Improved Food Inspection Model
Revised Draft

Overview

Canada has one of the best food inspection systems in the world. However, in response to pressures from increased globalization in the food industry and advances in science and technology, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is modernizing its approach to food inspection to maintain a robust approach to food safety and consumer protection. The proposed move towards a more prevention focussed and systems-based approach under the improved food inspection model would enable both the CFIA and regulated parties to more readily adapt to emerging global and scientific trends. Canadians will continue to be protected by an effective food safety system that is both science- and risk-based.

The intent of the inspection modernization initiative is to build on the existing, strong foundation by standardizing the approach to inspection and providing for consistent and appropriate oversight across all regulated food commodities. Continuous improvement is a hallmark of a modern, well-functioning food safety system.

On November 22, 2012, the CFIA achieved an important milestone in its food safety modernization efforts, when the Safe Food for Canadians Act received royal assent. The proposed new and stronger approach to inspection across all food is consistent with and complementary to the new Safe Food for Canadians Act. The Act sets the broad framework for a new approach to food safety and provides the legal basis for consistent regulatory requirements and inspection approaches across all food.

Reaction from stakeholders to the initial draft was generally supportive and positive with requests for

  • more details,
  • adequate training and guidance,
  • incremental implementation and time to transition,
  • an open and transparent system, and
  • clear communication and continued consultation.

The key concepts of the model remain the same. This document describes the details of the CFIA’s proposed improved food inspection model and outlines the actions and activities the CFIA will undertake to verify compliance with federal food legislation in Canada. This revised draft was prepared taking into account the feedback obtained from CFIA employees, front-line inspectors, bargaining agents, regulated industry, consumer groups, and federal/provincial/territorial and international partners.

This draft includes additional details about the following:

  • licensing: who is and is not subject to licensing and the proposed general processes for applying for, issuing, amending, suspending and cancelling a licence
  • preventive control plans: draft expected outcomes and associated performance criteria for each element, including more details on the licence holder’s responsibility for monitoring and verifying that the preventive controls are functioning as intended and that the plan is effectively achieving food safety and regulatory compliance
  • inspection: activities designed to assess whether the licence holder’s preventive controls effectively achieve food safety and regulatory compliance, including a description of the standardized process that CFIA inspectors will undertake to verify industry compliance with regulatory requirements and guidance on how non-compliance would be assessed using a systems-based approach
  • the risk-based framework: how to assess risk to determine the level of oversight and frequency of inspection
  • a single compliance and enforcement framework: the range of responses that CFIA inspectors may use to address non-compliance by a regulated party
  • system performance: ways to measure whether the food inspection program is being delivered consistently and effectively and whether what the CFIA and the regulated parties are doing is achieving the intended food safety outcome
  • terminology: a glossary to provide for a consistent interpretation of terms used in the draft model

All of the requirements, activities and actions described in this model were developed to promote the preparation, importation and exportation of safe and compliant food, and should be applicable to all food commodities. Representatives from the CFIA's plant and animal programs provided input during the early stage of model development. While the model is currently focussed on food, the CFIA is moving forward to include these program areas as well.

The CFIA is currently redesigning many of its business functions to support this model. This diagram illustrates those that are necessary to support the core components of the model, as defined by Licensing, CFIA Oversight, Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement, and System Performance.

This diagram identifies which current CFIA functions, including both service delivery and core activities, would remain intact or would change.

Click on image for larger view
This diagram identifies which current Canadian Food Inspection Agency functions, including both service delivery and core activities, would remain intact or would change.

Description for Improved Food Inspection Model: Draft Framework

The image illustrates the framework of the draft food inspection model. The image is composed of a pentagon with a number of circles around it, all above a horizontal and rectangular base divided into separate boxes.

  • The pentagon comprises five equal, pie-shaped wedges that represent five key components of the draft inspection model.
  • At the center of the pentagon are two boxes that represent the types of inspector that would be required to deliver the new model.
  • The nine circles around the pentagon represent the various business areas and the business functions of each area that would be required to deliver the new model.
  • The base represents six components of a foundation that would be required to deliver the new model.

Pentagon
The pentagon’s five pieces read as follows (from top right going clockwise):

  • CFIA oversight
  • Licensing
  • Inspection
  • Compliance and enforcement
  • System performance

The two boxes at the center of the pentagon are titled “Frontline Inspectors” on the left and “System Assessment Officers” on the right.
Circles
The nine circles that represent agency business areas and that are placed around the pentagon read as follows (starting top right, going clockwise).

  1. Risk oversight
  2. Program management
  3. Licensing
  4. Centres of expertise
  5. Field operations
  6. Border control
  7. Enforcement and investigation
  8. Food safety and recall
  9. Integrity and redress

Base
The horizontal and rectangular base across the bottom consists of six boxes that read, from left to right:

  1. Legislative and regulatory framework
  2. Science
  3. Training
  4. Tools
  5. Human resources
  6. Communication and stakeholder engagement

The CFIA welcomes input and feedback on this draft of the improved food inspection model and intends to finalize the model in spring 2013.

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