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Topic: Listeriosis outbreak: Why is Health Canada covering for Maple Leaf?
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Boom Boom
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7791
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posted 26 August 2008 05:22 PM
6 dead so far, another 15 deaths being investigated to see if they are connected to the outbreak. Expected to get more cases in the next five to seven weeks.Thread drift: CBC did a story tonight on the 'Mumps" outbreak in BC - a fundamentalist christian church forbids mumps innoculations for its young, instead believing 'spirituality' is the answer - and their young are coming down with mumps. ETA: Toronto's Tony Merchant has launched a class action suit, I believe I heard that so far 1,000 people have signed on to sue the company (Maple Leaf Foods). [ 26 August 2008: Message edited by: Boom Boom ]
From: Make the rich pay! | Registered: Dec 2004
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Sineed
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11260
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posted 26 August 2008 06:47 PM
You'd be fine eating the bacon, Michelle; cooking kills the bacteria. I'd toss everything else in the green bin (if you can't return for refund).Chances are, you'd be fine in any event. Healthy people don't tend to get sick from Listeria. Listeriosis facts [ 26 August 2008: Message edited by: Sineed ]
From: # 668 - neighbour of the beast | Registered: Dec 2005
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Ghislaine
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 14957
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posted 27 August 2008 04:22 AM
This whole scare just made me that much sure that cutting out processed factory meat was the right choice. However, the facts linked to above about listeria are important to keep in mind. Those who die are usually elderly, babies or already ill. It is a bacteria that is very common. If you are eating locally-raised meat that is not grown in a factory setting there is a much smaller chance of listeria contamination. There have been a lot of people quoted on TV saying they are giving up meat due to this scare, but that is really a false dichotomy. The issue is with industrial versus sustainable farming and production methods. In 1981 there was a listeria outbreak here in the maritimes that killed dozens of people - the listeria was found in coleslaw.
From: L'Î-P-É | Registered: Feb 2008
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Bookish Agrarian
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7538
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posted 27 August 2008 04:29 AM
I have a prediction.There will be a round of 'feel good' regulations after this. Most of them will fall heavily on smaller, local processors, when they are not the problem. Not one of the regulations will actually improve food safety, but there will be lots of positive media spin. No one in government will go after the real culprit - the super concentration of our food system. These regualtions will drive out smaller processors and we will end up with an even more industrialized and concentrated food system. We've seen this before with cheese and creameries.
From: Home of this year's IPM | Registered: Nov 2004
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Ghislaine
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 14957
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posted 27 August 2008 04:43 AM
quote: Originally posted by Bookish Agrarian: I have a prediction.There will be a round of 'feel good' regulations after this. Most of them will fall heavily on smaller, local processors, when they are not the problem. Not one of the regulations will actually improve food safety, but there will be lots of positive media spin. No one in government will go after the real culprit - the super concentration of our food system. These regualtions will drive out smaller processors and we will end up with an even more industrialized and concentrated food system. We've seen this before with cheese and creameries.
I hope your prediction is not true, but I fear you are right...
From: L'Î-P-É | Registered: Feb 2008
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TemporalHominid
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6535
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posted 27 August 2008 05:01 AM
related:In July, Luc Pomerleau, a biologist "with a 20-year 'umblemished record' in government," according to a CanWest news article, who "was fired [in early July] for 'gross misconduct' and breaching security because he sent the documents to his union." quote: Confidential documents insecurely posted on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's computer network laid out sensitive plans to turn over food inspections and labelling to industry and also led to the firing of the scientist who stumbled upon them
the demand Please consider writing a letter to Gerry Ritz [email protected] minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (the department responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency), demanding that Luc Pomerleau be given his job back. Letters should be copied to the Prime Minister [email protected] [email protected]
From: Under a bridge, in Foot Muck | Registered: Jul 2004
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pogge
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2440
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posted 27 August 2008 06:12 AM
quote: ...the federal agency responsible for food safety this year began to let the industry conduct its own food testing, The Globe and Mail has learned.A leaked cabinet document that outlined plans for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to give the food industry a greater role in the inspection process raised the ire of opposition politicians last week. However, some of the plans have been in place since March 31, according to a CFIA manager and an official from the union that represents the federal inspectors. At the Maple Leaf plant behind the listeria outbreak, a single federal inspector was relegated to auditing company paperwork and had to deal with several other plants, the manager and the union official said, contradicting the impression that officials had left last week that full-time watchdogs were on-site.
[ 27 August 2008: Message edited by: pogge ]
From: Why is this a required field? | Registered: Mar 2002
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Bookish Agrarian
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7538
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posted 27 August 2008 07:02 AM
From the National Farmers Union quote: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 27, 2008FOOD SAFETY: LOCAL FOOD ALTERNATIVE TO CENTRALIZED SYSTEM The tragic deaths of a number of Canadians due to a bacterial infection caused by eating tainted meat from a Toronto-area processing plant is a sobering reminder of how centralized and consolidated our current food system is, says Nigel Smith, Youth President of the National Farmers Union (NFU). Smith said while accidental food-borne contamination is extremely rare thanks to a reliable publicly-accountable food inspection system, the recent outbreak of listeria has nonetheless resulted in several tragic deaths. A widespread recall of over 200 meat products is currently in place, affecting Canadians across the country. “It’s important to ensure food safety standards are enforced to protect public health, at both large and small processing plants,” he stated. “Contamination can conceivably occur at any plant, regardless of its size. The big difference, however, is that when contamination takes place at a very large plant, the consequences are staggering – both in the number of people potentially affected – and in the overall costs.” Don Mills, NFU Ontario Board member, said the food system in Canada has steadily become more centralized over the years as food processors, distributors and retailers have become larger and more integrated. Food products distributed throughout a national system tend to be sourced from large, federally-inspected processing plants. That centralization has resulted in reduced opportunities for Canadians to purchase locally-grown and locally-processed food products, Mills pointed out. “Normally we wouldn’t give that a second thought, but when unfortunate instances like this occur, it underlines how vulnerable the system really is.” In the meat processing sector, for example, ownership is very concentrated, with Cargill, XL Meats, and Maple Leaf controlling most of the capacity. “The food chain is very narrow at the processing level,” stated Mills. “It’s only when people understand how the food system actually operates, that real changes can be made.” Smith concluded that it is important for Canadians to support local food initiatives as a way of promoting a healthy food system.
From: Home of this year's IPM | Registered: Nov 2004
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Bookish Agrarian
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7538
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posted 28 August 2008 06:54 PM
quote: Originally posted by Trevormkidd:
Holy crap! A process that could make something that is unsafe safe. Where can I protest this? If I has the option of buying irradiated food, I would be buying such for many vegetables which I plan to eat raw.
You will be getting irradiated veggies too. In fact that is where the process started. Can you say California spinach
From: Home of this year's IPM | Registered: Nov 2004
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cornerstone
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 15432
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posted 28 August 2008 10:14 PM
quote: Originally posted by Bookish Agrarian: I have a prediction.There will be a round of 'feel good' regulations after this. Most of them will fall heavily on smaller, local processors, when they are not the problem. Not one of the regulations will actually improve food safety, but there will be lots of positive media spin. No one in government will go after the real culprit - the super concentration of our food system. These regualtions will drive out smaller processors and we will end up with an even more industrialized and concentrated food system. We've seen this before with cheese and creameries.
look at Quebec and out in BC boutique and raw milk cheeses are booming. One can't compete head on with big agro business but as I saw on the CBC tonight there is the beginnings of a local food movement with help from the government in Ontario. It looks like the program is part of the governments "Green Belt" push. It's called Local Food Plus LFP As an aside I picked up a bottle of Niagara Wine that had a tag promoting the concept of the "100 mile" diet. I'm rather optimistic that the recognition and adoption of a local produce and products food chain is going to happen. There is an ever increasing education of the consumer and we should look to Europe on how to do food.
From: in time and space | Registered: Aug 2008
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Brian White
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8013
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posted 29 August 2008 10:14 AM
thats good but bookish is talking about government using big industrial food disasters to cripple small food production. For example Birdflu in huge factory units with almost cloned chickens produced new regulations for the hardy mongrel chickens that run about outdoors. And the owners of thes huge chicken factorys were allowed to outsource their eggs (in the states) so they wouldn't lose market share in bc! UNBELIEVABLE but true. So much for the holy free market under the bc libs! In britain, with foot and mouth disease some old sheep and cattle breeds were wiped out forever in the quarintine process. On vancouver island, there are just a few places now where animals can be killed. (Due to regulations basically). This heavily penalises and almost eliminates the island lamb, and beef industrys. Vancouver island is bigger than the netherlands to put it into perspective and lots of the island could support grass fed beef and lamb production. I trained as a lab technician, raw milk is dangerous. Going back to the old ways because they are old is not recommended. There is an outbreak of mumps in some religous community in bc right now because they do not believe in vaccination. If an adult male gets mumps, he goes through great pain and he likely ends up sterile. And unfortunately you can get mumps more than once. quote: Originally posted by cornerstone:
look at Quebec and out in BC boutique and raw milk cheeses are booming. One can't compete head on with big agro business but as I saw on the CBC tonight there is the beginnings of a local food movement with help from the government in Ontario. It looks like the program is part of the governments "Green Belt" push. It's called Local Food Plus LFP As an aside I picked up a bottle of Niagara Wine that had a tag promoting the concept of the "100 mile" diet. I'm rather optimistic that the recognition and adoption of a local produce and products food chain is going to happen. There is an ever increasing education of the consumer and we should look to Europe on how to do food.
From: Victoria Bc | Registered: Jan 2005
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Left J.A.B.
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9046
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posted 29 August 2008 10:29 AM
quote: Originally posted by cornerstone:
look at Quebec and out in BC boutique and raw milk cheeses are booming. One can't compete head on with big agro business but as I saw on the CBC tonight there is the beginnings of a local food movement with help from the government in Ontario. It looks like the program is part of the governments "Green Belt" push. It's called Local Food Plus LFP As an aside I picked up a bottle of Niagara Wine that had a tag promoting the concept of the "100 mile" diet. I'm rather optimistic that the recognition and adoption of a local produce and products food chain is going to happen. There is an ever increasing education of the consumer and we should look to Europe on how to do food.
LFP is a good thing, but is a very, very long way from making sure you can buy local food in your local grocery store. Yes downtown Toronto has soom good options, but get much away from there and it is grocery stores where food mostly comes from. You can not get food into those retailers if you are a local farmer. On top of that, as BA suggests, food regulations have been slowly pushing out local processors for some time now. Here is a link from the National Farmers Union Ontario that is at least 7 years old on this issue. It has become a great deal worse since then. Small Abattoirs and Meat Inspection in Ontario
From: 4th and Main | Registered: Apr 2005
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Jake
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 390
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posted 30 August 2008 09:06 AM
I bought some " Montreal Smoked Meat" at the deli counter of our handy Sobeys store yesterday. When I got home I checked on the CFIA web site and found that Montreal Smoked Meat was on their recall list so I tossed my 150 grams into the garbage.When I went back today I spoke to the dept Manager and was assured that the product they were selling was a "Compliments" Montreal Smoked Meat ( Sobeys article # 135263) and was not on her recall list. She had no idea where it came from. She gave me phone #s for ML Foods, CFIA, & Sobeys Cust Care. I tried the ML foods first and got a very nice lady in Texas who knew where Canada was, also knew of Montreal but had no idea who or what Sobeys was. I didnt test her geography further by asking if she knew of Halifax, thanked her for her pleasant manner and went on to CFIA The person who answered was patient and polite and heard me out but was unable to provide any info on where this Montreal Smoked Meat could have come from. He gave me a CFIA number to call in Moncton. No Luck they are closed till next Tuesday. So on to Sobeys Cust Care. Same story there closed till Tuesday. I'll follow this last one up next week but am not really hopeful that I'll get a very straight answer. Jake PS Re "The Buck Stops Here" from Mr. McCain. I hear the words but suspect that what he really means is "It's my fault and I'll fix it. I don't want any of those nosy GOVERNMENT inspectors in my plants" J Or am I being too cynical? [ 30 August 2008: Message edited by: Jake ] [ 30 August 2008: Message edited by: Jake ]
From: the recycling bin | Registered: Apr 2001
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al-Qa'bong
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3807
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posted 30 August 2008 12:10 PM
quote: Holy crap! A process that could make something that is unsafe safe. Where can I protest this?
It won't do any good. I worked for a guy (we were doing renovations, resurfacing rotten old concrete floors in smokehouses, etc., in the local slaughterhouse) who bragged about how when he worked in the slaughterhouse, he found a solution to tons of meat that was turning green. I don't recall the details, but they involved steaming the outside of the meat to change the colour back to pink. I think the company gave him a box of pork chops or something as a reward. [ 30 August 2008: Message edited by: al-Qa'bong ]
From: Saskatchistan | Registered: Feb 2003
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Lard Tunderin' Jeezus
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1275
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posted 30 August 2008 03:51 PM
Bookish Agrarian - The article is here, but there's not a whole lot more to it.edited to say: Clearly, I'm not fast enough. [ 30 August 2008: Message edited by: Lard Tunderin' Jeezus ]
From: ... | Registered: Aug 2001
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Left J.A.B.
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9046
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posted 03 September 2008 01:34 PM
Some of you might know this fellow from the NFUNational Farmers Union Ontario Director Grant Robertson quote: That this outbreak occurred within days of the revelation that the current federal government has been attempting to cut back on inspections and have industry police itself makes the deaths more tragic and the ideology behind the government’s actions even more disturbing. Media reports detailing a leaked Treasury Board document revealed that the federal cabinet approved plans to dump parts of meat inspections, cuts to BSE testing, and Avian Influenza preparedness funding in November 2007. It is an appalling lack of judgment by those elected to work in the public interest.
Read the whole thing though, it is worth the read.
From: 4th and Main | Registered: Apr 2005
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M. Spector
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8273
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posted 12 September 2008 08:08 PM
quote: One of the last orders of business for Prime Minister Stephen Harper before calling an election was to announce an independent inquiry into the recent outbreak of listeriosis that has killed at least 14 people across Canada.... We don't need more reports to gather dust on shelves. We need our politicians and senior civil servants to read and absorb the analyses of past tragedies - the 540-page Walkerton report of Mr. Justice Dennis O'Connor; the 1,004-page report on the provincial response to SARS by Mr. Justice Archie Campbell; and the 234-page report by Dr. David Naylor on the federal response to SARS. It's all in there in painful detail. Whether it's water, food or infectious diseases, the principles are the same: You need to invest in public health infrastructure, particularly in good people; you need to value prevention, not just pay lip service; when threats to public health occur, you need to act forcefully and communicate well. And above all, you need to take responsibility for your actions (and inaction). That is something government agencies like CFIA and PHAC, and in particular their political masters, seem unable to grasp. That willful blindness and aversion to leadership is a bigger threat to the health of Canadians than bacteria in luncheon meats. - André Picard
From: One millihelen: The amount of beauty required to launch one ship. | Registered: Feb 2005
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M. Spector
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8273
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posted 17 September 2008 10:15 AM
Canadian Medical Assn Journal slams Harper on listeriosis quote: The current government's policies on public health mean Canada may be less prepared than in the past for an influenza pandemic, outbreaks of listeriosis and other epidemics, the Canadian Medical Association Journal said Tuesday.An editorial in the journal criticizes the Conservative government's policies, and an accompanying news article reports that changes to meat inspection rules that took effect in April mean contamination at meat processing plants may no longer automatically result in a shutdown. The changes came to light in a leaked chapter of an updated version of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's manual on meat inspections. "The current government's policies have contributed to the unravelling of public health safeguards, with the move to self-inspection by industry and the lack of an independent public health officer," the journal said in a news release. "The listeriosis epidemic is a timely reminder that the Harper government has reversed much of the progress that previous governments made on governing for public health," the lead editorial said. For example, Harper eliminated the Public Health Agency of Canada's ministerial seat in cabinet, the creation of which was one of the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health. Since the chief medical officer remained a civil servant working under the health minister, "it left our country without a national independent voice to speak out on public health issues, including providing visible leadership during this [listeriosis] crisis," the editorial said. Harper has called an "independent investigation" into the listeriosis epidemic that has killed at 16 people. But the editors said that under the terms of reference: • The investigator will not have the power to subpoena witnesses or documents. • The investigation will not be public. • There is no commitment to publishing the findings or reporting to Parliament.
From: One millihelen: The amount of beauty required to launch one ship. | Registered: Feb 2005
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