OTTAWA, July 21 /CNW Telbec/ - The final report of Sheila Weatherill, the
Independent Investigator of the August 2008 listeriosis outbreak, has been
released. The report represents the conclusion of her six-month long
investigation into the outbreak that cost 22 Canadians their lives. The report
was submitted to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on July 20, 2009.
"Ensuring the safety of our food supply is one of government's most
important responsibilities," said Sheila Weatherill. "My goal was to provide
Canadians with answers about how and why this outbreak occurred and to make
recommendations that will help to protect all consumers from future outbreaks
or optimize the response if they do arise."
Mrs. Weatherill was appointed by the Prime Minister of Canada in January
2009. In the process of her investigation more than 100 key individuals were
interviewed or met, including affected family members, representatives of
industry and labour, and officials from all levels of government. The
investigation received more than 400 comments from Canadians through the
Investigation's website and reviewed millions of pages of documentation. The
investigation also received advice from a group of experts made up of
respected Canadian and US food safety and public health advisors.
"I learned that reviewing the outbreak in hindsight allowed me to see the
sequence of events that led to the outbreak and to identify steps that could
have been taken," Weatherill commented. "I heard, repeatedly, that if people
had only known or recognized then what they know now, these events may have
evolved differently. Despite these best efforts and insights, 22 lives were
lost," she added.The Investigation identified four broad categories where improvements need
to be made. There must be:
- more focus on food safety among senior officials in both the public
and private sectors;
- better preparedness for dealing with a serious foodborne illness with
more advance planning for an emergency response;
- a greater sense of urgency if another foodborne emergency occurs;
- clearer communications with the Canadian public about listeriosis and
other foodborne illnesses, especially at risk populations and health
professionals.
"Canada's Food Safety System is made up of a complex set of safety laws
and regulations administered by a network of federal, provincial and local
agencies," Weatherill said. "My report recommends that both regulators and
business place safeguarding consumers at the centre of their consciousness and
collective actions."
After in-depth analysis and advice from food safety and public health
experts, the Independent Investigator made 57 recommendations for improvements
to Canada's food safety system. The recommendations address:
- the safety culture of food processing companies;
- the design of food processing equipment;
- government rules and requirements for food safety;
- the need for food service providers to adopt food safety practices
aimed at vulnerable populations; and
- government's capacity to manage national foodborne illness
emergencies."Some of our country's most vulnerable people lost their lives to this
tragedy," concluded Weatherill. "It is my hope that timely action will be
taken to respond to this report in order to prevent a similar tragedy from
ever occurring in this country again."
Weatherill is also recommending to the Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food to report back to Canadians within two years on the status of the
implementation of her report.
The work of the Investigation has been complemented by the important work
of the House of Commons Agriculture Subcommittee on Food Safety, which has
also examined many aspects of this critical matter.To download a copy of the report visit:
http://www.listeriosis-listeriose.investigation-enquete.gc.ca/
For further information: Media Contact: David Rodier,
drodier@national.ca, Phone: (613) 233-1699 ext. 243, Cell: (613) 884-2215
