This is pre-consumption?
Evidence of meeting #24 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was actually.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #24 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was actually.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:30 a.m.
Director, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Yes. It's root cause analysis: you do sampling, let's say, of the environment, to find out where it is, and once you find that it is there, you take steps to eliminate it.
We've made a number of changes to the overall policy from the previous 2004 policy. I can give you just a few examples.
We've strengthened the end-product compliance criteria in terms of the numbers of organisms we allow in a food; we've actually strengthened that.
We've also stated, as I mentioned, that an environmental monitoring program should be used in all plants. We've also brought up the whole issue of trend analysis, so that a plant is not just doing tests and then putting the results in the drawer but is looking at the whole continuum of results over a period of time, as with trend analysis data. That's what companies have already started to do.
It also very importantly lists and encourages the use of post-processing inhibitors. For example, if you put a chemical in that can inhibit the growth of the organism, basically you're reducing your risk to near zero. We're encouraging companies to use technology, such as adding chemicals, maybe using processes such as ultra-high pressure, which a number of companies have already started to use. This high pressure can burst a cell and inactivate cells with listeria monocytogenes.
We also have an increased focus on outreach with the federal-provincial community to increase awareness of the risks of food-borne listeriosis. We've worked very closely with the CFIA on the policy as well. We've had excellent feedback from them. We have had excellent feedback also from the provinces.
So we feel we've come up with an improved policy and we have already had excellent comments back from industry as well on our efforts.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Thank you.
Along the lines of public understanding and awareness of the issue, I find that brochures are very useful in theory: in practice, they sit in boxes and such places.
What's the rollout program for this information? How are you targeting audiences, and how are you tracking who is actually picking these up?
9:35 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
What we're doing is a multifaceted social marketing campaign; the brochures are just one part of our strategy. We have brochures, we have posters, we have web-based information. We're working with the provinces and territories, with NGOs, with associations to make sure that this information gets out to populations. We're going to be sending it out directly to nursing homes. We're working with the medical officers of health through the public health channels as well to produce a guidance document that could guide people in nursing homes concerning what foods to eat and how to eat them and what the risks are.
It's a three-year campaign. We just launched it in March of this year. We had radio ads as well. We're trying to use a variety of means to get to all the at-risk populations. We have it up on our website. It's just been launched, and—
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
It sounds great that you're targeting. Are you also, then, somehow collecting information about what groups are accessing it?
June 10th, 2010 / 9:35 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
We'll be using all our networks in place to monitor how this is being used and any problems that are being encountered, getting feedback from them. We have a variety of channels. We work through the public health network and the chief medical officers of health. We have a federal-provincial-territorial group as well on nutrition.
So we have a whole bunch of networks that we use to make sure people are getting the information. If any concerns are being raised, they should be raised in these fora. Then, we invite people to send us comments as well.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Thank you.
This could be a very simple no or yes. Are any of you able to answer questions about the meat hygiene manual procedures, or is that totally CFIA?
9:35 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
It's mostly CFIA, but it is directed by our listeria policy.
Perhaps Dr. Farber can at least provide the link from our policy to the meat hygiene manual.
9:35 a.m.
Director, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
I have not been directly involved in the meat hygiene manual. But definitely, as Ms. Ballantyne mentioned, there are directions in our listeria policy that are being thought of for use in the meat hygiene manual.
There are also a number of other policies that will be coming up. For example, we have one out now on E. coli, and that's a very important part in terms of E. coli contamination of raw meat. Some of the thoughts that we have in those two policies will be moving ahead and be implemented in the meat hygiene manual.
We will be working with CFIA, but I have not been directly involved.
9:35 a.m.
NDP
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Great.
Dr. Butler-Jones, you spoke about the modernization of FIORP. So what does that look like? What is the modernization of FIORP?
9:35 a.m.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Basically it takes the lessons of the last few years, since the previous agreement was in place, and brings more specificity. It outlines the roles of the different players and how we will act.
That protocol will then be tested again because it crosses over agriculture and health perspectives. That will be tested, and then we'll be looking at it again to see if there are any new modifications that are needed, basically to make the response as seamless and clear as possible. So if there was any confusion, hopefully there's much less now.
9:40 a.m.
NDP
9:40 a.m.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Protocols and...yes, it's really about how we do our business and who does what.
9:40 a.m.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
And it is posted on the web.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB
Thank you, Madam Chair.
When do you expect the full implementation of the recommendations, and is the government on track for that?
9:40 a.m.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
The commitment in response to the Weatherill report is that it's...2012?
9:40 a.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
September 2011.
9:40 a.m.
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
September 2011--right.
And yes, we're on track; short form.
9:40 a.m.
Conservative
Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton—Sherwood Park, AB
I'm just trying to get to the basic question of whether Canadians will be better protected once the Weatherill recommendations are fully implemented. As you said, the government has a commitment to report back to Canadians in September of 2011 on the full impact of implementing the recommendations.
What assurances can you give that these recommendations, once implemented, will actually improve the food safety system?
