Advocates worry the planned changes to food safety laws prioritize trade over Canadians’ health.Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press
A non-profit says it’s concerned about the government’s plan to amend food safety laws to take food security and affordability into account, and is arguing Ottawa is prioritizing trade over the health of Canadians.
The government’s spring economic update outlined plans to amend the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act to “include consideration of food security and cost of food.”
A Department of Finance official said the government remains committed to safeguarding the environment and protecting the health and safety of Canadians.
“Further details will be provided as legislative changes are introduced, with timing still to be announced,” said the official in an email.
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Mary Lou McDonald, president of the non-profit Safe Food Matters, said when the government says “consideration of food security,” what it means is it wants to prioritize trade over the health of Canadians.
“The ‘primary mandate’ right now under the (Pest Control Products Act) is protecting the health of Canadians, and the agriculture industry doesn’t like it because it slows down approvals for pesticides and foods full of pesticides,” she said in an email.
McDonald argued the changes could end up allowing higher maximum levels of glyphosate residue in foods from the U.S. that Canadians have “vehemently” rejected. She said Canada would be “shooting ourselves in the foot” with the changes.
“Canada has to be careful,” she said in the email. “The evidence is Canadians and the world don’t want contaminated and (genetically modified) crops … World markets are rejecting foods with high pesticide levels, no matter how much we say they are ’safe.’
“If Canada really wants to increase trade, we should increase production of and sell good quality food that Canadians and the world want. We would out-compete our neighbours and not need amendments to the (Pest Control Products Act) to loosen the protection of health.”
Milton Dyck, national president of the Agriculture Union, said he’s worried about the planned amendments to the acts.
“They may be weakening the protections on Canadians,” he said.
Dyck said the government has offered few details on the planned changes, leaving him with unanswered questions. He said that while he’s worried about impacts on food safety, it’s hard to tell without a written proposal.
“I would hope that they would have a robust mechanism to discuss with partners, whether it’s farm groups or the public,” he said.
The Agriculture Union said the government has announced plans to eliminate more than 500 jobs at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
“We are so busy cutting people, I don’t know where we’re going to find time or inspectors to do more inspections on the food act,” he said.
Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, said adding principles like food security and affordability to the laws could be a positive thing, but it all depends on how they’re implemented.
“What concerns us is the current reality. Nearly one million hours of food safety expertise have been cut at CFIA, even as recalls are rising and thousands of facilities remain uninspected due to chronic staffing shortages,” he said.
“Food safety is a critical public service. Families and exporters rely on a system they can trust. Efforts to improve affordability must not come at the expense of safety and oversight.
“We all want more affordable food and stronger food security, but without proper investment, we risk weakening the very system Canadians depend on.”
