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Canada's Food Safety System CFIA -Enforcement | TDS - Monitoring | Risk Assessment Food Safety Jurisdictions From the field to the table, many people are involved in ensuring food safety in Canada - government employees and scientists who help develop food policy and legislation; farmers and agribusiness; employees of the processing factory, the packaging company, and retailers; food inspectors and consumers. Federal responsibility Responsibility for matters of environment and health protection fall primarily under the Health Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Environment Canada. The main bodies responsible for food safety include the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), which reports to the Minister of Health, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which reports to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The Total Diet Study program is responsible for monitoring food contamination to ensure that average Canadian diets do not result in over-exposure. The CFIA is mandated to protect the food supply from food contamination. The Total Diet Study tells us what is actually in the food supply, and how much we are exposed to. The Total Diet Study reveals that Canadians are over exposed to lead and cadium, two toxic heavy metals, and that children are disproportionately exposed to the highest levels of pesticides. Read more about the CFIA and the Total Diet Study program. Provincial and territorial responsibility Provincial and territorial governments have legislation for environmental protection governing toxic substances that may end up in food within their jurisdiction. They are also responsible for inspecting food processing establishments that distribute products locally. For example, provincial inspectors assist the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the development of national and regional sampling plans. Some provinces publish guides on what freshwater fish are safe to eat. Unfortunately this information is hard to come by. Did you know that roughly two thirds of the water bodies tested in Canada contained fish that should not be eaten due to their high mercury content? Provincial and territorial governments have increasingly more responsibility for food safety as agreements are signed with the federal government to develop cooperative approaches to food safety and inspection. Such partnerships have been signed by Québec, Alberta, Ontario, the Northwest Territories, P.E.I. and Saskatchewan. Others responsible for food safety in Canada Farmers and Agribusiness: Farmers are responsible for decisions related to pesticide, fertilizer and medicated feed product use, and for correctly reading and interpreting label instructions. Cleanliness of their equipment and facilities is also their responsibility. Farmers must ensure that animals intended for human consumption meet the required amount of withdrawal days from veterinary drugs before being sent to slaughter. This is a great deal of responsibility to place on farmers. Is it too much responsibility? Check the Toxic Tracker to find out what's left in our food after it has been produced. You can find pesticides and veterinary drugs in many different foods. Industry: According to the government, "Industry has primary responsibility for the safety and quality of product, and to provide a reasonable level of descriptive product information to permit consumers to make informed decisions." They also have a primary responsibility to maximize their bottom line, a responsibility that is sometimes in conflict with food safety considerations. Veterinarians: Veterinarians are responsible for administering veterinary drugs to sick animals. They use federally approved drugs when necessary, but can prescribe any drug (approved or not) to an animal as long as there are no residues when the final food product is marketed. This is a major loop-hole in the veterinary drug approval process - drugs go through a rigorous approval process to determine their safety in specific conditions, but they are used in sometimes completely different ways to treat diseases that do not have approved drugs. It is up to the veterinarian to make the final decision, and the veterinarian bears the responsibility if there is a problem of animal health or food safety as a result. Some drugs do not need a prescription, and can be purchased by farmers for use on their farm without any external oversight. Farmers can also import drugs under another regulatory loop-hole, as long as they are importing them for their "own use." Federal officials have no idea how extensive this practice is, and it represents a major gap in veterinary drug regulation. Food Scientists and Researchers: Scientists and researchers develop residue tests, and conduct analyses of toxic contamination of food. Consumers: Consumers have a responsibility to ensure food safety at home, and to exercise their right to a safe food supply by shopping smart and taking action about pollution and food contamination. Consumers also need to stay informed about the food safety system so they can adjust their eating habits accordingly. A map of jurisdictions
CFIA -Enforcement | TDS - Monitoring | Risk Assessment
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