Food safety

In China, what you eat tells who you are

Topics: 
Food safety, China, Government ethics
Rating: 
2

Barbara Demick – September 21, 2011

At a glance, it is clear this is no run-of-the-mill farm: A 6-foot spiked fence hems the meticulously planted vegetables and security guards control a cantilevered gate that glides open only to select cars.

"It is for officials only. They produce organic vegetables, peppers, onions, beans, cauliflowers, but they don't sell to the public," said Li Xiuqin, 68, a lifelong Shunyi village resident who lives directly across the street from the farm but has never been inside. "Ordinary people can't go in there."

Suit could chill U.S. govt. efforts to keep food safe

Topics: 
Food safety, USA, Regulatory oversight, Food industry
Rating: 
2

Mary Jalonick – August 31, 2011

A major fruit company's lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration could have a chilling effect on regulators' efforts to get tainted food off the market.

Florida-based Del Monte Fresh Produce is striking back at the FDA with a lawsuit after the agency halted imports of its Guatemalan cantaloupes, saying they may be contaminated with salmonella. Such a lawsuit is extremely rare, and the threat of litigation could make officials more reluctant to tell the public about the possibility of contamination in food.

PSLRB whistleblower rulings harm Canada’s international reputation

Topics: 
Dr. Shiv Chopra, Food safety, Health Canada, PSLRB
Rating: 
5

David Hutton – August 22, 2011

Canada is not a safe place for honest employees, especially if they work for the federal government. That's what many Canadians (as well as international observers) had come to believe even before the rulings recently handed down by Public Service Labour Relations Board adjudicator, in the case of Dr. Shiv Chopra and two other Health Canada scientists. These rulings merely provide further proof.

Coming seven years after the scientists were abruptly fired, the 208-page decision dismissed seven out of eight grievances and ordered one whistleblower reinstated—but not the others. As someone who has followed this case closely from the start, I find this end result absurd—as well as the reasons given for treating one scientist differently from the others.

Canada Moves to Downgrade Food Safety Oversight

Topics: 
Food safety, CFIA, Regulatory oversight
Rating: 
4

Sarah Damian – August 15, 2011

Disappointing news came from Canada on Friday with the government's decision to remove meat inspectors from more than 100 plants in three provinces by 2014, as a means to cut costs.

Industry monitoring itself is never a good idea, as we've pointed out before, and just like in the United States, Canada hasn't had a clean track record when it comes to food safety and transparency. Slacking on oversight is going to worsen an already recurring problem.

Whistleblowers not safe in public service

Topics: 
Dr. Shiv Chopra, Food safety, Health Canada, Privy Council Office (PCO), PSLRB
Rating: 
0

Ian Bron – August 14, 2011

Why does Canada treat its whistleblowers so badly? Even though only it has been just a few years since the Sponsorship Scandal, which was exposed by Allan Cutler and another anonymous whistleblower, it’s a question that needs to be asked.

Why? Because, yet again, Canadian whistleblowers have been successfully persecuted as an example to deter any potential ethical dissenters.

Effectively silencing Canada’s whistleblowers

Topics: 
Dr. Shiv Chopra, Food safety, Health Canada, Privy Council Office (PCO), PSLRB
Rating: 
5

David Hutton – August 13, 2011

Last week an adjudicator at the Public Service Labour Relations Board handed down rulings related to three Health Canada scientists that confirm what many Canadians — and international observers — had already concluded: that Canada is not a safe place for honest employees, especially if they work for the federal government.

After four-and-a-half years of proceedings, it took a further year for the adjudicator to deliver his 208-page decision, which dismissed seven out of eight grievances and ordered one whistleblower reinstated — but not the others. Having followed this case closely from the start, the end result seems absurd to me — as do the reasons given for treating one scientist differently from the others.

Canada Pulls Meat Inspectors To Save Costs

Topics: 
Food safety, CFIA, Regulatory oversight
Rating: 
4

Tamsyn Burgmann – August 12, 2011

Ottawa's decision to toss out federal meat inspectors from plants in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba could put consumers at risk as the provinces are pushed to rapidly cook up substitute systems, warns the workers' union.

Dozens of Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff will be pulled from their duties by January 2014 after the federal government moved to end contracting out their services as a cost-saving measure.

Whistleblowers pay price for speaking out

Topics: 
Dr. Shiv Chopra, Food safety, Reprisals, Health Canada, Regulatory oversight
Rating: 
0

Lethbridge Herald Opinon – 11 August 2011

Whistleblowers will pay the price for speaking out. That seems to be the message after two of three scientists fired by Health Canada for voicing their concerns for public safety failed in their bid to get their jobs back.

The decision was announced recently by the Public Service Labour Relations Board, which dismissed the grievances of Shiv Chopra and Margaret Haydon, who were fired for insubordination in 2004. The board ruled in favour of the third scientist, Gerard Lambert, agreeing he was wrongly dismissed.

1 of 3 Health Canada whistleblowers reinstated

Topics: 
Dr. Shiv Chopra, Food safety, Health Canada, Regulatory oversight
Rating: 
0

Meagan Fitzpatrick – August 8, 2011

The union representing three former Health Canada scientists says it is disappointed by a labour board decision that resulted in a victory for only one of the workers.

The union says Dr. Gérard Lambert, Dr. Shiv Chopra, and Dr. Margaret Haydon began speaking out in the 1990s after being pressured by their bosses at Health Canada to approve drugs despite concerns over human safety.

‘Sad day’ for whistleblowers, union warns as board rules on fired scientists

Topics: 
Dr. Shiv Chopra, Food safety, Health Canada, Regulatory oversight
Rating: 
0
Dr. Shiv Chopra

Mike Blanchfield – August 8, 2011

Two of three scientists fired by Health Canada in a long-running whistleblowing saga have lost a bid to get their jobs back.And one of the country’s largest public service unions is calling it a “sad day” for bureaucrats who want to raise concerns about public safety.

In a decision released without fanfare last week, the Public Service Labour Relations Board dismissed the grievances of Shiv Chopra and Margaret Haydon, who were fired for insubordination in 2004.

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