1. Authority and Purposes

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (the "Agency") was established, effective April 1, 1997, under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act. The Act consolidates all federally mandated food and fish inspection services and federal animal and plant health activities into a single agency.

The Agency is a departmental corporation named in Schedule II to the Financial Administration Act and reports to Parliament through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

The mandate of the Agency is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of federal inspection and related services for food, animals and plants. The objectives of the Agency are to contribute to a safe food supply and accurate product information; to contribute to the continuing health of animals and plants; and to facilitate trade in food, animals, plants, and related products.

In delivering its mandate, the Agency operates under the following 4 program activities supported by internal services:

1. Food Safety Program: The Food Safety Program aims to mitigate risks to public health associated with diseases and other health hazards in the food supply system and to manage food safety emergencies and incidents. The program achieves its objectives by promoting food safety awareness through public engagement and verification of compliance by industry with standards and science-based regulations. The program delivers initiatives to verify that consumers receive food safety and nutrition information and to mitigate unfair market practices targeting consumers and industry. Collaboration with other governments and stakeholders further enhances the Agency's ability to track, detect and mitigate risks associated with food and the food supply system, including food-borne illness. This program supports public health and instils confidence in Canada's food system.
2. Animal Health And Zoonotics Program: The Animal Health and Zoonotics Program aims to mitigate risks to Canada's animal resource base, animal feeds and animal products, which are integral to a safe and accessible food supply system as well as to public health. The program achieves its objectives by mitigating risks to Canada's animals (including livestock and aquatic animals) from regulated diseases, managing animal disease emergencies and incidents, mitigating and managing risks to livestock and derived food products associated with feed, promoting animal welfare and guarding against deliberate threats to the animal resource base. The program helps to mitigate risks associated with animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans by controlling diseases within animal populations. This program supports the health of Canada's animal resources and instils confidence in the safety of Canada's animals, animal products and by-products, and production systems.

3. Plant Resources Program: The Plant Resources Program aims to mitigate risks to Canada's plant resource base, which is integral to a safe and accessible food supply, as well as to public health and environmental sustainability.

   The program achieves its objectives by regulating agricultural and forestry products; mitigating risks to the plant resource base (including crops and forests) from regulated pests and diseases; regulating the safety and integrity of seeds, fertilizers and plant products; and managing plant health emergencies and incidents. The program also guards against deliberate threats to the plant resource base, facilitates the introduction of emerging plant technologies and protects the rights of plant breeders. Achieving the objectives of the program instils confidence in Canada's plants, plant production systems and plant products, and contributes to the health of Canada's plant resources.