Minimizing risks to food safety

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAFRA Rep.

With media and public interest high around food safety issues, it is important that everyone along the food continuum – from field to fork – take responsibility for food safety to minimize risks to public health and maintain the integrity of Ontario’s agri-food industry. Following is a summary of information under the Meat Inspection Act.
A critical component of the food safety chain is meat inspection. To help ensure a safe meat supply for consumers, all meat offered for sale in Ontario must be inspected. Whether you are a commercial livestock producer or operate a small hobby farm, the meat from your animals is subject to the same requirements under the Meat Inspection Act (Ontario). This includes any farm-gate sales.
The Meat Inspection Act (Ontario) and regulations, administered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF), ensure that:
-animals are fit for slaughter and handled humanely;
-processing is conducted under sanitary conditions; and
-meat processed for consumption in Ontario meets food safety requirements.
All meat destined for sale in Ontario – including from farm gate – must originate from livestock slaughtered in provincially or federally licensed abattoirs or imported from a federally recognized source.
In Ontario, no one can sell, offer for sale, transport or deliver meat unless;
-the animal received inspection prior to slaughter ;
-the carcass received inspection following slaughter;
-the animal was slaughtered in a provincially licensed or federally registered facility; and
-the meat is stamped, labelled or tagged with an “Ontario Approved” or “Canada Approved” inspection legend.
As a livestock producer, you must ensure that your animals are slaughtered according to requirements under the legislation. If you intend to sell meat for human consumption, you have the legal obligation to ensure that your animals are slaughtered in a licensed abattoir.