Alex Binkley of Ontario Farmer writes that Health Canada still plans to create five food-borne illness surveillance sites across the country but when the network will be completed remains unclear.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq told a news conference a third site will be added to the ones already operating in the Waterloo Region of Ontario and the Lower Fraser Region of British Columbia. The other sites are supposed to be on the Prairies, in Quebec and in the Atlantic Provinces. The surveillance program, called C-EnterNet, is operated by the Public Health Agency of Canada to track food and waterborne gastrointestinal illnesses, Albert Chambers, executive director of the Canada Food Safety Supply Chain Coalition, said in an interview.

Chris Kyte, president of Food Processors of Canada, said Health Canada doesn’t need more research capacity.

“It needs to get information about food safety problems communicated faster so unsafe products are removed from the market. Why would we need another research centre? Two should be plenty. Purolator has next day service across Canada.”