CFIA proposes change to federal meat inspection regulations
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
by SUSAN MANN
Meat processors are getting their first look at proposed new federal regulations that will give them greater flexibility in how they meet requirements and make it easier for plants to obtain federal registration.
Laurie Nicol, Ontario Independent Meat Processors executive director, says they’re in the process “of reviewing and seeking comments from our members in regards to the changes.” The association represents Ontario’s meat and poultry processors, retailers, wholesalers and suppliers to the industry.
Nicol says they have until May 6 to respond.
Posted on the Canada Gazette, the proposed amendments to the Meat Inspection Regulation, 1990 will give federally registered meat plants greater flexibility in how they meet regulations, remove some redundant requirements, increase the alignment of regulations and polices with Canada’s major trading partners, and allow more freedom in the activities that can be carried out at plants, such as dressing game carcasses. They’ll also allow “industry stakeholders to focus more of their attention on critically important food safety requirements,” the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s regulatory impact analysis statement says. The statement isn’t part of the regulations.
The proposed amendments won’t modify food safety standards, the statement says.
Ron Davidson, government and media relations director for the Canadian Meat Council, the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council and the Further Poultry Processors Association of Canada, says throughout the document outlining the amendments, the CFIA references the importance of maintaining food safety in the meat inspection system “so we’re clearly in sync on the objective.”
The importance of maintaining and expanding access in international markets isn’t explicitly stated in the document but it’s a critical factor for the meat sector, he says.
They support the proposed changes to outcome-based requirements and removing redundant rules when they’re compatible with maintaining food safety and access to international markets.
The statement uses a proposal to require enough space between the handling of edible and inedible products to allow for food safety and hygiene as an example of outcome-based requirements. Currently, the regulations require processors to handle the two products in different rooms, which the statement describes as a prescriptive approach.
Similar to the Independent Meat Processors, the Canadian meat groups will be seeking comments from member organizations and submitting them, he says.
The changes are being proposed after federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers agreed in July 2011 to streamline and simplify requirements for all federally registered plants and any future applicants for federal registration. BF