September(18,(2012( ( Secretary(Tom(Vilsack(( United(States(Department(of(Agriculture( Room(200,(Jamie(L.(Whitten(Building( ( 12th(Street(and(Jefferson(Drive(SW(( ( Washington,(DC(20250( ( ( ( Hand(delivered( ( ( Dear(Secretary(Vilsack,( ( We,( the( undersigned( members( of( the( Safe( Food( Coalition,( request( that( you( halt( the( implementation(of(any(pilot(program(under(the(“Beyond(the(Border(Initiative”((BTB)(that( would(eliminate(border(inspection(of(fresh(meat(product(imports(from(Canada.((((We(are( making(this(request(because(we(fear(that(undertaking(such(a(pilot(would(compromise(food( safety( and( there( are( too( many( unanswered( questions( about( how( this( pilot( is( being( structured.( ( As(you(know,(BTB(has(been(devised(by(the(White(House(and(the(Harper(Government(in( Canada(to(review,(among(other(things,(regulatory(requirements(that(could(be(impeding( trade(between(Canada(and(the(United(States(and(to(propose(changes(to(such(regulations.((( Apparently,(these(discussions(have(been(going(on(for(quite(some(time.((There(was(a(joint( declaration(on(this(initiative(on(February(4,(2011.1(That(joint(declaration(did(not(provide( much(detail(as(to(the(issues(that(would(be(covered(by(the(initiative.((On(March(3,(2011,(the( International(Trade(Administration(of(the(U.S.(Department(of(Commerce(posted(a(Federal( Register(Notice(that(solicited(suggestions(for(the(elimination(of(regulatory(barriers(with( both(Canada(and(Mexico(that(were(impeding(trade.2((We(did(not(comment(on(that(notice( because(we(did(not(believe(that(food(safety(regulatory(requirements(were(going(to(be(on( the(table.((Much(to(our(chagrin,(we(learned(in(December(2011(that(the(United(States(had( agreed(to(deregulate(food(safety(inspection(requirements(for(imported(meat(products(from( Canada.3( ( Specifically,(it(appears(that(the(United(States(has(entered(into(a(pilot(project(with(Canada( that( would( allow( certain( Canadian( companies( to( transport( their( fresh( meat( products( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( 1(The(White(House.((“Declaration(by(President(Obama(and(Prime(Minister(Harper(of(Canada(–(Beyond(the( Border,”(press(release,(February(4,(2011.( 2(“Request(for(Public(Comments(Concerning(Regulatory(Cooperation(Activities(That(Would(Help(Eliminate(or( Reduce(Regulatory(Divergences(in(North(America(That(Disrupt(U.S.(Exports,”(76(Fed.(Reg.(11760`11762.( March(3,(2011.( 3(The(White(House.((“United(States`Canada(Beyond(the(Border:(A(Shared(Vision(for(Perimeter(Security(and( Economic(Competitiveness(Action(Plan”(December(7,(2011,(p.(14.( ( 2( ( directly(to(food(processing(facilities(in(the(United(States(without(the(need(to(have(those( products(inspected(by(USDA(Food(Safety(and(Inspection(Service((FSIS)(inspectors(at(the(ten( border(inspection(stations(located(along(the(U.S.`Canada(border.((We(did(not(learn(of(the( specifics(of(this(proposal(until(we(were(hastily(invited(to(a(series(of(stakeholders’(briefings( on(January(30(and(31,(2012(at(the(U.S.(Chamber(of(Commerce(headquarters(and(the(U.S.( Department(of(Commerce(headquarters.( ( Because(of(another(public(meeting(being(conducted(at(USDA(on(the(issue(of(attribution(of( food(borne(illness,(only(two(members(of(the(Safe(Food(Coalition(were(able(to(attend(the( BTB(stakeholders(briefing.((Those(of(us(who(attended(the(session(on(meat(inspection(were( astonished(at(the(admonition(we(received(by(U.S.(Department(of(Commerce(staff(who( stated(that(the(attendees(could(not(divulge(the(substance(of(what(was(being(discussed(in( the( meeting( to( anyone( on( the( outside.( Even( representatives( of( meat( industry( trade( associations(–(who(seemed(to(be(very(informed(about(the(substance(of(the(proposals(that( were(being(discussed(even(before(the(breakout(session(got(underway(–(were(taken(aback( by(what(amounted(to(be(a(“gag(order”(being(placed(on(us.((To(add(insult(to(injury,(we(were( informed(that(if(we(were(interested(in(filing(written(comments(on(the(proposals,(we(had( one(week(to(submit(them(by(February(8,(2012.(((Those(of(us(who(did(comment(vehemently( opposed(the(pilot(project(being(proposed.( ( We(are(concerned(about(loosening(any(food(safety(requirements(on(the(importation(of(food( products(from(Canada(for(the(following(reasons:( ( 1) (Canada(has(a(higher(incidence(of(food(borne(illness(than(we(do(in(the(United(States.(( According(to(the(Canadian(Food(Inspection(Agency((CFIA),(11(million(Canadians( suffer(from(food(borne(illnesses(every(year.4((With(a(population(of(nearly(35(million( people,(that(means(about(31(percent(of(Canadians(get(sick(from(food(related(causes.(( That(compares(to(one(in(six(consumers(in(the(United(States.5( 2) Canada(experienced(a(deadly(Listeria(outbreak(in(2008(that(killed(22(consumers( who(ate(tainted(deli`meats.6((In(response(to(that(outbreak,(CFIA(hired(additional( inspectors(to(ensure(that(daily(inspections(were(being(conducted(in(Canadian(meat( processing(facilities.((However,(in(late(2011,(the(Harper(Government(announced(that( it(was(eliminating(those(additional(inspection(personnel.7( 3) Canada(has(historically(encountered(problems(abiding(by(its(equivalency(agreement( with(USDA.((This(was(the(subject(of(a(2005(USDA(Inspector(General(Audit(report( that(found(numerous(violations,(including(not(maintaining(daily(inspection(of(meat( products(destined(for(the(U.S.8( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( 4(See(http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/consumer`centre/food`safety`tips/causes`of`food`borne` illness/eng/1331151916451/1331152055552( 5(See(http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/( 6(See(http://www.phac`aspc.gc.ca/fs`sa/listeria/2008`lessons`lecons`eng.php( 7(See(http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/11/canada`food`inspection`idUSL2E8FB94T20120411( 8(U.S.(Department(of(Agriculture(Office(of(the(Inspector(General.((“Audit(Report:(Food(Safety(and(Inspection( Service(Assessment(of(the(Equivalence(of(the(Canadian(Inspection(System,(Report(No.(24601`05`Hy,( December(2005.( ( 3( ( 4) A(2008(audit(performed(by(the(USDA(Office(of(Inspector(General(recommended(that( the( port`of`entry( reinspection( program( for( imported( meat( products( be( strengthened(–(not(weakened(or(eliminated.9( 5) The(most(recent(audit(of(the(Canadian(inspection(system(posted(by(FSIS(revealed( some(deficiencies(that(included(“the(inability(of(inspection(personnel(to(implement( consistent(sanitation(and(HACCP(verification(procedures,(and(more(significantly,(the( lack/loss(of(consistent(supervisory(reviews(to(identify(weaknesses(in(inspection( personnel(performance(when(it(occurred.(((Many(of(the(deficiencies(encountered( were(repetitive,(both(from(a(historical(perspective(and(within(the(context(of(the( current(audit.”10( 6) We( have( attached( photographs( taken( at( the( Niagara( Falls,( New( York( border( inspection(station(of(recent(meat(shipments(that(were(rejected(by(FSIS(inspection( personnel.( These( photos( reveal( damaged( meat( shipments,( visible( fecal( contamination,(and(toxic(chemicals(that(were(comingled(with(meat(products.((These( were(all(returned(to(Canada(and(prevented(from(entering(into(U.S.(commerce(by(the( border(inspection(system.( 7) We(learned(that(Canadian(Establishment(0038(–(an(XL(Foods(Plant(–(was(delisted(by( FSIS(on(September(13,(201211(because(the(microbiological(testing(conducted(at(the( FSIS(import(inspection(station(in(Sweetgrass,(Montana(revealed(several(positive(test( results( for( the( deadly( pathogen( E.*coli( 0157:H7.( ( On( September( 16,( 2012,( the( Canadian(Food(Inspection(Agency(announced(a(massive(recall(of(products(from(this( same(plant.((That(recall(was(expanded(early(this(morning.12( ( We( have( also( been( frustrated( by( the( bureaucratic( maze( created( by( BTB.( ( We( have( encountered(difficulty(in(determining(who(is(really(in(charge(of(the(initiative.((The(process( has(not(been(transparent(and(we(cannot(seem(to(get(straight(answers(from(anyone(at(USDA.( ( For(all(of(the(reasons(cited(above,(we(respectfully(request(that(the(border(inspection(pilot( be(halted.((We(cannot(discern(any(serious(rationale(for(its(implementation.((The(current( border(inspection(system(works(and(provides(a(high(level(of(protection(for(U.S.(consumers( from(tainted(imported(meat.( ( ( ( ( (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( 9(U.S.(Department(of(Agriculture(Office(of(Inspector(General.((“Follow(up(Review(of(Food(Safety(and(Inspection( Service’s(Controls(Over(Imported(Meat(and(Poultry(Products.“(Report(No.(24601`08`Hy,(August(2008,(p.(iv.(( 10(U.S.(Department(of(Agriculture(Food(Safety(and(Inspection(Service.((“Final(Report(of(an(Audit(Conducted(In( Canada,(August(25(through(October(1,(2009:((Evaluating(the(Food(Safety(Systems(Governing(the(Production(of( Meat(and(Poultry(Products(Intended(for(Export(to(the(United(States(of(America.”(p.2.( 11(See(Eligible(Foreign(Establishments,(Canada( http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Eligible_Foreign_Establishments/index.asp( 12(Canadian(Food(Inspection(Agency,(see( http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2012/20120916e.shtml;( http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2012/20120917be.shtml( ( 4( ( Should(you(have(any(questions(regarding(this(matter,(please(feel(free(to(contact(Tony(Corbo( at(Food(&(Water(Watch.( ( Sincerely,( ( ( Wenonah(Hauter( Food(&(Water(Watch( ( Christopher(Waldrop( Consumer(Federation(of(America( ( Sally(Greenberg( National(Consumers(League( ( ( ( ( Attachments( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( Damaged/exposed,Canadian,meat,products,are,prevented,from,entering,US,commerce,at, the,border, , Canadian,carcass,shipments,arrive,in,an,unsanitary,manner, , , , This,Canadian,meat,shipment,arrived,comingled,with,drums,of,toxic,chemicals,on,the,same, trailer, , , , Canadian,meat,product,refused,entry,at,the,border,for,fecal,contamination, , , , Canadian,meat,products,arrive,damaged,due,to,poor,handling, , , , ,