OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – July 2, 2013) – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is asking consumers and food industry stakeholders to express their opinions on three elements of the Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan, which aims to strengthen and modernize Canada’s food safety system.
The CFIA’s compliance promotion initiative, the proposed new regulatory framework for federal food inspection, and the planned outcome-based approach to regulation and inspection were presented at the CFIA’s Food Safety Regulatory Forum on June 4, 2013. The Forum was the first stage in the consultation process, which will now continue online.
The consultation on compliance promotion attempts to determine how enhanced compliance promotion efforts by government, industry and interested third parties could improve industry’s ability to meet regulatory requirements.
The consultation on the proposed regulatory framework seeks to gather feedback on the food regulations that are being developed to support the new Safe Food for Canadians Act.
With the discussion paper on outcome-based regulations, the CFIA is seeking stakeholder views on the adoption of this approach in food regulation and inspection.
“Ongoing consultations with Canadians allow our Government to engage in meaningful discussion to continue to improve our world-class food safety system,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Our ultimate goal remains to have a food system that is the best that it can be, and we are confident that the Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan will continue take us there.”
Consumers, industry and other stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on these initiatives by reviewing the documents in the Consultations section of the CFIA’s web site. [http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/accountability/consultations/eng/1330977431764/1330977617771] . Comments will be received until November 30, 2013.
Consultation on a fourth element of the Action Plan, a proposal to modernize the food labeling system, is already underway. This consultation is also available on the CFIA’s Consultations page.