Curtmar Meats and its proprietor, Curtis Moxsom, are currently facing multiple charges due to what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has described as “significant non-compliance” with federal regulations aimed at safeguarding animal health and food safety.
The charges, totaling five each, are related to alleged breaches under the Health of Animals Act and the Health of Animals Regulations. During a recent session at Shubenacadie provincial court, the arraignment was deferred to a later date.
Among the accusations are failures to adhere to guidelines concerning the handling of specified risk material. According to the agency, specific tissues in cattle must be eliminated and disposed of correctly to prevent the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease.
Furthermore, the accused parties are accused of providing false or misleading information during an inspection. In response, the defense lawyer for the defendants has refuted the claims, stating, “We plan to vigorously contest these charges in court and are confident that the evidence will demonstrate their compliance with all relevant regulations,” as per attorney Robert H. Pineo.
While charges under the Health of Animals Act and its Regulations are infrequent, the CFIA highlighted that they are pursued in cases of serious non-compliance following investigations. Notably, the business remains operational under provincial oversight, as no closure orders have been issued by the authorities.
Located at the former site of Moxsom Meats, Curtmar Meats underwent substantial structural upgrades and regulatory compliance revisions to commence operations in 2020. This transformation came after the previous business, under different ownership, had its license suspended by provincial authorities and pleaded guilty to violations of the Meat Inspection Act in 2019.
The CFIA’s records indicate that charges for contravening its regulations have been minimal in recent years, with charges laid against individuals or entities occurring only a few times annually.