2010-03-22 – Health Canada Begins Public Consultation on Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods
Health Canada, working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the public health Agency of Canada, has revised its policy on Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods and is planning a public consultation with all interested stakeholders. By consulting with health and food safety experts and industry across the country, Health Canada is working to ensure that the updated policy is based on the best scientific information available to protect the health and safety of Canadians.
2009-09-11 - Government of Canada Takes Action to Improve Food Safety
The Government of Canada is making significant investments to strengthen Canada's food safety system. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq today announced that the Government will invest $75 million in Canada's food safety system and act on all 57 recommendations made by Independent Investigator Sheila Weatherill.
The new investments being announced today will improve the Government's ability to prevent, detect and respond to future foodborne illness outbreaks.
2009-07-21 - Release of Listeria Independent Investigator’s Report
On July 21, 2009, the Independent Investigator on Listeria, Sheila Weatherill released her report on the August 2008 Listeria outbreak.
On June 18, 2009, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food’s food safety subcommittee tabled its report on last year’s outbreak. The Government has 120 days to table a formal response.
2009-04-17 - Release of the Lessons Learned Reports on the 2008 Listeriosis Outbreak
The Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency each released their Lessons Learned Report today, following a thorough review of the steps taken during last year's tragic listeriosis outbreak. The purpose of this review was to identify gaps and develop solutions to improve the Government of Canada's response to outbreaks and to ensure Canadians are provided with the highest levels of food safety protection now and in the future.
The reports are detailed and frank assessments of what worked well and what did not work, and reflect the Government's commitment to a robust and effective food safety system.
2009-02-27 - CFIA announces strengthened Listeria requirements
As part of its commitment to protecting the health and safety of Canadians, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is implementing enhanced Listeria testing and reporting requirements in plants producing ready-to-eat meats, such as cold cuts.
The enhanced requirements focus on early detection, reporting, and control of Listeria risks by both Government and industry. Ready-to-eat (RTE) meat plant operators are now required to conduct more rigorous, mandatory Listeria testing and immediately report any positive findings to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA will verify the effectiveness of actions that plant operators take to respond to positive Listeria findings. In addition, the CFIA will undertake an expanded detection program for Listeria and other foodborne microbial pathogens.
The CFIA has published the requirements as part of the Agency’s Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures. Implementation of the enhanced requirements takes effect immediately.
2009-02-27 - Moving forward on food safety
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is committed to continual improvement in order to protect the health and safety of Canadians in the face of new challenges, evolving science, and greater knowledge of food safety. As part of that commitment, the Agency has updated its requirements for the control of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meats.
The enhanced requirements are consistent with Health Canada’s Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods and focus on early detection and control of Listeria. Implementation of the enhanced requirements takes effect immediately.
Under the new requirements:
- Production facilities must implement rigorous environmental testing for Listeria and immediately report positive results to the CFIA.
- A sampling procedure for the Agency to ensure compliance will be instituted.
The requirements are part of a broader response undertaken following the 2008 listeriosis outbreak to enhance the safety of Canada’s food supply. In the immediate wake of the outbreak, the CFIA:
- took rapid action to improve industry practices for sanitation of equipment used to manufacture RTE meat;
- introduced new procedures for sanitation of plant areas where RTE meats are processed; and
- introduced new inspection procedures to make sure that all company microbiological results for Listeria were shared with inspectors on a timely basis and properly addressed.
To produce a workable, effective set of requirements, the CFIA developed the changes and a plan for their implementation in consultation with Health Canada, industry, CFIA inspection staff, and the implicated unions. In addition, input from the the CFIA’s Academic Advisory Panel were valuable in revising the directives and laying a foundation for future food safety enhancements.
To view the CFIA’s enhanced requirements for the control of Listeria monocytogenesin federally-registered meat plants, refer to the the CFIA’s web site at www.inspection.gc.ca. These requirements have been published in the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, which is the primary tool used by CFIA inspection staff and food producers to establish clear roles and responsibilities.
In the coming weeks, the CFIA will initiate a process to ensure that Canada’s trading partners are ready and able to provide an equal level of Listeria control for the products they export to Canada.
2009-02-10 - Latest Steps in the Government of Canada’s Response to the 2008 Listeria Outbreak
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada are taking further action to improve safety protocols of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods by reviewing and updating the CFIA’s directives regarding the control of listeria in federally-registered RTE meat processing plants. Health Canada is also reviewing its Policy on Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods. This is part of a commitment to act on the lessons learned from the product recalls of the summer of 2008.
The Government of Canada has already taken a number of steps to improve food safety control in federally-registered plants that produce RTE meat products, including:
- directing industry to aggressively and thoroughly clean slicing equipment;
- enhancing CFIA oversight of sanitation and equipment maintenance including onsite observation by inspectors of equipment being dismantled and properly cleaned in those plants;
- reviewing company records of finished product and environmental test results on a daily basis;
- analysing trends in positive environmental test results which would flag any potential problems early so that immediate corrective actions can be taken; and
- performing a review of cleaning and sanitation programs used in all federally registered RTE meat plants to control bacteria and other foodborne diseases.
The CFIA’s planned directive revisions cover both environmental testing and finished product testing. Their purpose is to enhance the monitoring of the industry’s sanitation programs and controls for listeria. Specifically, the revised directives will require:
- that plant operators implement environmental and finished product testing programs for all federally-registered plants;
- that plant operators notify the CFIA immediately of any positive environmental or finished-product test results; and
- that the CFIA implement an environmental testing program to complement its finished product testing, in order to further verify the effectiveness of industry sanitation and control programs.
The improved directives will focus on early detection and control of listeria which will improve the control of bacteria in plant environments (including, for example, preparation surfaces, tools and equipment). This will be achieved through enhanced environmental monitoring programs and immediate corrective actions when problems are found. Effective sanitation programs can minimize their presence and therefore reduce the possibility of the bacteria being transferred to a RTE meat product.
The CFIA has discussed the planned revisions to the directives and implementation strategies with industry experts. Inspection staff and the implicated unions have also been engaged, and the CFIA’s Academic Advisory Panel has reviewed and provided comments to the CFIA on the proposed new directives.
The CFIA will publish the updated directives on February 27, 2009. Hard copies of the directives will be available on that date. Full implementation of new government product and environmental testing programs will be completed by April 1, 2009. The CFIA will provide rigorous verification of the achievement of food safety objectives during the phased implementation of industry environmental sampling programs, to be completed by fall 2009. CFIA will initiate a process to ensure equivalent implementation of the new measures by trading partners after the directives are published.
Canada’s meat inspection program is based on international standards, including those of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Revised directives for food safety control will further enhance our nation’s ability to produce safe food.
For more information on the food safety system in Canada visit the CFIA’s web site at www.inspection.gc.ca. For more information on Listeria from Health Canada, visit their web site at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
