Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I want to make a few comments on what you're talking about. Fears are generated by the public when they either don't have all the information or think they don't have all the information. That's when the public gets most concerned, in my experience. On regulatory agencies releasing information to the public, we've seen a trend in B.C. with restaurant inspections, and I think it's similar across the country.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  We started a process, I think it was two years ago. An outbreak of E. coli in Alberta was connected to donairs, and we wanted distribution information of that product in British Columbia. We didn't get it and we were quite frustrated by it. Our provincial health officer was involved with the CFIA to get this information.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  We were involved from a human health viewpoint. That is our primary concern, and it was our primary concern at the time. The people who were dealing with the disposal of the poultry...we gave them information in terms of how to prevent them from being infected as well because there were cases of conjunctivitis.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I can't really answer that. I'm not really involved in the biosecurity from an animal disease viewpoint on the farms. It's my understanding that there have been improvements, but that's very second-hand. I don't have any direct knowledge of that.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  With the listeriosis outbreak?

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I can't recall. I'm not trying to be difficult. I just can't recall.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  At that point, really, the information we're looking for is prior to that knowledge, knowing what product it was and that it was distributed nationally. Often in an investigation you still don't know for sure which product it is, and that's the time when you need as much information as possible regarding an implicated food: how it has been distributed, timelines, etc.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Initially it was found in Ontario. I wouldn't say it was ground zero, but that's where it was identified. So it's difficult for me to speak specifically about that investigation because we just weren't that involved with it at that point. I'm sorry, what was your question?

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  Again, I can't really speak for what happened in Ontario. We weren't involved at that level.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  We have gone through a tabletop exercise with CFIA, and I can say things have improved somewhat. But we still feel there could be a lot more improvement with regard to communication and getting that early information from the CFIA.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I know we had four or five deaths, but I can't recall the total number of cases.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  We do, and we did go through that exercise.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I would think so, yes.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  I can't recall if I have; I may have.

Subcommittee on Food Safety committee  From our viewpoint, we would be looking for complete, open, and free information sharing, at not withholding any information. At times, there could be information that one agency may have that they feel maybe isn't relevant and they don't pass it on. In an outbreak investigation, it could be relevant.