The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is warning that proposed changes allowing some provincially inspected meat to move between provinces could weaken Canada’s food safety system and threaten export markets.
While supporting efforts to reduce interprovincial trade barriers, CMC President and CEO Kyle Larkin said Canada should maintain consistent federal inspection standards rather than create a four-year exemption. About 95% of Canadian meat is processed at federally licensed facilities, which operate under Canadian Food Inspection Agency requirements. CMC estimates only about 0.5% of the industry would benefit from the proposed changes.
Instead, the council is urging the federal government to help more provincially inspected facilities obtain federal certification, allowing them to expand into interprovincial markets while maintaining Canada’s food safety standards and international reputation.
