in one province could lead to a food safety failure that smears the meat industry across the country.
Higher national standards would probably lead to the closure of some small plants unable to pay the costs of upgrades. There would also be more public expense for inspectors and veterinarians.
But these are costs the industry and public should be willing to bear if they promote a safer food resource.
