Former employee claims animal parts mishandled

A former B.C. meat plant employee claims workers there allowed waste that may have been contaminated with BSE to be spread on farmers' fields.

Daniel Land was only at Pitt Meadows Meats five months when the plant manager decided to hide the results of a lab test that showed a sample of meat was contaminated with a strain of E. coli.

Land's revelation led to a recall and plant closure last November.Land, who was responsible for quality assurance, said there were other problems.

He said employees failed to wash their hands after trips to the bathroom. He also alleged carcasses were shipped "hot" meaning well above the required four degrees.Land further alleged he saw workers putting animal parts into a pit for later spreading on farmers' fields.

Land said they didn't separate out the spinal cords and other organs that can contain the infectious agent that causes BSE, also known as mad cow disease. That material is supposed to be trucked to a disposal plant in Alberta.

"I was just totally shocked to see this," he said. "The reason they were doing it was to save money. It's an astronomical violation of the meat act."

Brian Bilkes, the plant's business manager, said the incident never happened.

"Not to the best of my knowledge and I would think thatahthat's an allegation that ah, that's not true," Bilkes said.

Bilkes said the Canada Food Inspection Agency has questioned the company about its BSE removal and is satisfied it's following the regulations.

Bilkes said Land is a disgruntled former employee who had trouble getting along with people at the plant.

Land said CFIA investigators willspeak withhim this month.