Canadian PM Appoints Head of Limited Listeriosis Probe

OTTAWA — The Harper government has appointed an investigator to report by July 20 on last year's deadly listeriosis outbreak — a four-month delay from the original timeline.

Sheila Weatherill, former head of Edmonton's health system, will look into all aspects of the August outbreak linked to processed meat products from Maple Leaf Foods.

Twenty people died after developing the food-borne illness that is a particular threat to the elderly, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.

Ms. Weatherill is to make independent recommendations on how to prevent similar outbreaks but will not express findings of criminal or civil liability.

“Protecting the health of Canadian families and the safety of the Canadian food supply is of paramount importance to our government,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a news release Tuesday.

But critics swiftly pounced on the fact that Mr. Harper stopped short of calling a full judicial inquiry that would allow Ms. Weatherill to call witnesses and compel testimony.

“She will get information based on the good will of the participants who may or may not tell her the full story,” said Bob Kingston, president of the Agriculture Union which represents meat inspectors through the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

“I think they would rather just see it go away,” he said of the federal government's approach.

The union is pushing for a parliamentary review of the outbreak and Canada's food-safety system. Mr. Kingston has written to MPs on the all-party Commons agriculture committee, urging them to investigate.

Source: The Globe and Mail