CFIA memo to XL Foods inspectors

“Nothing about the CFIA would surprise me”, said Karen Selick, in a comment on a recent post on The Bovine. Well, here’s another case in point. Why should different, and higher, standards apply for meats being exported to Japan, than for meats sold to Canadians? Do Canadians not matter? Are Japanese export customers more important than Canadians? Is that what the CFIA was thinking? For those who might have wondered, when they read the story in the media a few months ago about the massive recall of meat from XL Foods in Brooks, Alberta, how such a thing could happen in a plant where 40 some CFIA inspectors are on the job, the memo described in the story below may be the answer. However, the report on this scandalous memo is not exactly as “out there” as the original recall story.  Merely a few column inches on page 3 of today’s paper. 

From the Toronto Star newspaper:

“Federal beef inspectors were told to ignore contamination on carcasses being processed for sale to Canadians at the XL Foods plant.

A memo from a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) meat hygiene supervisor obtained by CTV News instructed CFIA inspectors to closely examine carcasses being processed for shipment to Japan, but to ignore visible contamination on meat for Canadians.

“Our number 1 priority is to ensure this standard is met with Japan eligible carcasses,” said the memo.

How e.coli bacteria beat the system at Alberta’s XL Foods meat packing plant

From Josh Wingrove and Dawn Walton, in the Globe and Mail:

XL Foods plant in Brooks, Alberta. Photo via Calgary Sun. Click image to go there.

“At each stage, the E. coli sneaked through. It came in with the feces caked on the hide of at least one cow, a so-called “super-shedder” of bacteria, and persevered. The E. coli wasn’t caught on the kill floor, survived cleaning and clung on during dehiding, in which a cow’s skin is peeled away.

It reached the cutting table – a bacteria watershed, where the cow is cut into different types of beef, including “trim,” the odds and ends that become hamburger. The E. coli went undetected in the 325 grams of beef trim tested from this particular 2,000-pound batch, so it moved through. When alarms sounded, it was in stores.

Danielle Smith speaks up for the “conscience rights” of Alberta civil servants; raw milk anyone? UPDATED!

Danielle Smith, from a recently photo op in an ice cream store. Photo via Danielle's Facebook page.

The following quote is taken from a newspaper story by Warren Kinsella, in the Calgary Sun, that’s in general harshly critical of the views of Wildrose Alliance leader Danielle Smith. Danielle’s party is a strong contender in the upcoming Alberta elections.

“How does she get away with that? How, in particular, does her caucus — who are, overwhelmingly, hard-Right social conservatives — let her get away with that? How can she, for example, say she’s “pro-choice” and also call abortions at four months “horrific?”

To do that, Smith has come up with an interesting little bit of “doublespeak” — she calls it conscience rights. It means, under a Wildrose government, if a doctor or nurse’s “conscience” opposes abortion, then they can refuse to perform them.

Raw milk fan from Peace River, Alberta

Lisa Lundgard from Peace River Alberta was in town for the rally Nov. 23rd at Queen's Park.

Lisa grew up on pasteurized milk until her parents met Sally Fallon when she was in Grade 9. She’s been happily drinking raw milk now for 10 years. That’s her cow Sassy, in the picture. Thanks to Lisa for the photo. Lisa has been visiting for a week at Glencolton Farms in Durham.

Raw milk rallies coast to coast on Nov 23 “Food Freedom Day” in Canada

Thanks to all the contributors; we’re still hoping to hear from a few more cities:

Raw milk and cookies; so good, so illegal -- from Victoria B.C. Photo: Kemal Holubeshen

First three Victoria pictures are from the Facebook album of  Kemal Holubeshen

From co-organizer of the Victoria rally, Nadine Ijaz: “Some pics from our Victoria BC Food Freedom Rally today at the Legislature, with Shelby the cow with Kerry Van Wiltenburg, Shakti the cow with herdshare farmer Jan Steinman, four MLAS (Lana Popham, Jenny Kwan, Mike Farnworth and Nicholas Simons), local activists including Nadine E. Ijaz and Jackie Ingram, and about 85 others. Plus two public health officials filming Jan Steinman as he openly engages in civil disobedience by milking his goat and sharing the milk with a shareholder. We are hopeful on the Coast.

“The most subversive thing people can do is grow a garden” — letter to the editor of the Edmonton Journal

From: Kim-Mia Rudiger-Prybylski
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 12:01 AM
To: letters (Edm Journal)
Subject: The most subversive thing that people can do is grow a garden…
To whom it may concern,

If you print my attached letter, please do not edit out the solutions that I give people as you have in previous letters. I have a feeling that I will not see this letter in print because Monsanto likes to give out lawsuit so freely, and have been very good at silencing anyone who speaks out. I also know that you strive hard not to offend your advertisers.

Michael Schmidt back on Hunger strike

Food Rights Declaration as result of the latest appeal ruling against Michael Schmidt — September 29, 2011

Michael Schmidt talks to supporters and media at last Tuesday's news conference

Agriculture has been the backbone of Canada. History has taught us that a healthy Agri-culture is able to feed all the people and therefore creates a healthy and socially stable enviroment.

At the turn of the last century 70% of our Canadian population was actively involved in farming.

Today we have only 2% of the poulation left working on farms and 80% of them have to have another job  to keep their farm going.

The average age of today’s farmers is 56 and hardly any young farmer can afford to start farming.

Corporate farming has taken over food production and multi national corporations control most of the farming inputs, food processing and distribution.

Food safety regulations and production standards are passed based on intensive lobby powers by those who control the current food chain.

Michael Schmidt raw milk appeal verdict is expected later this week; farmshare members eager for news

Michael Schmidt with his wife Elise VanderHout (in red) at yesterday's meeting.

Michael Schmidt and Elisa VanderHout held a meeting of Glencolton Farms farmshare members last night in Thornhill. Speaking with regard to the recently issued farmshare certificates, both thanked the members for their support in making possible the kind of farming that Glencolton stands for, a kind of farming that respects the land and the animals, and makes every effort to produce the highest quality of milk and milk products. Elisa described how a farm near Glencolton had recently been bought by someone who wasted no time removing the hedgerows and readying the place for the kind of no-holds-barred exploitation of the land that is sadly still in vogue among mainstream farming types in Ontario.

Radioactive rain falls in B.C. on June 16

In response to silence from government and the media, here’s citizen science:

Lake Louise:

Reflections on the Alberta Raw Milk moovement — balancing public policy and fundamental rights

From Michael Schmidt in Edmonton:

Alberta raw milk farmer Eric Pudlow. Photo Michael Schmidt

As we slowly move towards a resolution in the Alberta Cow Share court drama it becomes once again obvious that there is a dangerous disconnect between public policy makers and those  demanding food sovereignty or basic food rights.