How Is Meat Currently Inspected?
The Province of B.C. inspects meat produced in the province which is strictly for domestic sale. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for inspecting meat entering B.C. from other provinces or countries and meat produced for export from B.C. and processed in federally licensed slaughter facilities. There are an estimated 50 unlicensed meat processing plants located throughout the province that form part of the regional agriculture economy. They primarily provide custom slaughter services of livestock to rural communities. There are also a number of farms that slaughter and sell meat at the farm gate. The old provincial Meat Inspection Act set out lengthy regulations that were antiquated and overly prescriptive. Over the years, the way in which standards were applied did not change, despite advances in the way food is processed. The regulations were often a barrier to the food industry as it tried to keep up with modern practices; they were also difficult to enforce.
