Juliet O’Neill, Canwest News Service – Victoria Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, July 24, 2008
OTTAWA — Health Minister Tony Clement says he wants Parliament to get cracking in the fall on legislation to make food and consumer products safer.
Clement was commenting on Canwest News Service reports about an internal government review showing big gaps in Canada’s safety checks on imported foods and a draft plan to transfer key parts of domestic meat and other food inspection to industry.
Clement was speaking at a news conference where he announced proposals to tighten labelling regulations next year on prepackaged foods for ingredients that cause allergies and celiac disease. The aim is to end a practice of hiding food allergens, gluten sources and sulphites in ingredients that are exempted from food labels.
“For some Canadians it could be a matter of life or death,” Clement said of the proposals that were welcomed by doctors who specialize in allergies and by organizations of parents whose children have allergies. Clement said gaps in Canada’s inspection of imported foods and concern that domestic food inspection is being downgraded are being addressed through the government’s food and consumer safety plan announced last winter and subject to approval by Parliament.
“Obviously, one of the reasons for this food and consumer safety plan is that we want to fill in some of the gaps that have existed for some time, in some cases for 20, 30, 40 years,” he said.