Subcommittee on Food Safety Committee on April 29th, 2009

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, we have witnesses before us. I think this is committee business that Mr. Easter wants to talk about. If Mr. Easter would like to bring this up at the appropriate time at the end of the committee while we're discussing other committee business, I think that's the most appropriate forum for this, as this has nothing to do with the witness we have before us.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

That's right.

The meeting will be recessed for five minutes before our next witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Order. Can members take their chairs, please?

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order before we start, I don't actually count for quorum, so you don't have quorum at this point in time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

We now have quorum.

I'd like to thank our witnesses, Ms. Bergsma, Mr. Riddell, and Ms. Lammens, for attending our subcommittee study on food safety. We can begin with opening remarks for a maximum of ten minutes from each organization.

Who is first?

[Theresa Bergsma, Chair, Farm Food Safety Committee, Grain Growers of Canada]

Is there a particular order in which you would like us to speak?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Ladies first.

[Brenda Lammens, Chair, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association]

I'm pleased to be able to attend today representing horticulture and on-farm food safety for the fresh fruit and vegetable growers of Ontario. I am Brenda Lammens, the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, which represents 7,500 producers of fresh fruit and vegetables. I am also the chair of the Ontario Asparagus Growers' Marketing Board.

My husband and I have been growing asparagus in Norfolk County in southern Ontario for 24 years, which hopefully qualifies me to speak today from the producer's perspective about a program we've been involved in since the late 1990s.

The Canadian Horticultural Council has developed and administers the on-farm food safety program we subscribe to, with the focus on minimizing the risk of contamination to produce grown in Canada. The OFFS program that CHC has developed must complete a review by the Canadian Federal Inspection Agency, and many commodities have completed that review already, such as greenhouse, tree and vine fruit, potatoes, and small fruit, but a few are still waiting for the review process to be completed. For example, asparagus is expected to be reviewed in June, along with sweet corn, legumes, bulb and root, fruiting vegetable, and leafy vegetable.

The review by CFIA brings credibility to our programs, and we trust that the Canadian government will continue to actively promote this program nationally as well as internationally as our marketplace expands. The Canadian Horticultural Council, in preparation for that global expansion, has recently trademarked this program as CanadaGap.

Even though our commodity, asparagus, is still awaiting review, we are fully implementing the program on our farms in order to meet the requirements of our customers and provide a service to the Canadian consumer at no cost to them.

I would like to walk you through what happens on our farm on a daily basis during our harvest so you can understand exactly the steps we take. I don't mean to be too simplistic, but I don't think a lot of people really understand the actual steps that are taken with on-farm food safety, the completeness of that program, and the commitment we as farmers have made to protect our customers and our farms.

We've integrated our OFFS program with our current facilities, and have been attempting upgrades and remodelling as finances allow. These are increased costs to the farmer that in all likelihood would not be realized in the marketplace, but Canadian producers are doing an honourable job. It would be greatly appreciated if the federal government would consider assistance to help Canadian producers implement and sustain the on-farm food safety program and the upgrades that are needed on Canadian farms.

On our farm, the day starts with the cutters heading out to the field, equipped with not only knives for harvesting but hand sanitizers, as standard requirements of each asparagus rider machine. The fields they're cutting in have port-a-potties with wash stations located for their convenience around the field. Each employee undergoes a training session before they start working on our farm, which includes a video and emphasis on proper hand-washing procedures.

The field containers in which they place the harvested product are washed before they go to the field, and again before they are returned to the field after being emptied at the pack shed. The product is delivered to the pack shed and washed with clean water to remove any soil and then placed in a hydro cooler with clean water for further washing and cooling. The hydro cooler water is delivered by a licensed water service from our local municipality and undergoes regular testing at point of pickup and in our pack shed, as part of our program. All sources of water in our operation undergo testing before and during the season. The chlorine levels of the water are monitored on a daily basis to maintain required levels and balanced PH and temperature. These levels are predetermined and outlined in our manuals.

Samples of product are taken by our food safety service providers at three different points in our grading and packing system for testing for signs of bacterial contamination, and at random times throughout the season.

The asparagus is then run down a grading belt, which is washed down at the end of every day in preparation for the next day. Again, it is staffed by employees who have undergone the same training as previously mentioned. The asparagus is graded into different diameters and grades and packed accordingly before it's stored in cold storage. The employees wear acceptable food-grade gloves and have hand sanitizers available at all positions.

If illness occurs with respect to an employee, it is recorded and suitable steps are taken to ensure that they do not return until fully recovered. Our manuals, which we maintain as a regular part of our daily activities, cover all aspects of our operation, and there are thousands of these manuals in place in farms across Ontario and Canada.

You will get a copy of the compendium of the forms that we do have to complete on our farm, and at that time you'll see exactly what detail is covered. It's everything from cleaning and maintenance of the building, all of our agricultural chemicals, agronomic inputs, maintenance and calibre of our sprayers. We have to record training sessions. Visitors have to be signed in, pest monitoring for the buildings, all our water treatment controls, water temperature, the transportation of the product to the marketplace, harvesting and storing, packing, and any corrections or deviation actions that are taken are recorded. When you do get copies of these documents you can see what is expected. It's adapted to all of the commodities that are covered by the Canadian Horticultural Council programs. It is quite detailed. We do take great efforts to monitor all these things, and those are the forms that are in our manual.

Signage is placed strategically around our facility with respect to hand washing, illness, and denied access to certain areas. We also complete a check-off sheet at the beginning and end of every day, as self-discipline and accountability for our program. As producers, we can request a review of our on-farm food safety program, to assess how well we are doing and where areas of improvement might be recommended. Also, a requirement of the CHC program is that we are subject to a complete audit of our program every four years by a certified auditor at a cost to the producer. This certification component of our program became available in the fall of 2008 and provides more credibility to our efforts.

Many of our operations have become more sophisticated, with more emphasis on innovative packaging and adding value to the products that we produce. This, as well, brings many challenges to the safe handling and storage of the end product. For example, fresh-cut leafy vegetables are becoming a very popular product, and fresh-cut vegetables.

Many questions have yet to be answered with respect to the changes in handling of fresh produce, and investment again is needed to advance studies in this area.

It's very timely that today we are investigating the food safety practices of Canadian producers and processors, when swine flu is creating a very anxious population. It also exemplifies the absolute need for recognition of a very conscious effort on the part of Canadian producers by implementing on their farms food safety at no extra cost to the Canadian consumer. I can speak for Ontario producers today and tell you that we're doing a great job on our farms, considering the financial restraints we are operating within, but we recognize that if we wish to remain competitive in our marketplace, we have to implement on-farm food safety.

I also wish to stress that more research needs to be completed with respect to fresh production and food safety issues. The steps we are taking on our farms need to be recognized by government and society. We are in the stages of developing our traceability program, which is the next step to complete the full on-farm food safety programs. Some commodities are in more advanced stages of development, but it is on the agenda of all commodities. Many of our sales are direct to our customers, but the span of deliveries is ever-changing, so the need is obvious.

I trust that I have been able to provide you with a simple snapshot of what is happening on farms in Canada, and particularly in Ontario, and at the same time impress upon you the importance of what we are implementing with respect to on-farm food safety in the bigger picture.

I would be pleased to answer any questions and provide any material you may need to better understand the program we are implementing.

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much.

We'll now move to the Grain Growers of Canada, Ms. Bergsma.

[Theresa Bergsma]

Good evening, everyone. My name is Theresa Bergsma, and I am the secretary-manager for the Manitoba Corn Growers Association.

The MCGA supports and represents over 800 corn farmers in Manitoba, and it is a member of the Grain Growers of Canada. The Grain Growers of Canada consists of 13 member organizations, representing over 80,000 farmers in the country, from every province except Quebec.

Although we believe that Canada's grains, oilseeds, and pulses sector provides some of the safest product in the world, the Grain Growers of Canada recognizes the need to have a food safety program in a ready state for a national on-farm food safety program. It should cover all grains, oilseeds, and pulses in Canada so that we can meet the needs of our customers today and into the future. For that reason, we have been working with many other groups, from our membership and beyond, to put together a practical and effective on-farm food safety program under the guidance of the Canada Grains Council.

My role here today is as the Grain Growers representative on the management committee that is overseeing this program. With me today I have Dale Riddell, who is the project manager for this Canada Grains Council initiative. Dale has worked with the management committee extensively, and he has an excellent knowledge of the basic principles of the program.

For a bit of background, in 2001 the Canada Grains Council, encouraged by industry, and with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada funding, formed a management committee to create a national on-farm food safety strategic plan for grains, oilseeds, and pulses. It was recommended that it be HACCP-based, that it examine a post-farm plan, and that there be no implementation until the marketplace demands it. Producing safe food and feed and protecting it from hazards would be the primary focus. It would be built on scientific data to give farmers and their customers extra assurance that the grains--cereals, oilseeds, pulses, and special crops--are produced, handled, and stored on the farm in the interest of food safety. It was recognized that Canadian grain is safe and that any program would simply provide extra assurance for customers and consumers.

Modules have been completed for the farm and beyond the farm, for truck, rail, elevator, terminal, lake freight, and transfer elevators.

With respect to what we have currently, most elevators in Canada are now ISO or HACCP-based certified.

The food safety initiative for farmers has a producer manual based on a scientific generic model. The producer manual details and lists the safe production practices, plus a process for record keeping that demonstrates appropriate steps, at the right time, were put in place by the farmer. It is being used selectively today for niche markets and industry production contracts.

A management plan has been compiled that details how the initiative will be managed nationally, how technical competency will be maintained, how farmer compliance will be managed, and it sets out a process for training farm auditors and managing the audit process.

Both the producer manual and the management plan have been approved in a technical review with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

For the future, the management committee plans to set up a non-profit incorporated entity with a national board, representing grain-related farm organizations, commodity groups, industry, and regions, to direct the initiative. It will be known as ExcelGrains Canada. There will be provisions for selecting the directors, and it will be farmer directed and controlled.

The purpose will be to provide a government approved on-farm HACCP-based food safety certification to Canadian grain farmers. It will maintain technical currency; maintain integrity of the national program with a provincial implementation system, as indicated in the latest “Growing Forward” recommendations; and provide training to producers and auditors that meets standards set by ExcelGrains, a technical committee, and CFIA. It will develop a database of certified farmers and qualified auditors, schedule and perform audits, and it will do production contracts and whole-farm HACCP-based certifications. It will participate in multi-commodity food safety initiatives, and it will provide advice to governments on food safety policy.

On the funding side, we would like to facilitate the transfer of the program from the Canada Grains Council to ExcelGrains and to maintain the management committee to manage the national direction and administration. There must be some federal funding for start-up assistance that will utilize the work done to date by farmers, CFIA, AAFC, the scientific community, and grain organizations.

With the involvement of both provincial and federal governments, the management committee and the Grain Growers of Canada feel it is crucial that the initiative be coordinated nationally and recognize that this will involve considerable communication with and oversight of provincial activities to ensure the Canadian program does not become fragmented and ineffective.

Initially, we see a need for government support for the national board and its related activities. Eventually, as the program grows, participating farmers, marketers, and value-chain participants will assume a higher percentage of the costs. Government funding is justified, as food safety is in the interest of all consumers, and visible programs are being demanded by the public.

Provincial government funding will focus on program implementation such as producer and auditor training, and farm audit costs.

The management committee is currently compiling an application for federal funding support. Without this support the program will falter and risk the investment made by farmers and governments thus far. We have built a world-class farm food safety program for Canadian farmers that will be available as the market demands. It would be a great loss to the Canadian public and the grains industry if the work done to date was lost due to a lack of funding to bring it to fruition.

In summary, Canadian farmers have an excellent record of producing safe grains, and they consistently meet and exceed standards set by our customers and the Canadian Grain Commission. Canadian grain farmers do not need additional government regulation. ExcelGrains will provide the extra assurance for grain customers with a science-based, industry-led, HACCP-based program that will be respected worldwide. Its adoption must be based on market demand.

We appreciate the opportunity to present. If you have any questions, we will do our best to answer them.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you very much, Ms. Bergsma.

I should point out to the committee that our witnesses today came at very short notice because we had some cancellations, and we really appreciate it. We would have had some open time here at committee. So thank you very much for that.

We will move to Ms. Coady, for seven minutes.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Thank you very much.

I echo the chair in thanking you for taking time away from your very hectic and important schedules to come to the committee today. Indeed, this is an important topic for all of us as Canadians, all of us who enjoy your work and efforts on our tables in the evening. We certainly want to have safe food and we certainly want to have an abundance of it. So I thank you for your efforts.

I have a couple of questions with regard to the OFFS program.

First, Ms. Lammens, could you please tell us what percentage of your farmers are participating in the OFFS program now? Is it highly taken up?

[Brenda Lammens]

The numbers are more in the acreage. Looking at the uptake of the program, I would say 80% of production is being covered, because the larger producers certainly are on record as being on the program. That pretty well covers all commodities. The uptake by the larger producers has been very good, so that takes into consideration the larger percentage of the acreage of horticulture that's being produced.

Many of our retailers and customers won't buy from us now unless we can prove we have an on-farm food safety program that can be audited and certified.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

You're coming to my next set of questions.

You mentioned you're not getting any monetary value per se for your products because you're using the OFFS program. But I was wondering if there was any kind of premium. And I think you answered my question in your last remark, in that a lot of retailers now won't accept without the OFFS program.

I'm more concerned about the 20% of production, or some of the smaller farms, I think you've indicated, without an OFFS program and the possibility of food safety issues in that. Do you think the program should be mandatory, or do you think it should remain a voluntary program?

[Brenda Lammens]

I believe the program will be market-driven.

In terms of making it mandatory, I certainly would support that, but that is not going to happen because of the nature of the producers. Somehow, some way, not all will be on the program. But because it is market-driven, it will happen eventually.

This year I'm seeing much more pressure from retailers to have audits done, which in some ways is becoming a little more than we anticipated. Audits are very expensive. But through the Growing Forward program all the provinces have been allocated so many dollars for on-farm food safety, and part of that money can be used for implementation of a program and for audits.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Are foreign foods coming in from other countries subjected to the same kinds of programs OFFS has? Do you think this offers an opportunity for Canadian producers, or because of the lower costs, I'm assuming, that it is negative towards Canadian producers?

[Brenda Lammens]

I'll be very honest with you: I did have something in my presentation about imports, and I removed it because I didn't want to be acting in a derogatory way, because we do resent the fact that we feel we do a much better job with our on-farm food safety programs. As to our competition that's being imported, I understand some countries are implementing programs now, but as to what standards these imports are meeting when they come in, I have no idea. They are not under any obligation that I'm aware of to belong to such a program to be in our marketplace.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Thank you very much.

I'm going to talk about the farm food safety program. Could you give us some illustrations? Have you any examples of reduced food-safety problems because of this program?

I'm addressing this question to either of you.

[Theresa Bergsma]

On the grain side, we have never had a food safety issue—not that we're aware of, in any case—that directly has responded. We're just in the very initial stages of getting this program up and running.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Excellent. Do you know of any?

[Brenda Lammens]

I have not been exposed to any. Historically, I was wondering the same questions as I was putting this together. I think there was a problem a few years ago with some sprouts that were grown in a controlled area. It wasn't a massive production, but it was an incident with bean sprouts or something. Other than that, we have not had any issues.

[Siobhan Coady, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Okay, I see. Thank you very much.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

I wanted to wait until the end of Ms. Coady's round, as I didn't want to interrupt her.

For Standing Order 119, there's no issue with anybody being at the table, but I was hoping I'd see sign-in sheets just to clarify, so we know who's voting on either side.

As we know, Mr. Easter is off with the cameras and Ms. Bennett is not here. I was wondering if we could know who actually are the voting members here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I believe you and Mr. Shipley are down as voting members on this side. I presume Ms. Coady and Ms. Duncan are both sworn in.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Andrew Chaplin]

I have substitution sheets for Madam Coady and Madam Duncan. I have none for any Conservative members.