Food processors want workers made priority for vaccinationsFood processor organizations are asking provincial governments to designate their workers as a priority for Covid 19 vaccinations, especially in meat and others plants where employees work close together.
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) and Food and Beverage Canada made the request in the wake of Ontario and federal action designating processing plant workers as a priority. Meanwhile the seed industry outlined the measures its members are taking to ensure the safety of workers and customers.
Chris White, President of the Canadian Meat Council, said the other provinces should follow Ontario’s designation of meat workers as a priority group for phase 2 vaccinations. Starting in June, meat plants in Ontario will have access to vaccine to immunize workers in their plants.
Food Beverage Canada CEO Kathleen Sullivan said front-line food processing workers supported Canada’s food system throughout COVID-19. “To ensure the stability of Canada’s food supply, we are asking that you consider the importance of front-line food processing workers in the provinces' vaccination programs.”
“Few Canadian agriculture products make it to Canada’s grocery shelves without first being transformed by one of the sector’s 7,000 companies,” she said. “Since the start of COVID-19, the majority of our 300,000 workers have continued to work on-site in plants across the country to ensure Canadians have the food they need.”
Public Safety Canada designated the food system as one of the country’s critical infrastructure sectors. “As such, food manufacturers and their workers were expected to continue operating throughout the pandemic.”
Sullivan said food manufacturers have invested more than $800 million to implement measures and controls to protect their workers from COVID-19. Given the congregate nature of food plants, however, that risk can never be eliminated. “What is more, as we have already seen, when a food plant shuts due to COVID-19, the entire supply chain is impacted – no one more so than producers who no longer have the ability to deliver their produce and livestock for processing.”
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has recommended that Stage 2 of a COVID-19 vaccination program should include staff of congregate settings and essential workers, she said. Food plant workers should be prioritized for vaccination after health care workers and vulnerable groups.
|
