Federal Meat Inspection

The Canadian Meat Inspection Act has been in force since 1907. Since its inception, it has gained and earned recognition as one of the leading meat inspection and enforcement systems in the world. Federal meat inspection now embraces over 700 Canadian meat plants. Veterinarians and inspectors monitor the safety and wholesomeness of the meat from the time of slaughter and through further phases of processing.

In addition to strict quality assurance, meat inspectors employed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforce the rigid standards of sanitation, hygiene, product monitoring, packaging and labeling and ensure compliance with all aspects of the Meat Inspection Act. Meats shipped interprovincially or exported internationally must originate from a federally inspected plant.

Wholesale meat cuts, packaging and cartons originating from a federally inspected plant are identified by a symbol known as “The Inspection Legend,” as illustrated below. The establishment number identifies the plant from which the meat or meat product originated.

Canadian federally inspected meat plants now operate under an internationally recognized HACCP (Hazards Analysis Critical Control Points)-based food safety program. In Canada this program is known as the Food Safety Enhancement Program, better known as FSEP. HACCP is an essential component of a pro-active food safety system to ensure meat is safe by managing the chemical, physical and biological hazards affecting meat production and processing. For more information on FSEP and HACCP, refer to the CFIA website at www.inspection.gc.ca .

It is a condition of regular membership in the Canadian Meat Council that all member companies operate under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Meat Inspection Act.

Safe Handling

The Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education recommends the following ways to keep meat safe from bacteria:

•  Chill – always refrigerate promptly at 4°C (39°F) or less.

•  Clean – wash hands and surfaces often.

•  Separate – avoid cross-contamination, i.e. use separate cutting boards for meat, poultry, fruits and vegetables, and breads.

•  Cook – to the proper temperature. Ground meats, including patties and burgers, should always be cooked completely until the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb should be cooked to an internal temperature of 71°C

For further information, refer to the website of the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Safety Education at www.canfightbac.org .

Meat Storage

For best results, it is recommended that frozen meats be thawed in a refrigerator set at or below 4°C (39°F). Use a refrigerator thermometer to check the temperature. Put raw meat, poultry or seafood in containers on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Use containers that are large enough to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other food or touching other food. Such thawing is slower and results in less bacterial growth, reduced drip loss and less texture change. As well, preservation of meat in its original package will reduce handling and therefore contamination of the meat.

Meats and meat products can only be stored for a certain period of time before eating quality starts to deteriorate. The following table indicates some recommended times for safe storage:

Nutrition Update

Canadian meat is noted worldwide for its consistent high quality and is renowned for its superior leanness and nutritional value. Approximately thirty years ago, Canadian beef and pork producers began improving feeds, introducing new breeds of animals and adjusting the grading systems. The result is evident in today's lean Canadian meat.

Meat is a major contributor to Canadians' daily protein, iron, zinc, and thiamin requirements. It is “nutrient dense” because it provides many nutrients for relatively few calories and a small amount of fat.

Canada's Food Guide recommends Canadians consume 2-3 servings per day from the Meat and Alternative group. A meat serving is 50-100g of cooked lean meat.

For further information on nutritional data, please refer to the Beef Information Centre's website at www.beefinfo.org and the Canadian Pork Council's website at www.cpc-ccp.com .

Beef Grading

Canadian beef is graded (evaluated) on two basic criteria:

Quality:   Carcasses are assessed for youthfulness (age), sex, muscling, fat colour, and texture, colour and marbling in the lean meat. The Canada Prime, AAA, AA, A grades are all from young animals, with firm, white, or amber fat and firm, bright red muscle. Canada Prime has slightly abundant marbling, while Canada AAA has small marbling, Canada AA slight marbling, and Canada A traces. The minimum marbling standards for Canada Prime, AAA, and AA are identical to those for USDA Prime, Choice and Select, respectively.

Yield:    Carcasses that qualify for the Canada Prime or Canada A, AA, and AAA grades are assessed for lean yield as determined by fat cover and rib-eye area. Canada 1 represents the highest yield, with Canada 3 being the lowest yield.

Grading in the plants is done by trained individuals contracted with the Canadian Beef Grading Agency, a private, non-profit corporation accredited by the CFIA to deliver grading services for beef in Canada.