Meeting on December 8, 2010

Record of Discussion

The purpose of this record of discussion is:

  • to give an overview of the issues and insights expressed at the first meeting of the Consumer Association Roundtable;
  • to record the themes for future meetings.

1. Overview

This meeting launched the start of an on-going two-way dialogue between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and associations that can provide insight from a consumer's perspective on the CFIA's challenges and opportunities.

The objectives of the meeting were as follows.

  • Begin to scope out a workable set of topics related to the CFIA and consumer association priorities.
  • Deepen the consultative relationship between the CFIA and consumer association members.
  • Help clarify the expectations and commitments of both the CFIA and consumer association members.

The following discussions occurred:

  • All association members briefly outlined their key consumer concerns pertaining to the CFIA's mandate.
  • The Chief Food Safety Officer, Dr. Brian Evans, provided an overview of the major challenges facing the CFIA, as he saw them interfacing with consumer issues.
  • Two specific initiatives of the CFIA were reviewed with the association members as examples of the type of issues that the Roundtable might see fit to engage in with the CFIA. They were:
    • modernization of the CFIA's legislative and regulatory framework, and
    • research conducted on consumer perception of the meaning of "100% Canadian Milk."
  • The many different issues and concerns raised over the course of the day were organized under workable topics or themes for future prioritization and possible future Roundtable deliberations.
  • Ideas on how the members of the Roundtable could best work together to make the Roundtable a success were discussed.

While the aim at this first meeting was not to seek consensus, some common views of the participants did emerge. They were as follows:

  • This first meeting was a good first step toward building a Roundtable that can be an effective voice for input into CFIA decision making.
  • There is a willingness on the part of the association members to provide advice to the CFIA on modernization of the legislative and regulatory framework.
  • The participants shared an understanding that the association members and the CFIA can all benefit considerably through a deeper and more timely exchange of information pertaining to:
    • consumer concerns,
    • the deliberations of other related forums (such as other CFIA consultative and advisory bodies), and
    • the CFIA's plans and priorities.
  • Communications between consumers and the CFIA through a variety of communications instruments (for example, websites and email alerts) is a significant challenge and one that association members are willing to help the CFIA with, by providing input on communications initiatives.
  • Improvement in the labelling of food products is a high priority, but the challenge is complex and different associations will have different priorities and different recommendations.
  • Two related challenges regarding food safety are shared by consumer associations and CFIA alike:
    • monitoring and enforcing rules for food safety within global supply chains, and
    • providing consumers with the information they need to make safe choices among products that either come from abroad or include ingredients sourced from abroad.
  • Whatever the set of issues on which the Roundtable ultimately agrees to focus in future meetings, a deeper relationship between consumers and the CFIA must be based on a two-way exchange of information between the CFIA and the Roundtable. The CFIA should bring their plans and concerns to the associations at an early stage and association members should be proactive in bringing consumer perspectives and concerns to the CFIA at an early stage.
  • The Roundtable could assist in identifying for the CFIA what research would be useful in support of consumer interests.
  • The CFIA should sometimes seek consumer insight into projects before they are initiated.
  • The Roundtable must commit to tangible results and report on progress.
  • Participants recognized that all members, government and association members alike, should keep one another informed of upcoming issues, concerns, and relevant activities gathered from sources outside the Roundtable.
  • Participants are committed to creating a dynamic dialogue with the CFIA on engaging consumers and within the members' associations, on engaging the CFIA in early exchange of views on significant policies and programs that affect food safety and related issues under the mandate of the CFIA.

2. Themes for future meeting deliberations

Given the vast array of possible topics for Roundtable deliberations, a thematic structure was required that would capture many different concerns and meet the overarching objective of the Roundtable.

Following review and discussion among both government and association members of the Roundtable, the following thematic structure emerged as a point of departure for organizing Roundtable deliberations. Participants agreed that these themes overlap.

2.1 Modernization of legislation and regulations

This theme:

  • would allow for consumer input on food safety monitoring and enforcement due to challenges arising from globalization of supply chains,
  • opens opportunity for consumer input on prescriptive regulations and outcome-based regulations,
  • will accommodate labelling and packaging issues.

2.2 The CFIA's decision-making process

  • Could include consumer input on a policy on decision-making processes (For example, should different standards be applied to small and large processing facilities given different risk levels? How can the science-based risk approach be augmented by the application of other values to the decision-making process?)

2.3 Communications

Any communications strategies should:

  • include ways to deepen two-way dialogue between the CFIA and consumers;
  • provide opportunities for consumer input on improvements to CFIA visibility with consumers;
  • open discussion on the different types ("levels of granularity") of information that consumers and consumer groups need, and in what format;
  • provide the Roundtable with opportunity to express their opinion, from a consumer's perspective, on whether certain work of the CFIA is of sufficient importance to consumers to warrant government expenditure, or if it should be paid for by industry associations;
  • be the theme under which to exchange information on and put into effect a relationship between the Roundtable and other government consultative instruments (for example, the Ministerial Advisory Board, the Value Chain Sub-Committee on Food Safety) and initiatives outside of government (for example, the Conference Board of Canada's food strategy initiative).

2.4 User fees and alternative delivery mechanisms

  • User fees and alternative delivery mechanisms could fit under the general rubric of modernization of legislation and regulations.

2.5 Pre-consultations

Pre-consultations would provide the following advantages:

  • They would provide an opportunity for the CFIA to come to the Roundtable for early discussions on how to consult/survey consumers and on what topics.
  • This could be a sub-set of "communications" above.

Members agreed that, whatever the thematic structure, a deeper relationship between consumers and the CFIA in the future must be based on a two-way flow of information between the CFIA and the Roundtable. The CFIA would have to bring their plans and concerns to the associations at an early stage. Association members would have to be very engaged in bringing a consumer perspective to the CFIA. Members also agreed that early (for example, within six months) examples of success are necessary.