Thursday, October 25, 2012

XL promises improved food safety


XL Foods Inc. has made a number of promises to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to improve food safety at the beef-packing plant at Brooks, Alta.

Under JBS USA management, employees will be under watch by a spy camera.

The video camera recording is being done so “management will be notified of discrepancies in performance and will be able to counsel the employee in one-on-one situation with video evaluation results,” the owners, Brian and Lee Nilsson wrote to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The CFIA released the Oct. 18 letter today.

The company is also taking steps to make sure its hot-water wash that is done before a dead animal is gutted is working properly.

That includes increased computerized monitoring of the high-pressure hot-water wash.

The company promises to install a modified pre-evisceration (i.e. pre-gutting) carcass wash cabinet by February.

And the brothers say “third-party experts” will re-design the employee training program.

They also promised to hire more quality-control staff for each shift to monitor sanitary dressing (i.e. carcass trimming) practices.

Amazing, isn't it, what happens when the pressure is on.