Mr. Doyle, people started doubting the safety of our food when the cases of listeriosis unfortunately occurred at the Maple Leaf plant. We had heard that the government was planning to reduce the number of inspectors and to let the company do its own inspections.
We are not saying that companies should not be responsible for inspecting their food. However, in the interest of public confidence, and even for you, as representatives of the thousands of agricultural and dairy producers, isn't it preferable that our tax dollars be used to pay inspectors who work in plants, and not in offices pushing paper? If people knew there were experts working to ensure that the food products on their grocery shelves were safe for them to buy and eat, would they not have more confidence in the food production system?