Tribunal dismisses Innerkip processor's appeal

Monday, June 6, 2011

by SUSAN MANN

Ontario’s Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal agrees with the agriculture ministry’s decision to not renew the abattoir operating license of Innerkip Specialty Meats Ltd.

In its May 30 decision, the tribunal dismissed Innerkip’s appeal to overturn the ministry’s decision of Aug. 12, 2010 refusing to renew Innerkip’s license to operate a meat plant. The tribunal’s decision was released following three days of hearings in Guelph on Feb. 8 and 9 and April 27.

In its written decision, the tribunal says Innerkip received its license on Jan. 9, 2009. Innerkip was owned by Egon Spreitzer, the majority shareholder who wasn’t involved in the abattoir’s daily operations, and Don Murray, the designated operator responsible for daily operations.

Innerkip’s license was provisionally suspended on March 18, 2010 and then it expired on March 31, 2010. The license renewal hearing was in June 2010 while in August 2010 a director appointed under the province’s Food Safety and Quality Act handed down the decision that it was in the public interest to refuse Innerkip’s request for a license renewal.  The director listed seven reasons for refusing the renewal including that Murray obstructed meat inspectors from doing their jobs, Innerkip had received several written warnings about compliance issues and that friction between ministry meat inspectors and Murray become so great the ministry insisted Murray not be present at the facility during slaughter operations.

Murray couldn’t be reached for comment.

During the hearing, Murray acknowledged he said a few things to inspector Lisa Drabble but that she misunderstood him.

Spreitzer told the tribunal that once they became licensed the ministry often stopped them from processing animals for what he considered trivial matters. He says he felt ministry staff were picking on them.

Despite pre hearing disclosure of the materials the ministry intended to call in evidence, all focusing on Innerkip’s non compliance with regulations from Ontario’s Food Safety and Quality Act, “Innerkip did not lead any evidence in chief challenging the ministry’s materials,” it says in the tribunal’s written decision. BF