Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural Health Food safety

Canada to strengthen regulatory framework for food inspection

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

New legislation establishes the same inspection processes for food imports and exports and domestically produced foodstuffs.

The new legislation requires businesses to have preventive control plans in place and to keep sanitary records for each stage of the production chain.

San Jose, Costa Rica, 20, June, 2014 (IICA). Exporters in Latin America and the Caribbean who market their products in Canada will probably have to improve their agricultural health and food safety (AHFS) controls if Canada approves a proposal aimed at modernizing its regulations.

The objective of the changes, proposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), is to prevent health risks and respond better to any food safety incidents that occur.

The objective of the changes, proposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), is to prevent health risks and respond better to any food safety incidents that occur.

It also requires businesses to have preventive control plans in place and to keep sanitary records for each stage of the production chain.

In a videoconference organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the CFIA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Linda Webster, said the Safe Food for Canadians Act is designed to ensure the safety and quality of products, safeguard consumer health and establish more effective inspection systems consistent with international parameters.

Her comments were endorsed by IICA agricultural health and food safety (AHFS) specialist Ana Marisa Cordero, who added that the changes in Canada’s legislation were due to the increase in trade in foodstuffs, which was obliging governments to strengthen their safety control mechanisms to protect consumer health.

“The growing world food market increases the possibility of more sanitary incidents, so it is essential to have the capacity to detect risks and react in time,” Cordero remarked.

She added that the governments of Canada and other countries were modernizing their legislative frameworks governing AHFS and putting better oversight systems in place.

The legislation is the object of a consultation process that will conclude on July 21 this year. Stakeholders may email any comments or questions to CFIA-Modernisation-ACIA@inspection.gc.ca. The legislation is expected to enter into force in mid-2015.

In the coming weeks, IICA will be organizing virtual meetings to provide more details and explore the implications of the regulations proposed by Canada.

Más información: 
ana.cordero@iica.int

Safe Food for Canadians Act

 

Share

Related news​

Brasilia, Brasil

October 17, 2025

Macarena Valdés and Marco Aceituno, small-scale Chilean producers who have thrived under challenging conditions, will take part in the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas in Brasília

Macarena Valdés and Marco Aceituno, creators of a farm where food production has flourished despite the severe drought that has afflicted Chile in recent years, will be among the speakers at the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, to be held from November 3 to 5 in Brasília.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

El Director General del IICA, Manuel Otero, destacó que la decisión del Banco Mundial de duplicar sus inversiones en el sector agropecuario refuerza la importancia de los pequeños agricultores y reconoce el papel de América Latina y el Caribe en la seguridad alimentaria global.

San Jose, Costa Rica

October 16, 2025

IICA Director General  welcomes World Bank’s decision to double its investments to strengthen the role of small-scale farmers and expresses willingness to work together in Latin America and the Caribbean

Otero stated that IICA stands ready to assist the World Bank in helping small-scale farmers to increase their productivity, scale up and connect to value chains that can increase their income. To that end, IICA will tap into its broad experience in the region, where it works together with various strategic partners from the public and private sectors.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

October 15, 2025

Hemispheric dialogue at IICA identifies effective governance, strategic public spending and innovative green funding as key elements to strengthen regional agrifood systems

During a hemispheric dialogue held at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), government leaders, representatives of international agencies and regional agrifood sector experts agreed on roadmaps for strengthening institutional frameworks and coordinating public policies in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins