Meat Inspectors Stretched Too Thin: Union

(Canwest News Service – Sarah Schmidt)

The inspector stationed at the Toronto plant at the centre of a deadly food-borne outbreak is responsible for six other facilities under a new inspection system that’s drawn complaints that staff “are working off their feet.”

Complaints of being stretched too thin have flooded in from some inspectors in “resource stressed” areas like Ontario and Alberta since March, when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency brought in a new compliance verification system (CVS), according to Bob Kingston, head of the agriculture unit of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents food inspectors across Canada.

“They’re facing a choice of, ‘OK, do I concentrate more on doing a thorough inspection or do I concentrate more on getting the paperwork done that says I’ve been to that plant, I’ve looked at the records and that satisfies the legal requirement for international trade.”

The new inspection program resembles more of an auditing system and requires government inspectors to review a company’s records to monitor and verify food-safety practices at all critical points during production, including ventilation at the facility, equipment maintenance and calibration, personnel training, sanitation and pest control programs, and product code identification in case of recalls.

In correspondence to union officials provided to Canwest News Service, one inspector complained, “We do not have the same presence we used to have in the processing facilities.

When the cat is away the mice will play.” Another noted that, “We are not making the observations we used to make when we had more of a hands-on approach. We spend more time looking at paper than anything else.”

Another inspector was more blunt. “We’ve had all our authority taken away and now we are just paper pushers.”

The inspector stationed at the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto is responsible for another two meat processing plants and four cold storage facilities. Storage facilities require less rigorous inspection processes.

CFIA said Tuesday the three meat processing facilities require daily visits, as does one of the cold storage facilities.

Richard Arsenault, who oversees meat inspection for the agency, said it’s “normal and usual” for inspectors to be responsible for more than one plant and this is not a new feature of the inspection system. Arsenault says the feedback he’s been getting about the new verification system has been positive. Read the complete article.