Evidence of meeting #78 for Health in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was animals.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
5:05 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you.
I understand that this week the WHO launched new guidelines on the use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals. As I understand it, they're recommending that farmers in the food industry curb or stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals. To what degree do current Canadian practices adhere to those WHO guidelines?
5:05 p.m.
Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, As an Individual
I'll start, and then the other guys can chip in.
I was on the committee that developed those guidelines, so I'm really familiar with them. One thing I will say is that when Mr. Leech gave his presentation and he mentioned the things the poultry industry is doing, I was ticking off the boxes mentally. They've basically implemented most—perhaps all, if we look at the fine print—of those recommendations.
I suspect that's not the case for all the animal commodities. We haven't yet completely stopped the use of growth promoters, and one of the major recommendations in the WHO guidelines is to stop that. But there is progress.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Would you suggest that we stop the use of growth promoters in Canada?
5:10 p.m.
Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, As an Individual
I would have to concur with that. At Health Canada it's on track that by December 2018, I think, all over-the-counter antibiotics will stop being used in Canada. The growth promoters are the biggest part of that. We have a requirement then for veterinary prescriptions.
5:10 p.m.
Co-Chair, National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council
If I may clarify, it's antibiotics that are labelled for growth promotion that are being removed. There are other growth-promoting products that are still legitimate and aren't in this particular discussion.
5:10 p.m.
Co-Chair, National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council
They're not class I, II, or III; they're class IV. Take ionophores in particular; there's no equivalent in human medicine, and they are growth-promoting products. They also have other treatment aspects.
The pharmaceutical industry is already moving and voluntarily removing growth promotion off their labels. It will become mandatory as of December 2018, as I understand it.
5:10 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
What about the other side of the coin here, the prophylactic use of antibiotics in healthy animals? Leaving aside growth, what about that aspect?
5:10 p.m.
Professor, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, As an Individual
We've heard a bit about some of that in the poultry industry. In my opinion, that's the next big issue to confront. It has to be emphasized that in the WHO guidelines there's an emphasis placed on the classification of drugs in these various categories. The higher the level of restriction is related to the higher level of category.
Again, Mr. Leech said in his opening address that the poultry industry does not any longer use category I antibiotics prophylactically. That's an important step, but we still across Canada use a lot of medically important antibiotics prophylactically, and many in healthy animals. I think that's an important area in which to make progress.
5:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
Thank you, Mr. Davies. Your time is up.
That completes our testimony today.
To the guests, thank you very much on behalf of all members on the committee. You certainly brought a different dimension to our study and made us think about a lot of different things, I'm sure. I want to thank you all for taking the time to come and provide us with your expertise and information.
Members, we have a little committee business to attend to.
First, we have agreed on our letter for Bill C-45. Is it the committee's wish to make it public?
Are there any comments?
Mr. Davies.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I always presumed it would be. It was a public hearing, televised. The letter was written judiciously, with recommendations, so I think it should be made public.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
The Conservative Party didn't vote in favour of the letter, so I wonder if there could be some disclaimer that it did not have the full support of the committee.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
How do you do that?
The clerk has made some good points. It was done in camera, so we can't say who voted for it and who voted against, but it was agreed to by the committee. I would think the Conservative Party is perfectly free to put out another comment if they want to.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
I wonder if in some fashion, whether it's to amend the letter or do a short cover letter enclosing the letter to the minister, it might just say that the letter was approved by a majority of the health committee. That preserves the anonymity of the in camera meeting.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
Yes. It doesn't say who voted, who supported, and who didn't. Is that okay with you?
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
That's a fair compromise. For obvious reasons, if some of our supporters come back and ask, “What were you doing with this letter?”, we can say, “Well, it wasn't the majority.”
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
All right, if that's fine with you. We want everybody happy, so we'll do that.
Thanks very much. That settles that.
I've had an expression of interest from members of all parties about a quick study, a quick review, of Canada's food guide. There are some changes proposed. Do I have consensus to go ahead with a quick study on Canada's food guide? I'm proposing December 7 and 12. Is that all right with everybody? Okay. We'll schedule that.
There is a deadline of November 22 for witnesses, so if you have witnesses you want to call, bring them forward.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Chair, pardon my ignorance about this. Is this over the proposed changes to the food guide? It hasn't been published yet.
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
It is about proposed changes. I'm getting questions on it, and I think everybody is, on what we have now and where we're going, because there are substantial changes. Canada's food guide is the number one requested document from the Government of Canada. There will be a lot of interest in the changes, and we should get some idea of the direction in which they're going.
5:15 p.m.
NDP
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Do you intend to limit it to the two days, or to start with two days and we'll see where we're at?
5:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bill Casey
We're going to run out of time. The clerk very judiciously points out that if we do it on December 7 and 12, the Christmas party is on December 13 and often people don't want to come to a committee on December 14, or they've gone home.