On July 3, nine Ontario Sobeys franchises ditched their corporate ties, citing policies that prevent buying local and only allow meat purchases from federally inspected plants, even though provincially inspected plants favoured by smaller farmers are just as safe.[rssbreak]
What Sobeys says
“Over 90 per cent of our poultry and pork is Ontario. ‘Local’ has numerous definitions. When I say ‘local,’ I mean Ontario.
“We have decided that we will only procure from federally inspected plants. There’s one in Guelph we work with closely. So, you know, when you think of Guelph, that’s still local.
“I can tell you that we work with Ontario producers and have fantastic relationships with them on meat, cheeses, you name it.
“And we work with them not just to procure products, but to build relationships on how to extend the season.
“We’re about to launch a new product: 100 per cent Ontario air-chilled chicken.”
Tracy Chisholm, Sobeys spokeperson
What the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture says
“I’ll put provincially-inspected meat plants up against federal plants any day of the week, and I can guarantee that we are as good as those federal plants in terms of the quality of meat coming out.”
Brent Ross, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
