为什么发霉的烤鳗鱼会出现于加国食品架？

加拿大是一个食品进口大国，其国内市场销售的食品中有40%是从国外进口。在接连不断的海外食品安全丑闻令令全球震惊不已之际，加国消费者一直依赖加拿大食品检验局（CFIA）确保加人的食品安全和保障加国超市的食品品质。但是，在加国超市销售的进口变质食品，却引发华裔消费者和公众对进口食品安全的担心。

Canada is a big food importing country, with 40% of its food products sold being imported from foreign countries. At the time when overseas’ food safety scandals constantly send shock waves across the globe, Canadian consumers rely on the CFIA, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure food safety for Canadians and to safeguard the Canadian supermarkets. But tainted imported food products sold in a Canadian store have sparked public concerns. 


今年1月，陈先生从位于Steeles路的华人超市Foody Mart购买了一袋烤鳗鱼，但是他和妻子拆开吃了几口后便感觉不适，在经过仔细查看后，他们震惊地发现这袋烤鳗鱼已经发霉。

In January of this year, Mr. Chen bought a bag of roasted eel from Foody Mart, a Chinese supermarket on Steeles. Chen and his wife, after taking a few bites of the food, felt sick. After taking a thorough look at the product, they were shocked to find that the roasted eel had gone moldy.


陈先生随即将这包发霉的烤鳗鱼交给多伦多公共卫生局（(TPH)，并进行拍照取证，并立即通知了超市经理。在多伦多公共卫生局第二天打算对该超市进行检查时，发现超市相关产品已经全部下架。

Chen took the moldy eel to Toronto public health (TPH), which took pictures of the food. Chen also notified the store manager. When TPH attempted to inspect the supermarket the next day, the products had already been removed from shelves.


多伦多公共卫生局发言人告诉《大中报》：“超市承认出售过这一产品，他们已经立即将（烤鳗鱼产品）下架并退回给供应商。”

“The supermarket admitted that the product was sold from the store. They (roasted eels) were immediately removed from the shelf and returned to the supplier,” a spokesperson from TPH told Chinese News.


这些产品是由多伦多某公司从中国进口。该公司老板不否认为这些产品的供应商。老板向《大中报》表示相关产品已经全部销毁，今后绝对不会再发往超市。

The products were imported from China by a company in Toronto. The owner of the company does not deny it was the supplier of the products, and told Chinese News that the products have all been destroyed and they will never be sent to the store in future.


在确认发霉的烤鳗鱼产品是来自中国渤海的进口食品后，多伦多公共卫生局通知了加拿大食品检验局。

After identifying that the moldy products were imported from BoHai, China, TPH notified the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA).


在食用发霉的烤鳗鱼后，身感不适的陈先生和妻子前往就医并接受了药物治疗。虽然此事已经过去半年之久，陈先生也早已身体康复，但他表示该此事件令他备受困扰，并影响到他对加国所售食品安全性的信心。

Chen’s illness had led him and his wife to visit the doctor who put them on medication. But half a year later, Chen who has recovered from the illness, says the incident still haunts him and has shattered his confidence over the safety of food products sold in Canada.


陈先生称：“我来自食品安全性极差的中国，曾对加国食品的安全性深信不疑，我简直不敢相信发霉食品居然会出现在加国超市的货架上。”

“Coming from China, a country that has a notorious track record for food safety, I had trusted the safety of Canadian food products.  I can’t believe that moldy food would appear on the shelves of Canadian supermarkets,” says Chen. 


从中国进口食品的安全性一直令本土加人深感担忧。陈先生的经历可能会令许多消费者不安，而他的忧虑可能也会引发许多华裔人士的共鸣。《大中报》过去曾就从中国进口食品的安全问题采访过加拿大食品检验局，并就此发表过数篇调查报告。该食品安全监督机构曾反复告诉《大中报》，食检局曾一直与中国政府共同合作，以确保从中国进口的食品符合加拿大食品安全要求。

The safety of imported food from China has always been of great concern for local Canadians. Chen’s experience may strike the nerve of many consumers, and his concerns may resonate with many Chinese Canadians. Chinese News published several articles over the past interviewing CFIA on safety of imported food from China.  The national food safety watchdog told Chinese News repeatedly that it works with the Chinese government to ensure that imported food products meet Canadian safety requirements.


加拿大食品检验局发言人在早先发给《大中报》的一封电邮中称：“所有从中国进口的食品必须遵守加国食品安全以及包装和打标的要求，检测结果亦表明进口食品高度符合加国食品安全标准。”

“All food products imported from China must comply with the Canadian food safety requirements, as well as packaging and labeling regulations,” wrote CFIA media spokesperson in an earlier email to Chinese News. “Testing results show the compliance to Canadian safety standards has been high.”


加拿大食品检验局有严格的检验法规，以确保外国进口食品符合其食品安全标准。相关法规要求进口商保持100%合规记录。按照加拿大食品检验局的进口商规定，违规记录可能导致进口商成为日后抽查目标，并被施以更高的合规要求，而对于那些反复违规的进口商，食品检验局甚至可能采取法律行动。

The CFIA has stringent inspection rules and regulations in place to ensure foreign imported food products meet its food safety standards. Its’ regulations require importers to maintain track record of 100% compliance. According to CFIA rules on importers, a non-compliance record may result in importers becoming target of inspections and to face higher compliance requirements, and for repeated offenders, even enforcement actions.


既然已经颁布实施了相关法规，为什么变质食品能在食检局的眼皮下溜之大吉？据加拿大食品检验局称，这些产品是持无效的进口许可证进入加拿大因而“导致加拿大食品检验局未能充分获悉该进口商的活动。”

Given the rules and regulations in place, why did the CFIA fail to detect the problematic food products at the border? According to the CFIA, the products got into Canada with an invalid import license, which “resulted in the CFIA not being properly informed of the importer's activity.”


但是，这个回答似乎并不能令消费者满意，或是让食品检验局摆脱质疑。加拿大食品检验局的规定要求进口商持有效的进口许可证将产品进口到加拿大，任何没有有效许可证号的货物都会被拒入境或被扣留。如果进口商没有有效的许可证，那这些变质的烤鳗鱼又是如何潜入加国境内，并堂而皇之地登上超市货架？

But that answer seems unable to satisfy consumers or pull the government agency out of the mud. CFIA rules require importers hold a valid import license to bring products into Canada and any shipments not accompanied by a valid license number will be refused entry or detained. If the importer didn’t hold a valid license, how did the tainted roast eel get sneaked across the Canadian border and make its way to supermarket shelves?


加拿大食品检验局在发给《大中报》的一封电邮中答复称：“目前很难推测这些产品在边境未曾被拒或被扣的原因。”

 “It is quite difficult to speculate at this time why this product was not refused or detained at the border,” the CFIA answered in an email to Chinese News.