Safe Food for Canadians Act Regulations: An Overview
Food processing technologies are continuously undergoing a sea of changes globally. Food supply chains are expanding and becoming more complex. To cope with the new technologies in food processing and face the challenges posed by the complex supply chain, the food laws and regulations must adapt to these changes. Keeping this in mind, many countries have revised their archaic food safety regulations. For instance, in Canada, there were comprehensive food safety regulations in existence prior to the Safe Food for Canadian Act (SFCA) and its associated regulations (SFCRs). For example, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) was established in 1997, which led to the consolidation of all Canadian national food safety enforcement under one agency. Today, the SFCA and its associated regulations are overseen by Health Canada and enforced by the CFIA, creating an overarching national umbrella ensuring the safety of foods. Both the SFCA and SFCRs came into effect on January 15, 2019. Similarly, in the U.S., the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 and the subsequent seven new associated regulations modernized U.S. food regulations that had been in place for 70 years, taking a preventive versus reactive approach to food safety.
In Canada, the federal Minister of Health is responsible for establishing policies and standards for the safety and nutritional quality of food sold in Canada and the administration of those provisions of the Canadian Food and Drugs Act that relate to public health, safety, and nutrition. The policies and standards related to food safety are set by Health Canada, a department of the government of Canada that is responsible for national public health. CFIA is responsible for enforcing the regulations pertaining to food, while in the U.S., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are charged with enforcing food safety.
The SFCRs have consolidated the requirements stipulated in the Canada Agricultural Products Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act (food related), the Fish Inspection Act, and the Meat Inspection Act. There are 14 sets of regulations in total from these four acts, which are consolidated into one under the SFCRs.
Scope of Oversight
The SFCRs are applicable to food for humans, including the ingredients used in the manufacturing of human food that is imported, exported, and interprovincially traded for commercial purposes. It is also applicable to the slaughter of food animals from which meat products exported or interprovincially traded.
However, the SFCA and SFCRs are not applicable in the following cases:
• Food carried on a conveyance, for example, ferries, airlines, trains, and for use by crew and passengers