Improved Food Inspection Model
Revised Draft

1.0 Introduction

1.1 CFIA’s legislative authorities

The CFIA plays a key role in maintaining Canada's food safety system. The Agency has a mandate to administer and/or enforce food-related standards and other requirements.

The Safe Food for Canadians Act received Royal Assent on November 22, 2012. It consolidates authorities and requirements covered by the Canada Agricultural Products Act, the Fish Inspection Act, the Meat Inspection Act and the food provisions of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. The Food and Drugs Act and regulations will continue to apply to all food sold in Canada.

Once the Act is in force, the CFIA will rely on the authorities of the Safe Food for Canadians Act to carry out its mandate with respect to food safety. New regulations will be made under the Act; however, in the interim, the existing legislation and related regulations will remain in force.

1.2 Guiding principles

The CFIA’s inspection modernization initiative will apply food safety management concepts that are globally recognized for how effectively they achieve the safety and suitability of food for human consumption and trade. These globally-recognized concepts build from the foundation of prevention. They include systems-based, performance-based and risk-based approaches that are

  • founded on science, based on risk, and use common inspection procedures and tools;
  • aligned with international standards, such as those developed by Codex Alimentarius1;
  • based on the premise that industry is responsible for its products and processes and must demonstrate ongoing compliance with legislative requirements;
  • flexible, to accommodate the complexity and size of an operation; and
  • supported by information management / information technology (IM/IT) solutions that will facilitate planning, reporting and decision making.

Canada is not alone in using a risk-based approach. Food inspection systems in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries are also adopting risk-based approaches that compare risk across food commodities.

1.3 Roles and responsibilities

1.3.1 Regulated parties

Regulated parties are responsible for complying with the law. They demonstrate this commitment to complying with the law by understanding their roles and responsibilities with regard to the Acts and regulations that apply to them and ensuring that food commodities and processes for which they are responsible meet regulatory requirements. Regulated parties also provide the CFIA with input and information that is essential for regulatory decision making and for setting regulatory requirements and standards.

1.3.2 Roles and responsibilities of the CFIA

The CFIA verifies industry compliance through activities that include licensing, inspection, surveillance, sampling and testing. These activities are used to assess whether a licence holder has developed, documented, implemented and maintained written preventive control measures, whether these measures are effective, and whether regulatory requirements and licence conditions have been met. Where non-compliance is identified, the CFIA takes appropriate compliance and enforcement action.

The CFIA derives its inspection authorities through Acts and regulations and is responsible for enforcing requirements in the Acts and regulations.

The CFIA has regulatory oversight and responsibility for interprovincial and internationally-traded food commodities and shares responsibility for the health and safety of intraprovincially-traded food commodities with provinces and territories.

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