Ontario's Meat Inspection System

Ontario has a strong meat inspection system, and we are making it stronger:

• In 2005, the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 was proclaimed and a new, stronger Meat Regulation was introduced. This legislation ensures that meat processed in provincially licensed plants for consumption in Ontario meets food safety requirements.
  

• The new Meat Regulation, which replaces the Meat Inspection Act (Ontario), is broader in scope than the previous legislation and is harmonized with national standards. It requires the licensing and inspection of free-standing meat processors by OMAFRA, thereby levelling the playing field in the province by creating consistent standards, frequency of inspection and enforcement for meat plants.
  

• Meat inspectors must be present during all slaughter and they have the authority to stop slaughter, detain product and issue compliance orders if operations are not in compliance with standards. Each animal is inspected before and after slaughter. Meat inspectors also inspect premises and operational practices.
  

• OMAFRA has a comprehensive and rigorous training system for meat inspectors, which is equivalent to or exceeds training programs offered in many other jurisdictions. New meat inspectors spend approximately seven months in the field with an experienced inspector to gain practical experience, and three weeks in the classroom for intensive training. There are training updates throughout the year for all inspectors, i.e. further-processing activities, computer training, new regulatory requirements.
  

• In March 2004, OMAFRA hired 110 meat inspectors into the Ontario Public Service (OPS), including 61 full-time classified and 49 part-time unclassified meat inspectors, in addition to the 10 full-time classified inspectors who were already members of the Ontario Public Service. Currently, there are 86 full-time and 61 part-time meat hygiene officer/further processing inspector positions, for a total of 147 meat inspectors. Over the next two years, another 22 further-processing inspectors and additional program resources will be hired.
  

• Since 2005, OMAFRA has also increased the number of enforcement positions, adding two compliance officers and four investigators. By 2009, an additional two compliance officers and four agricultural investigators will be hired.
  

• Every provincially licensed plant is audited at least annually by an expert, professional, veterinary meat hygiene auditor who is contracted by the province to assess the degree to which meat plants comply with the meat inspection standards. For 2006-2007, 89 per cent of abattoirs had a rating of "A" or above, and 92 per cent of FSMPs a rating of "A" or above.
  

• In 2006-07, the performance measure for non-compliance with food safety standards assessed during audits in provincially licensed meat plants was 10.8 per cent compared to the baseline of 19.1 per cent in 2000-01.
  

• The Director of the Food Inspection Branch has the authority to suspend an operator's licence or impose conditions on the licence if non-compliance persists or if a public health risk has developed. Plant operators have 10 days to request a hearing. These hearings are held under the Statutory Powers Procedure Act and are open, fair and objective. If a hearing is not requested within the specified time period, the Director has the authority to reinstate, further suspend, impose conditions or revoke the licence. The director's decision or a hearing adjudicator's decision can be appealed before the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal.
  

• Compliance actions are also taken to discourage producers from shipping contaminated livestock. The residue control program has greatly enhanced the safety of meat products originating from provincially licensed abattoirs. As part of the ministry's ongoing monitoring program at provincially licensed abattoirs, 22,474 meat carcasses were tested for chemical residues in 2006-07 with only 38 adverse results. In 2006-07, approximately 4,500 additional tests were conducted for baseline studies in various raw meats, and 400 on smoked meat products processed at licensed meat plants. In addition, 6,051 water and ice samples were tested, with 149 adverse results, including unsafe water/ice and deteriorating quality. All adverse results were acted on according to prescribed protocols.
  

• In addition to meat inspectors, the meat inspection program consists of full-time technical and policy support staff who support meat inspectors in their work, including veterinary scientists, regional veterinarians, food scientists, regulatory specialists and information technology specialists.
  

• A sophisticated, laptop-based information system, the Food Safety Decision Support System (FSDSS), has become an essential data and risk management tool in the day-to-day operation of the meat inspection program.

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