Health Committee on June 17th, 2020

Evidence of meeting #28 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cfia.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Briefing on the Canadian response to the outbreak of the coronavirus

MPs speaking

Ron McKinnon

Robert Gordon Kitchen

Also speaking

Fabian Murphy National President, Agriculture Union

Mary Robinson President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture

Kim Hatcher Farmer, Canning Sauce Company

Clerk of the Committee Ms. Erica Pereira

Theresa Iuliano Vice-President, Operations, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Colleen Barnes Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Frédéric Seppey Assistant Deputy Minister, Market and Industry Services Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Steven Jurgutis Director General, Policy, Planning and Integration Directorate, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food

6:10 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Colleen Barnes

As we mentioned earlier in our remarks, when COVID hit, we went to our business continuity plan. We prioritized food safety investigations, and focused on export and import investigations, all the lab work that would have supported that, and any animal health issues that needed to be prioritized. That allowed us that bandwidth to ensure the food supply system kept moving.

Where compliance has traditionally been very high, we knew we could delay some inspections for a month or so. It wasn't going to compromise food safety for Canadians. Those are the kinds of things that—

6:10 p.m.

NDP

Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC

The question was regarding what services were you not doing. I understand what you were doing. My question was, which inspection services did you suspend?

6:10 p.m.

Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Colleen Barnes

Inspections in the manufacturing of cookies, cereals, or something like that. They would have been delayed, but we are now restarting.

6:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon

Thank you, Mr. Davies.

That brings our round two to a close. That also takes us to the end of our meeting.

I'd like to thank our witnesses for sharing with us their time and expertise, and for putting up with our technical issues. I would like to thank the interpreters for their trials and tribulations regarding our technical issues. I would also like to thank the members, of course, for once again having a great meeting.

The meeting is adjourned.