Your responsibilities under the Meat Inspection Act
With media and public interest high around food safety issues, it is important that everyone along the food continuum – from field to fork – take responsibility for food safety to minimize risks to public health and maintain the integrity of Ontario’s agri-food industry.
A critical component of the food safety chain is meat inspection. To help ensure a safe meat supply for consumers, all meat offered for sale in Ontario must be inspected.
Whether you are a commercial livestock producer or operate a small hobby farm, the meat from your animals is subject to the same requirements under the Meat Inspection Act (Ontario). This includes any farm-gate lamb sales, a significant outlet for this unique Ontario product.
The Meat Inspection Act (Ontario) and regulations, administered by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF), ensure that:
- Animals are fit for slaughter and handled humanely;
- Processing is conducted under sanitary conditions; and
- Meat processed for consumption in Ontario meets food safety requirements.
All meat destined for sale in Ontario – including from farm gate – must originate from livestock slaughtered in provincially or federally licensed abattoirs or imported from a federally recognized source.
In Ontario, no one can sell, offer for sale, transport or deliver meat unless:
- The animal received inspection prior to slaughter (ante-mortem);
- The carcass received inspection following slaughter (post-mortem);
- The animal was slaughtered in a provincially licensed or federally registered facility; and
- The meat is stamped, labelled or tagged with an “Ontario Approved” or “Canada Approved” inspection legend.
Ontario's food safety laws and inspection programs are in place to reduce the potential for foodborne illnesses such as salmonellosis and tuberculosis. As a livestock producer, you must ensure that your animals are slaughtered according to requirements under the legislation. If you intend to sell meat for human consumption, you have the legal obligation to ensure that your animals are slaughtered in a licensed abattoir.
Recently, changes were made to the Health Protection and Promotion Act, administered by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, to prevent uninspected meat from being mixed inadvertently with inspected meat and entering the retail marketplace.
This regulatory change now prohibits carcasses of uninspected domestic animals slaughtered on-farm from entering any food premises, including butcher shops. Prior to September 1, 2004, farm-slaughtered animals were allowed in a food premise for processing if they were going to be consumed only by the producer and his/her immediate family.
If you intend to use the meat for your own personal consumption only, an OMAF-appointed veterinarian can conduct an ante-mortem inspection at the owner’s expense prior to on-farm slaughter. The carcass can then be brought to a provincially licensed plant for cutting and wrapping. Alternatively, meat can be cut and wrapped on-farm following on-farm slaughter. In both these cases, the meat cannot be sold and must be consumed by the producer’s immediate family only.
As always, producers can bring live animals to a provincially licensed abattoir for custom slaughter, dressing, cutting, and wrapping. In this case, both the animal and the carcass receive inspection, and the meat can be legally sold.
Through the application of the meat inspection program, OMAF’s Food Inspection Branch ensures that provincially licensed abattoirs comply with legislated standards for the production of safe meat products. Skilled and knowledgeable meat inspectors, with veterinary support, are present in each abattoir, each day of slaughter to conduct inspection of all animals and poultry intended for slaughter. In addition, each plant is audited annually by expert veterinarians to ensure that they meet requirements for provincial licensing. Audit results are posted on OMAF’s web site (www.omaf.gov.on.ca).
The Ontario government does not tolerate illegal slaughter. Government and partner organizations have stepped up their efforts to uncover illegal slaughter operations and prosecute their operators. A team of expert investigators and compliance officers investigates tips and complaints regarding illegal slaughter and sale of uninspected meat.
If you have any information regarding meat processing activities you think may be illegal or may compromise food safety and public health, please call our 24-hour, toll-free Meat Inspection Hotline: 1-888-466-2372, extension 64230.
Ontario producers have an excellent reputation for fresh, quality lamb. Ensuring proper inspection of the product will help the province’s industry maintain that reputation.