Gatineau, QC - In June 2018, the Government of Canada announced the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, which will protect Canadian families by making the food system even safer by focusing on prevention and allowing for faster removal of unsafe food from the marketplace.
Speaking yesterday at the Food Safety Forum in Gatineau, Quebec, Jean-Claude Poissant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, highlighted that the new regulations will come into effect in two months. In his speech, Mr. Poissant emphasized that the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations will reduce the unnecessary administrative burden on businesses by replacing 14 sets of regulations with one, and will help maintain and grow market access for Canada's agri-food and agricultural sector.
Depending on the food commodity, type of activity and business size, compliance with some requirements will be necessary immediately on January 15, 2019, while others will be phased in over the following 12-30 months.
The new regulations will require food businesses that import or prepare food for export or to be sent across provincial or territorial borders to have licenses, as well as preventive controls that outline steps to address potential risks to food safety. They will also help reduce the time it takes to remove unsafe food from the marketplace by requiring businesses to trace their food back to their supplier and forward to whom they sold their products.
The United States has recently made it a requirement for all Canadian businesses that ship food to the US to meet their new food safety standards. The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations will permit Canadian food businesses to acquire a license that demonstrates that they meet the requirements under the U.S. Foreign Supplier Verification Program and continue trading with the U.S.
Businesses that require a license will have to attest that they have preventive controls in place (such as sanitation and pest control measures) and businesses with $100K or more in annual sales will have to prepare a written prevention control plan. Businesses are encouraged to enroll now in
My CFIA and be prepared to apply for their license when it becomes available. My CFIA is a convenient and secure way to do business with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Businesses can manage and track service requests online, including permissions such as licenses, permits, registrations and export certificates. Those who submit SFCR license applications by email or fax will be redirected to apply using the My CFIA portal. The CFIA is sharing information with industry in face-to-face sessions across the country as well as through webinars. More webinars will be offered over the coming weeks. Details will be posted to the CFIA website as they become available.