The Vancouver Sun has learned that when Japan recalled several Canadian bottled water products because of mould problems, Ottawa chose to work with the companies involved to regain entry to the lucrative Japanese market, while allowing the companies to implement their own quality-control improvements, rather than investigate.
Officials say that mould in the water was an appearance problem rather than a health problem.
Karen Dodds, chief of evaluation for the bureau of microbial hazards in the health protection branch, said Japan's ministry of health and welfare made it clear when the recall was ordered last fall that public health was not at risk. Last week, The Sun revealed that 15 per cent of 476 samples of domestic and imported bottled water tested by the Ottawa health protection branch in the 1994-95 fiscal year failed to meet health standards for bacterial levels. Some of those bacteria pose a potential health risk to consumers with weakened immune systems-young children, the elderly and the sick. Manitoba Co-operator More coverage of the report on biotechnology regulations done by the KPMG consulting firm for Industry Canada. Canada also needs more scientific debate, public attention to biotech, a high court ruling supporting the patentability of life forms and the merger of industry associations into a single voice for the industry.