Canada’s Food System Loses a Courageous Whistle-Blower
Posted: January 16, 2018
Categories: Food in the News / GoodFoodBites
Dr. Shiv Chopra, has passed away. While a senior scientist at Health Canada, where he worked from 1969 until he was dismissed in 2004, he spoke out publicly against perceived pressure to approve veterinary drugs with less than due diligence. Dr, Chopra, Dr. Margaret Haydon and Dr. Gérard Lambert were three Health Canada veterinary scientists who were ultimately dismissed from Canada’s food safety regulator for insubordination, due to their speaking publicly about their concerns about animal health and food safety, particularly in the cases of carbadox, Baytril and Monsanto’s genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH). Dr. Chopra fought this dismissal in the courts for thirteen years, ultimately losing his case in 2017. However, his ongoing dedication to promoting transparency of process and evidence based policy making are a lasting legacy. Dr. Ann Clark said of him, ““The tragic experience of Shiv Chopra as a whistleblower should be required reading, not just in institutions of higher learning but at every level of government in Canada.”
Read a full obituary of Dr. Chopra at the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.