For Release: April 11, 2005

ONTARIO GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN
FOOD SAFETY SYSTEM
Announces New Initiatives To Address Haines Report Recommendations

TORONTO - The McGuinty government is further ensuring the safety of our food supply by giving Ontarians a single voice to advocate on behalf of animal health and food safety issues, Minister of Agriculture and Food Steve Peters said today.

The government is establishing an Office of the Chief Veterinarian of Ontario (CVO) and consolidating responsibility for food safety in Ontario into one division within the ministry.

"This announcement responds to a key recommendation in Justice Roland Haines' report on the province's meat regulation and inspection system," Minister of Agriculture and Food, Steve Peters said. "Our continuous work on improvements will make ours a truly world-class system that protects public health and encourages greater competitiveness in Ontario's agri-food sector."

The CVO will:

• Take the lead in the event of an animal health or related food safety emergency
  
• Maintain links with the Chief Veterinarian of Canada, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario, Emergency Management Ontario, other ministries and other provinces
  
• Support existing animal health programs, assess the need for a separate Animal Health Act and developing a comprehensive strategy for the early detection and prevention of serious animal diseases, especially those that can affect humans.

The food safety division will bring together policy, program and operation areas of food safety that were formerly distributed throughout the Ministry.

"Food-borne illness is very costly and is a preventable public health problem," said Dr. Sheela Basrur, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health. "The creation of a new food safety division within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food will help protect our food supply and reduce the risk of food borne illness."

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Contact:
Dave McLeod
Minister's Office
(416) 326-6439
(416) 420-5631

FOOD SAFETY IN ONTARIO

Progress to Date:

• Establishing an Office of the Chief Veterinarian of Ontario (CVO). Dr. Deborah Stark will be the new CVO and will take the lead in the event of an animal health or related food safety emergency. The duties of the CVO will also include maintaining links with the Chief Veterinarian of Canada, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario, Emergency Management Ontario, other ministries and other provinces. The office will support existing animal health programs, assess the need for a separate Animal Health Act and develop a comprehensive strategy for the prevention and early detection of serious animal diseases, especially those that can affect people. Effective May 2, 2005.
• Establishing a food safety division within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The division brings together policy, program and operation areas of food safety. Previously, these areas were spread out across the ministry. The duties include assessing and managing risks associated with the agri-food production system to reduce negative effects on public health; developing and delivering field to fork food safety programs; delivering inspection, industry education and training, compliance and enforcement; maintaining strong ties with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Effective May 2, 2005.
• Proclaiming the Food Safety and Quality Act and introducing a new, stronger meat regulation. This addressed the first recommendation in Justice Haines' report, and several others, including licensing and regulating freestanding (non federally-registered) meat processors. The first group of meat plants, including those already licensed by the province, will need to comply with the new regulation by June 1, 2005, and all others by October, 2006.
• Holding a series of information/consultation meetings across the province in February and March, 2005 regarding the new meat inspection regulation, with more than 200 industry stakeholders participating.
• Providing up to $25 million in transitional funds over three years to assist meat processors in meeting the new requirements.
• Introducing a new, practical food safety program for small to medium-sized food processors called HACCP Advantage that focuses on preventing food hazard problems before they occur. Two operations - T&R Sargent Farms Limited of Milton and The Butcher Shoppe of Toronto - are now certified under the program. More are in process.
  
• Providing $4 million to the Ontario Cattlemen's Association to help maintain the province's deadstock collection system and avoid potential environmental and health hazards.
• Finalizing a federal-Ontario emergency response plan against foreign animal disease that will better safeguard the health of the province's livestock and citizens.
• Developing a comprehensive code of practice, including daily monitoring and audits for livestock auction markets.

Work in Progress:

• Ongoing work to make the changes to a regulation under the Dead Animal Disposal Act, which would permit deadstock receiving plants to compost dead animals and processing materials from meat plants. This would provide Ontario farmers and meat plant operators an additional safe, environmentally responsible option for disposing of these wastes.
• Following up on recommendations in the On-Farm Food Safety Strategy for Ontario, which was developed by the industry and Ontario government. The strategy is in line with the national program, and addresses issues of program integration and co-ordination, administration and infrastructure, recognition, program evaluation and enhancement, and traceability.
  • The joint government-industry Ontario Traceability Task Force is developing a business model for a premises identification registry for Ontario. This information will be a cornerstone for a system that will eventually be able to trace food products from the farm to retail.
• Signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with federal and provincial government officials to enhance public safety through better co-ordination of effective and efficient risk mitigation programs respecting foodborne health hazards and illness outbreaks in Ontario.

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Contact:
Dave McLeod
Minister's Office
(416) 326-6439
(416) 420-5631 (cell)

NEW CHIEF VETERINARIAN OF ONTARIO

• Dr. Deborah Stark will be the new Chief Veterinarian of Ontario.
• Dr. Stark is currently the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Agriculture and Rural Division of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) and the Chair of the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union Pension Trust, one of Canada's largest pension funds.
• She is also the Ontario representative on the Council of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
• Dr. Stark was the Assistant Deputy Minister for Research and Corporate Services Division of OMAF, where her responsibilities included managing all of the ministry funded research and emergency planning.
• She graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1982 and spent five years in private practice before joining the ministry.
• Dr. Stark was an extension veterinarian, Ontario's provincial veterinarian and headed the province's diagnostic laboratory system.
• She has served as the President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and Board member of the Veterinary Infectious Diseases Organization.
  

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Contact:
Dr. Deborah Stark
Ministry of Agriculture and Food
(519) 826-352