Canada’s food safety system ranks among the best in the world and is highly regarded by our trading partners. Some feel, however, that the listeriosis crisis of summer  2008 cast a shadow on its reputation and has motivated members to find ways to improve the food safety system with a view to preventing another tragedy.

So writes the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food of Canada’s House of Commons.  The panel, charged with conducting an inquiry into the Great Listeria Outbreak of 2008 that was caused by ready-to-eat meats processed by Maple Leaf in Toronto, has issued its report and recommendations.

The MP’s charged with writing the report made numerous recommendations including the implementation of food safety programs such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), traceability, a collaborative effort with the U.S. to develop a common approach to food safety standards, an enhanced foodborne illness surveillance system, better inter-agency protocols and increased inspection resources.

Read the rest in BEYOND THE LISTERIOSIS CRISIS: STRENGTHENING THE FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM. Continue reading here for a list of the recommendations that follow the listeria outbreak that killed 22 Canadians.

Recommendation 1:
The Subcommittee recommends that the government call for a fully
transparent and independent public inquiry, with all the powers
provided under the Inquiries Act, into the actions of the federal
government, its agencies and departments in relation to the events
leading up to, during, and subsequent to the listeriosis crisis of the
summer 2008. 

Recommendation 2: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government ensure that up-
to-date food safety and processing technologies as well as new
scientific evidence be included in all risk assessments and that this
should be achieved by establishing a process of ongoing review of
food safety standards. 

Recommendation 3: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government increase its
collaborative efforts with the United States and consult with
stakeholders and consumers on the possibility of developing a
common approach to food safety standards. 

Recommendation 4: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government encourage the
implementation of HACCP-based food safety systems certified by the
appropriate food safety authority. 

Recommendation 5: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency, cooperatively with the union, finds the means and
technology such that they can provide accurate, real-time evaluation
of inspector resources.

Recommendation 6: 

The Subcommittee recommends that the government undertake a
comprehensive review of the resources, including training, that
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) needs to properly
implement, execute and enforce all food inspection activities; and
that the government make that review public. 
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Recommendation 7: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government implement a
system to recognize the equivalency of existing provincial inspection
systems in comparison to the federal inspection system. 

Recommendation 8: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government provide
funding for food safety initiatives at the different levels of the food
supply chain, including the implementation of policy changes that
support the development of novel approaches to foodborne
pathogens.

Recommendation 9 
The Subcommittee recommends that the federal government develop
initiatives designed to work towards the removal of E. coli from the
Canadian food chain. 

Recommendation 10: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government restore and
publish the Establishment Inspection Reports and Establishment
Ratings. 

Recommendation 11: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government enhance the
national foodborne illnesses surveillance system by developing
programs to gather epidemiological data on foodborne illnesses in
Canada and that it initiate discussions with the provinces to add
relevant foodborne illnesses to the list of nationally notifiable
diseases. 

Recommendation 12: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government review with the
provinces the inter-agency protocols in place during an outbreak,
including the public communication and information sharing
components, and conduct real-scale simulation to validate these
protocols. 

Recommendation 13: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government review the
legislative basis for the Public Health Agency of Canada and the
Chief Public Health Officer with a view to ensuring independence
from government departments and ministerial influence, so as to
protect and restore faith and confidence in Canada’s public health
system. 

Recommendation 14: 
The Subcommittee recommends that the government encourage the
development of industry-led traceability systems for all commodities
and products.