The U.S. informed Canada 20 months ago that it needed to fix operational or procedural food safety weaknesses involving government oversight, sanitation and microbiological testing. The demand came after the U.S. completed an audit of Canada’s meat, poultry and egg systems during an in-country visit from May 28 to June 14, 2014, and found deficiencies.
The audit is based on visits to specific plants during which FSIS personnel found ceiling leaks, condensation and rust. Such sanitation issues caused FSIS to observe that Canada’s efforts are not equivalent to US standards. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has insisted that food safety is not being compromised in Canada and the improvements sought in the U.S. audit are being addressed.
The U.S. wants Canada to begin taking samples and testing multiple surfaces for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat meat processing plants. After a deadly Listeria outbreak in 2008 an independent report by Weatherill recommended increasing CFIA’s laboratory capacity, but left actual testing to processors. But processors in Canada test only food contact surfaces for Listeria monocytogenes, not other areas where it could take hold inside a plant.
CFIA noted in an email sent to the Toronto-based Globe and Mail that they have taken steps to address the issues outlined by the U.S. agency and pointed out there were no food safety risks to consumers. “It is important to note that none of the audit findings posed a food safety risk to consumers, including the identified sanitation issues,” CFIA said. “At the time of the audit, the CFIA inspectors were already addressing the sanitation findings outlined in the audit report and the establishments were already taking the required steps to fix the issues in question.”