BC slaughterhouses; meat inspection regulations
Slaughterhouses
NOTE: Effective January 1, 2014, the responsibility for meat inspection and licencing of provincially licenced meat processing plants (A and B) has been transferred to the BC Ministry of Agriculture. Enquires regarding meat inspection and licencing should be directed to: Neil Mayers, BC Ministry of Agriculture 250.356.6273 neil.mayers@gov.bc.ca
The BC Ministry of Agriculture now oversees the issuance of Class A and Class B licenses under the Meat Inspection Regulation of the BC Food Safety Act.
Read more: Slaughter Establishments and Meat Inspection and Licensing in BC
Snapshot of Canadian agriculture, Statistics Canada
Federal offloading of meat inspection to provinces threatens food safety: Union
August 11, 2011 The Province
The federal government is washing its hands of meat inspection in three provinces, including B.C. — a move food inspectors warn puts consumers at higher risk of eating contaminated meat products.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been responsible for inspecting about 60 provincially registered slaughterhouses in B.C and another 40 in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. But starting in January 2014, the task will fall to the provinces, which union officials say lack the funds and the infrastructure to make sure consumers are protected from potentially deadly contaminants such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria.
“Once Ottawa leaves town, these provinces will be left to pick up the pieces of the program and try to build a replacement safety inspection work force,” said Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the union which represents federal food-safety inspectors. “Without the appropriate infrastructure in place, there’s no way they can meet the deadline,” he said at a press conference in Vancouver Wednesday morning.
B.C. currently pays the CFIA about 40 per cent of what it costs to deliver the program, said Kingston. To build and run its own program means the province will have to shell out three times as much. Because there is already a shortage of meat inspectors, and it takes two to three years of training to get proper credentials, it will also be “virtually impossible” for the province to recruit qualified staff before the deadline, he added.
Slaughterhouses in B.C. can apply to be registered federally or provincially. Provincially registered plants can only sell their products in the province they operate, and cannot export their meat to other provinces.
Only slaughterhouses that undergo federal inspection — considered by the union to be more stringent than provincial standards — can export their meat internationally. B.C. has about 60 provincially registered facilities and about 15 to 20 federally registered plants.
Kingston said the proposed pullout will affect about 65 federal meat inspectors in the three provinces, but they can easily be found jobs elsewhere in the agency.
“The people will be absorbed. That’s not the issue. The issue is food safety,” he said, calling on federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz to reverse the decision. An online petition has also been launched urging Ottawa to reconsider its decision. The move is expected to save the CFIA about $4 million annually.
The food inspection agency told Postmedia News that the move simply reflects the CFIA’s shift to its primary job of inspecting federally registered meat plants and leaving it up to provinces to police provincially licensed facilities. “In essence, it is handing back provincial inspection to provincial authority,” said Catherine Airth, CFIA’s associate vice-president of operations. “These plants are licensed with the province, therefore the provincial ministries have ultimate authority for compliance and enforcement in these establishments.”
Producing Livestock for Meat in BC
February 28, 2012 Salt Spring Abattoir to Open For Business This Spring
April 13, 2015 Pitt Meadows Meats expected to plead guilty in E. coli case (more news & updates)
Comment: Industrial animal agriculture, along with bureaucrats and politicians, put the economy and corporate profits ahead of animal welfare, public health and safety, the environment, and citizens’ rights. Exposing the truth should be easy but instead there are too many in power with vested interests who want to keep us muzzled. Thankfully, former employee, Daniel Land, was heard and now after five years there will be consequences to the company coverup.
Read more: Swine flu by any other name is still swine flu; Hallmark; confinement & disease; avian flu on Fraser Valley farms; world markets enact trade bans; flu spreads to WA; OR; across Midwest; Ontario
Ban non-stun slaughter practices
January 16, 2017 Carmina Gooch’s e-mail re: slaughter without stunning
- To: Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture
- Cc: Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Minister MacAulay,
I am writing to ask you to ban the slaughter of any and all animals without stunning them first, as well as the religious sacrifice of animals.
To read the full letter visit: Denmark to ban halal and kosher slaughter methods; Canada's markets; BC slaughterhouses; Canada; CVMA opposed to non-stun slaughter practices
Jun 7/19 Factory Farming: Shedding Light on the Highly Secretive Industry. Torturous labor conditions and systemic animal abuse are well hidden by the industry. That is until investigators show up. https://sentientmedia.org/factory-farming-shedding-light-on-the-highly-secretive-industry/
Cruelty investigation launched into B.C. slaughterhouse after secret video obtained
February 22, 2023 https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cruelty-investigation-launched-into-b-c-slaughterhouse-after-secret-video-obtained-1.6285404 (disturbing details and images)
An investigation is underway into a B.C. slaughterhouse over alleged animal cruelty, following the release of video obtained by a national animal advocacy group. On Wednesday, Animal Justice filed a legal complaint against Meadow Valley Meats, claiming staff at the facility were "forcefully hitting and kicking" cows, sheep and goats, before leading the animals to slaughter. The abuse occurred despite provincial inspectors being present at the slaughterhouse.
In 2015, when it was called Pitt Meadow Meats, (a halal facility) it was fined for selling E.coli tainted meat. The company also has links to two men at the centre of one of Canada's biggest farm animal abuse cases. Jeff Kooyman, & his brother, Ken, are both listed as directors of Meadow Valley Meats. The men were fined hundreds of thousands of dollars after an undercover sting operation by Mercy for Animals revealed animal cruelty at their dairy farm, Chilliwack Cattle Sales.
There are little, or no repercussions, for violators of slaughterhouse regulations. Time and time again, the system has failed animals. Without meaningful changes to enforcement and public transparency, animals will continue to suffer and die. Government protects industry. That’s why animal activists will continue to fight and expose the physical and psychological suffering that animals are subjected to.
Industry must be held accountable for routinely sacrificing animal welfare in the relentless pursuit of profit.
Turning a blind eye to cruel & callous treatment of animals is a shameful abdication of responsibility.
CFIA launches review after video surfaces of alleged animal abuse on Red Deer hog farm
October 12, 2014 Global News on http://www.rabbitadvocacy.com/undercover_probe_by_mfa_reveals.htm
EDMONTON — A Canadian organization dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals is calling for action from the Federal Government after a hidden camera investigation revealed pigs being beaten and kicked by staff at a Red Deer hog farm. The CFIA says it has also launched an internal review, following allegations an inspector was on site while the alleged animal abuse was taking place. “CFIA management has met with all inspection staff in the area to reinforce our values of courage, rigour and respect. We have also taken this opportunity to discuss with staff our ongoing expectation that animal welfare responsibilities be carried out in a compassionate and respectful manner,” reads a statement posted to the CFIA’s website.
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2022 CANADA ANIMAL KILL CLOCK https://www.animalclock.org/ca/
In a world where most animals are worth more dead than alive…those that kill them are protected…and those that protect them are incarcerated. Who is the real terrorist?
“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.” ―
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