I'd like to go through the roles of the different players involved, and if you have any comments or corrections to this, I'd be glad to hear them.
It's my understanding that the provinces have the responsibility for leading the investigation of outbreaks, as long as it's within their boundaries, and that includes the investigation itself. They also release communications of issues with respect to human health and the notifications to the public, typically. Is that accurate? And some jurisdictions like Quebec have the authority to conduct recalls.
The Public Heath Agency's role is usually as the first point of contact at the federal level for food-borne illnesses. Is that true? It's in charge of the public health surveillance and then leads the investigation when cases occur in multiple provinces. Is that accurate? They also release communications of issues with a human health impact. Ms. Bennett pointed that out as well.
Health Canada's role is to establish food safety standards and policies, along with decision-making with respect to risk assessment processes. They release communications of issues related to food safety. Is that accurate? I see you nodding.
CFIA's role is to contribute to the investigation and control of food-borne outbreaks through its food safety investigations and recalls, as well as compliance and enforcement activities. It also notifies issues to the public when specific food has been identified.
I note that Dr. Evans noted the other day that CFIA stepped up and took the lead because they felt someone needed to at that point and they were working well with the other agencies. They felt it was appropriate that they do that, and that is why they took that lead.
Finally, and probably most importantly, industry is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the food it produces is safe and that food products are produced, manufactured, imported, stored, and distributed to consumers in a safe manner. It's their responsibility, as well, to identify potential issues and assist with food safety investigations. They also initiate or respond to directions to implement a recall.
Is that a fair summary of the various players involved and their roles?