Canadian Auditor-General: Food Inspection Agency Failing to Screen Effectively for Invasive Species

OTTAWA — Federal inspectors of imported plants and produce are operating in an administrative stone age, with high-risk commodities going straight to Canadian shelves without even being looked at, according to Auditor-General Sheila Fraser.

In a report yesterday, the Auditor-General said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency must provide greater protection to Canada's crops and forests, which are facing a constant threat from invasive plants, seeds, pests and diseases.

Ms. Fraser said she was alarmed that "high-risk imported commodities ... are sometimes released for distribution without being inspected."

She acknowledged that federal inspectors are unable to go through all of the 84,000 shipments that come into Canada every year, but said they need a better system to find the ones that pose the greatest risk. The inspection system now is paper-based and largely reliant on forms that are faxed from one office to another.

"It's not surprising that things get lost," Ms. Fraser told reporters.

The Auditor-General found that inspection standards vary widely by region, that the CFIA is not up to date when it comes to identifying new risks, and that the focus is largely on inspecting Canadian produce destined for export.

"We are concerned that the relative lack of attention to surveys for new plants, pests and diseases could limit the agency's ability to deal effectively and economically with new invasive species, before they become established plant health emergencies," her report said. "There is a belief among agency officials that certifying exports is a high priority and uses a greater proportion of resources [than inspecting imports]."

NDP MP Malcolm Allen said the CFIA is "letting Canadians down."

But Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the report would "renew our vigor in making sure the food supply for Canadians is safe."

The Auditor-General also found that Public Works Canada sometimes calls on private-sector consultants to design a bidding process for a contract, and then allows them to bid on the same contract. Ms. Fraser said the situation gives preferential treatment to the consultants involved in determining the criteria used to select the winning bid.

In the case of a $16-million contract, a consultant working for CGI Information Systems and Management Consultants Inc. was hired by Public Works to develop the request for proposals. CGI won the contract, and its consultant continued to work on the project.

"In our opinion, such an arrangement constitutes a conflict of interest," the report said.

Source: The Globe and Mail