Standing policy: Food Safety

The OFVGA supports food safety and consumer health.

• Food safety - evaluating problems (2012-06)

  WHEREAS all fruit and vegetable growers support a safe food system through food safety protocol,

  WHEREAS our food supply has had minimal problems, and

  WHEREAS growers want consumers to have continued confidence in their food supply, and

  WHEREAS growers are quickly blamed where any food safety issue occurs, and

  WHEREAS the supply chain is very complex with many points of possible contamination. For example contamination could happen in order from consumer to farm as follows: 

  consumer mishandling
  contamination by shoppers at the retailer
  contamination at retail handling front and back room
  transportation to retailer
  distribution warehouse
  transportation to distribution warehouse
  wholesaler warehouse
  transportation from farm to wholesaler
  at the farm.

  THEREFORE be it resolved that when a food safety issue is discovered that each location must be evaluated from the point of the food safety issue being found backwards through the supply chain and isolate the problem where it happens, not as is currently the case where they automatically go directly to the farm.

  AND FURTHER be it resolved that the OFVGA and CHC demand that the above protocol be implemented.

• Food safety - professional audits (2012-08)

  WHEREAS growers support a food safety protocol, and

  WHEREAS some random audits may be necessary, and

  WHEREAS as part of these random audits, auditors are now re-evaluating past auditor decisions, and

  WHEREAS this is extremely unprofessional.

  THEREFORE be it resolved that OFVGA lobby CHC to make the random audits when they are needed more professional.

• Food safety extension (05-07A)

  WHEREAS there is a growing need to implement on-farm food safety programs for Ontario Horticultural crops; and

  WHEREAS there is a need for in-field knowledge for implementation thereof

  THEREFORE be it resolved that the OFVGA request of OMAF that there be provision of on-farm food safety extension specialists to facilitate implementation

• Safe food supply to Canadian consumers (LR 05-16)

  WHEREAS food safety is a primary concern of the Canadian consumer and

  WHEREAS many of the CHC membership has developed or is developing food safety programs and

  WHEREAS edible horticultural products are being imported into Canada and repacked for both domestic and export markets

  THEREFORE be it resolved that the OFVGA together with CHC lobby the Canadian Government to provide adequate resources to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure that repacking activities are done legally and do not jeopardize the fundamentals of a safe food supply or alternatively damage the efforts of food safety undertaken by Canadian producers.