Ottawa - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently said that they should have done a better job during this summer’s listeria out break. The agency did not do well at informing the public about the problem. They also did not get the information to the public fast enough. People need to know when there is a problem with food that could affect their health and well-being.
The listeria which was caused by tainted meat killed twenty people and made many people very ill. During the listeria outbreak the Canadian Food Inspection Agency should have been talking to reporters and answering questions from the public but a man named Michael McCain did. He is the chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Foods. It shows a lack of consideration on the agency’s part because they did not talk to the media or reporters and the public had to rely on a CEO for the information.
There have been changes proposed so that there are better measures taken to test for listeria in food manufacturing plants. These changes involve testing on the surfaces that are in the food manufacturing plant. These surfaces include counter tops, drains, ceilings, and floors. They also proposed testing food three times a year by food inspectors. If a positive finding is found two or more times in food then that food would need to be quarantined. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has to be informed when listeria tests are positive.
It is important that food is handled safely. The public needs to be informed when food might be tainted so that they avoid eating the tainted products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency needs to protect the health and safety of Canadians so they need to make sure that the public is informed when any case of listeria is reported. Knowledge is power, so the public needs to have the proper knowledge about their food products.