Gluten-Free Claim and Related Compliance Verification Complete and accurate gluten information on food product packaging is crucial for individuals living with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivities. According to the Canadian Celiac Association, one percent of the world’s population is at risk for celiac disease and another 2-5% for gluten disorders. There is a large amount of information available to the public regarding gluten allergy, celiac disease, and gluten-free claim requirements which may at times appear overwhelming to consumers. At the same time, manufacturers and importers need to be clear on regulations, what is expected from them, [...]

Preparation for CFIA Preventive Control Plan (PCP) Inspection: Hazard Vs. Risk (Part 2) The is the second article in our series on Preparation for CFIA Preventive Control Plan Inspection. Read Part 1. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has developed a guidance document for the CFIA Inspectors to follow when conducting Preventive Control plan inspection. The guidance is divided into two main sections of “Common Inspection Guidance” and “Assessing Preventive Controls”. Each section contains several subsections. A subsection under “Common Inspection Guidance” is “Standard Inspection Process” and where CFIA defines the terms Deviation Vs. Non-compliance and Hazard [...]

On December 15, 2022, CFIA will commence enforcement on food label compliance. From December 15, 2022, until December 14, 2023, the food industry is expected to be fully compliant. In cases of outstanding nonconformity, businesses must be prepared to provide a Corrective Action Plan to CFIA upon request. Food Labeling Regulations Timeline Food label modernization are a part of Health Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy program, an initiative that began in 2013. The goal was to set guidelines to improve the clarity and quality of information displayed on food labels and packaging in order to help Canadians make healthier, [...]

Preparation for Preventive Control Plan (PCP) Inspections: Deviation vs. Non-compliance (Part 1) It goes without saying that if you operate a food business whether as a manufacturer, processor importer or exporter (together as regulated parties), you are legally responsible for making sure that the food you sell is safe to consume and meets Canadian requirements. Maintaining compliance with regulations helps to ensure safety and quality throughout the food system with inspections being integral to enforcing food safety practices. One type of inspection that food businesses need a thorough understanding of is the Preventive Control Plan Inspection. To [...]

Food Safety Hazards Considerations for Plant-Based Meat Alternatives The shift in consumer appetite to plant-based proteins, or meat alternatives, continues to grow in popularity as an alternative to animal-based proteins. The reasons for doing so range from meeting personal health goals (i.e., cholesterol reduction), ensuring humane treatment for animals, reducing the impact of global warming to meeting food supply requirements for an ever-increasing world population. Even with increasing consumer adoption and grocery stores dedicating more and more shelf space to this new category of products, knowledge of potential food safety hazards still remains limited. Even so, companies [...]

Why a customized Preventive Control Plan for your food business is worth the investment No food business can afford to have a product safety concerns in the marketplace. Costs can come in the form of financial penalties and loss of market reputation, or imprisonment depending on the severity and toll that the safety concern presents to human health and life. Preventive Control Plans (PCPs) can help prevent food safety risks. PCPs are written systems that explain how your food safety compliance management practices meets Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) requirements. Aside from being a Canadian Food [...]

Complaint Handling SOPs for Non-Resident Food Importers into Canada How food consumer complaints are managed is an important component of a Preventive Control Plan (PCP) and the Complaints Handling SOP is one of the major components of compliance evidence in a PCP that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) expects. This SOP is a requirement for Canadian-based food manufacturers/exporters, domestic importers, and Qualified Non-Resident Importers (NRIs). To make a complaint, consumers can contact food companies physically based in Canada directly. For NRIs it is a little bit different. The CFIA defines NRIs as foreign-based food companies that [...]

This past summer the CFIA released a report on feedback received from an online open survey to stakeholders and consumers regarding what labelling information is important to them for plant-based and simulated meat products. Once relegated to the confines of health food stores and farmers markets, plant-based and simulated meat substitutes are finding their way into mainstream channels.  Their rising popularity is driven mainly by consumer focus on health and concerns with the impact that traditional meat products are having on the environment. In light of these shifting consumer preferences, industry and government agencies both in Canada and [...]

Spices, dried culinary herbs, edible seeds are important food commodities the world over and relied on to add flavour and zest to food during preparation. Spices, dried culinary herbs, edible seeds are important food commodities the world over and relied upon to add flavour and zest during food preparation. Studies have shown that microbial levels on these dry (low-moisture) food matrices are often exceedingly high. In spices for example, Salmonella, Bacillus spp. (including Bacillus cereus), Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella and Cronobacter spp. are among the main pathogens, with Salmonella triggering recalls most often. Pathogens can have a prolonged existence in foods and [...]

As per Safe Food for Canadians Regulations [SFCR], it is the responsibility of the SFC license applicants to develop, implement, and maintain Preventive Controls (PC’s), Preventive Control Plan (PCP), and Traceability Procedure (when applicable to operations and their products), complaints procedures etc. prior to be eligible for obtaining the License. CFIA makes this requirement very clear during the online application process for applicants to declare whether they have a “Written Preventive Control Plan” in place; and only by answering “Yes” to this question, the application can be submitted. While applicants may not be subjected to inspection immediately after [...]