On Wednesday, the Alberta government announced it will partner with the federal government to increase meat inspectors in order to strengthen the food supply.
Provincial and federal meat inspectors will share resources to ensure a consistent supply of safe food products for Albertans and Canadians.
The province said in a media release Wednesday the food processing industry is experiencing higher demand due to COVID-19. The province is partnering with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and bringing back retired provincial food inspectors to shore up its number of inspectors.
"We must continue to provide high-quality food for Canadians, while ensuring we protect the health of our workers. By working together, our governments have ensured we have a COVID-19 contingency plan for inspection services,” Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada stated in the media release.
Training will begin soon, which will allow provincial meat inspectors to be deployed into high-priority federally licensed plants in Alberta.
“It is critical for Alberta families, our food supply and to our economy that the meat industry operates at its maximum capacity. We are working with the CFIA to integrate our provincial inspectors into federally licenced plants to help keep Albertans fed,” Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, stated.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulates approximately 74 animal slaughter, meat processing and meat storage establishments in Alberta. These federally inspected plants are vital contributors to the food supply of Albertans and of Canadians.
