Cutbacks Everywhere

All over the world countries are having a crunch time with their budgets and lack of control over deficits. In Canada we appear to be in a better position than most but it concerns me where we are cutting to reach our goals. I recently wrote a blog about the lack of control for our safety in the production of food products from, chickens, pigs and cows. This week we see the federal government cutting the food inspectors who check the major producers in western Canada. Now 14 of the slaughter houses will have no government controls or checks and the industry will self regulate. This is letting the fox in the chicken house.

Recently three noted scientists from Canada released a study outlining the effects of the use of hormones [growth], antibiotics and other enhancing products in our food chain. Their study was accepted world wide and when it was released in Canada to make the government aware of the dangers from the use of these products they we fired from their government posts.The food lobby did not agree with their findings which proved that super bugs were being generated as a result of the indiscriminate use of these products. After nearly three years of hearings these men were fired and legislation was passed permitting the use of these products.

The difficulty of permitting self regulation is apparent as more and more we are finding that outbreaks of various types of super bugs originate in our meat products. There are few or no new control drugs for the containment of these super bugs. The same degree of indifference can be seen with the overuse of antibiotics in humans as they put us at risk again and hospitals are having to deal with super bugs like C.difficle.

When we make cuts as we must there should be some assurance that they do not put we the public at risk with health issues. Governments are lobbyed all the time and the result is not always productive for we the people. The profit motive often drives the direction of the legislation. Sad.