Much of the problem likely has to do with CFIA's mandate, which might be described as schizophrenic.
According to Mr. Malcolm Allen, the Agency's role involves public safety, first, and second, economic viability for the stakeholders—which, as far as Option consommateurs is concerned, means the producers and processors.
However, let us talk about a similar case that was studied by the Royal Society of Canada, whose report was quoted in these terms by Mr. Allen:
If the same government agency that is charged with the responsibility to protect the public health and environmental safety from risks posed by technologies also is charged with the promotion of that same technology, and if its safety assessments are, by official policy, balanced against the economic interests of the industry that developed them, this represents, from the point of view of both the public and the industrial stakeholders, a significant conflict of interest.
Therefore, we believe that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency should develop a new framework, as did the Food Standards Agency in Great Britain in the aftermath of the BSE crisis, in order to better serve the interests of the consumer and industry in a balanced way. A crucial element of any safety or security assessment is to balance the low risk of an accident against its high potential impact.