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Improved Food Inspection Model
Final Model

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A key component of the model is the use of licensing as a tool to identify a regulated party and authorize him or her to conduct an activity. Section 2 and Annex A outline the conditions and processes around licensing.

A key requirement of the licensing regime is the condition that licence holders develop, implement and maintain effective preventive control plans suitable to the size and complexity of their operations. Section 2 and Annex B provide additional details on the proposed elements of the preventive control plan and the expected outcomes and performance criteria. CFIA inspectors would be guided by the inspection activities described in Annex B to assess how effectively a licence holder's preventive control plan demonstrates regulatory compliance with the expected outcomes.

Section 3 provides information about the risk-based inspection framework and the elements the CFIA would consider when determining the level of inspection oversight. The CFIA would prioritize inspections for those regulated parties for which the consequence of non-compliance would have a greater impact on public health.

Section 4 and Annex C provide an overview of inspection, including work planning, priorities and the general procedures inspectors would follow when conducting an on-site or follow-up inspection.

Section 5 and Section 6 cover the unique aspects associated with imported and exported food commodities. The licensing conditions proposed under the model - including the requirement to develop, implement and maintain a preventive control plan – would apply to some importers and exporters, and regulated parties who prepare food commodities for interprovincial trade. Importers and exporters may need to develop alternative strategies to address risk. Some examples of alternative strategies that could be used by importers are included in Annex B. Exporters would need strategies to meet the foreign country's regulatory requirements. In both cases, the Product and Process Control element of the preventive control plan would need to reflect controls appropriate to managing compliance with either Canada's import requirements or the export country's requirements.

Section 7 and Annex D are dedicated to a single, streamlined compliance and enforcement strategy across all food. Annex D provides an overview of the range of possible responses the CFIA may use to respond to an incident of non-compliance.

Section 8 and Annex E describes the CFIA's review mechanism, the complaint process, and the role of CFIA's Complaints and Appeals Office.

Section 9 outlines a system for continuous improvement, which focusses on consistency and quality of delivery, system design and overall system performance. As part of inspection modernization, the CFIA will to introduce a more systematic way of monitoring and evaluating overall effectiveness of the regulatory system.

Section 10 provides a general overview of how transparency would be achieved under the model. the CFIA is committed to providing the public with useful and timely information on its programs and services, regulatory requirements, and the outcomes of its enforcement actions and decisions.

Annex F provides an overview of the CFIA's initial thinking about exemptions. Further consultations on exemptions will be carried out as part of the CFIA's regulatory modernization initiative.

Annex G provides a glossary of terminology. It is designed to standardize language and support consistent interpretation of terminology used in the food inspection program.

Throughout the document, the call-out boxes containing explanatory text are used to signify changes in the model from the previous draft of the improved food inspection model.

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