New Brunswick auditor general calls for better controls to avoid food poisoning

New Brunswick's auditor general is calling for stronger measures to reduce the risk of food poisoning in the province.

Kim MacPherson says unsafe food practices are a factor in food poisoning of an estimated four million Canadians each year.

Her office did an audit that found that while New Brunswick's Department of Health has processes to monitor and enforce policies to ensure the safety of meat for public consumption, the processes are not consistently followed.

She says in some cases there could be unaddressed food safety risks, and says New Brunswick doesn't have a meat inspection program.

MacPherson says penalties for operators who fail to comply with the standards are minimal, and she wants serious consequences for operators, such as butcher shops, grocery stores or restaurants, who repeatedly have their licence revoked.

She also wants all inspection reports posted on the department's website.