Finding itself in the midst of yet another controversy involving tainted-meat recalls, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has been forced to come to the defense of its food-safety standards with Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz insisting, "I can assure Canadian consumers that our food supply is safe because absolutely none of that is true. The inspection rate for domestic consumption as well as international trade is exactly the same, Mr. Speaker. It works on a 12-hour cycle".

Following a tainted-meat recall by Sienna foods and the largest spike in listeriosis cases since the August 2008 outbreak that saw 22 dead across the country and 35 sickened, experts warn that Canada has yet to learn its lesson over food-safety regulations.

CFIA which has been forced to adhere to American standards for all exported meat, following a pledge by the Government to implement all 57 regulations last September in the wake of the 2008 fiasco, has yet to hire the recommended number of 70 inspectors. As a consequence its existing staff has been working overtime for 5 months to meet the American requirement of an inspector visiting the plant once every 12 hours instead of a mere visit a week.