Commentary

Why So Many Condemnations?

May 9, 2025 | Paul Bootsma, CFFO Policy Coordinator

Why So Many Condemnations?

Most farmers will tell you that local abattoirs are disappearing from rural Ontario. They will also mention the important value they provide for them. It’s the ‘why’ for this, that has to concern the animal livestock sector and those who want to make a livelihood in the abattoir business.

Local abattoirs are an important part of livestock production, it’s where animals are processed for custom orders, or for unforeseen/accidental reasons that require immediate processing because they are still fit for human consumption. Small local abattoirs also offer consumers the ability to purchase fresh and specialty meats for their taste buds. The old fairy tale line of ‘The butcher, baker and candlestick maker’ still has significance in our ‘highly industrialized economy’. Abattoirs offer a personal aspect to sales.

Over the past decades, we have witnessed a serious decline in the number of abattoir businesses, more concerning is that there are very few young entrepreneurs entering this industry. And we know the reasons, difficult regulations in building layouts, health and safety requirements, labour regulations all deter young folks from picking up this trade. Meat cutting is a skill.

A more prominent current issue is that of condemnations by the meat inspectors. CFFO has had a committee for several years that has been responding to this issue. We have spoken with many producers and abattoir owners who are concerned with this and are expressing significant financial losses due to this. And the consequences for them.

Reports of high rates of condemnations show that this is a significant financial loss to the abattoirs and farmers who lose payment for their animals. The big issue is that there is no process to appeal the decisions and save ‘part’ of the animal. Again, the economic loss to both the abattoir and farmer can quickly add up.

Health and safety are very important in food production and there is no appetite for changing that. However, when a carcass has a small deformity, and thus condemned, the rest is wasted food if the whole thing is thrown out, and that is the problem. It’s like throwing out the baby with the bath water.

A review of the inspection process and the training of inspectors is highly needed, better training with experienced inspectors for graduates should be a requirement. The way things are currently, there is no accountability for the inspector, so it’s the approach when in doubt, throw out. Not a good system.

This overhaul needs to come from the Ag ministry and the minister himself. We are possibly losing a needed sector of the industry which we cannot afford to lose. A change needs to come, or we will lose a valuable industry along with the skill it requires. When provincially inspected, abattoirs are compared to federally (CFIA) inspected plants, the differences in condemnation rates are very high.

CFFO has been and will continue to work with Meat & Poultry Ontario to lobby the provincial government for these changes.