In a tit-for-tat review, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
has audited some meat-packing plants in the United States and is calling for
improvements.
The Americans issued a similar audit and comments about the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency earlier this year.
“The Canadian Food Inspection Agency
said the U.S. food inspection system is working as intended but recommended
some improvements,” writes Tom Johnson of Meatingplace Magazine.
CFIA’s report covers 12 meat processing
plants, two USDA offices and a government microbiology laboratory. The audit
took place from Feb. 5 to Feb. 22, 2013.
The report identified the following
areas where FSIS could make improvements:
- Animal welfare requirements for poultry
and pork in the United States
- Ante-mortem inspection procedures for
poultry
- Specified Risk Material controls in
inedible products (i.e. related to mad cow’s disease) and appropriate
validation regarding edible product
- Immplementation of Food Safety and
Inspection Service (of the United States Department of Agriculture)
requirements for validation for 5-7 D reduction of Salmonella in U.S.
establishments producing non-heat treated RTE (ready to eat) products
- HACCP(Hazard Analysis Critical Control
Points) requirements and implementation in FSIS regulated establishments
Overall, however, the report concluded
that the USDA/FSIS food safety system is performing “as intended in an adequate
manner.” As such, no plants were delisted (i.e. banned from exporting to
Canada) as a result of the audit.
CFIA found non-compliance issues at two
plants, but the USDA/FSIS officials and plants made the appropriate corrective
actions within 30 days of the audit.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2012, the
United States exported 713,073,375 kilograms of raw and processed meat and
poultry products to Canada.
