Question Period Note: CFIA Mandate Update

Q1 – Why is the Government proposing legislative amendments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s mandate?
Q2 – How will these amendments benefit Canadians and Canadian businesses?
Q3 - How do the amendments consider food security and the cost of food?  
Q4 – How will the amendments not compromise health and safety? 

R1 - These legislative amendments deliver on the Spring Economic Update 2026 commitment to amend the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to include consideration of food security and cost of food.

Stakeholders have raised concerns that federal regulators make decisions without fully considering the impact on food security, food affordability, and the economic viability of the agricultural sector. While recognizing the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s essential role in protecting health and safety, stakeholders have emphasized the need for a deeper understanding of the real-world impacts of regulatory decisions on economic competitiveness and food production. These amendments respond to stakeholder requests and recommendations from a recent Parliamentary report to amend the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to consider food security and the cost of food, without compromising health and safety.

The amendments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act respond to this stakeholder feedback by including consideration of food security and the cost of food as part of the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
R2 - The amendments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act deliver on the Spring Economic Update 2026 by including consideration of food security and the cost of food as part of the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

These amendments establish an explicit mandate section, confirming the Canadian Food Inspection Agency protects food safety, animal, plant, and human health, and the environment, while carrying out a range of activities, including supporting regulatory compliance, facilitating trade and commerce, and considering economic and food security.

The amendments also introduce a new authority, empowering the Governor
in Council, on the recommendation of the appropriate Minister, to grant a time-limited
exemption from certain Canadian Food Inspection Agency legislative or regulatory requirements when needed to address serious risks to domestic economic or food security.

This new authority is intended for situations involving broad economic or food security risks, such as a national shortage of food supply, or severe crop losses. Further, exemption orders would only be issued if they do not pose unreasonable risks to food safety, animal, plant, and human health or the environment.
R3 - The terms “economic security” and “food security” capture a broad range of considerations, including food prices and food availability.  

The amendments clarify that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency considers economic and food security when carrying out its responsibilities. They also allow the Governor in Council to grant time-limited exemptions from certain requirements, when necessary, to protect economic security or food security. This could involve responding to major supply disruptions or public health events that could disrupt food security or the cost of food.
R4 - Health and safety is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s priority. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recognizes the importance of having a trusted, science-based regulatory system that protects food safety, animal, plant, and human health, and the environment.   

The new mandate provision does not change existing health and safety requirements. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for protecting and mitigating risks to food safety, animal, plant and human health, and the environment. While health and safety remains the priority, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency undertakes additional activities as part of its responsibilities, including facilitating trade and commerce, and consideration of national and regional economic security and national food security.

Ensuring health and safety remains the priority is also a requirement in the new order-making authority. In executing the new authority, the Governor in Council must be satisfied that an exemption would not pose an unreasonable risk to food safety, animal, plant, and human health, or the environment. The Governor in Council must also be in of the opinion that an exemption is necessary to protect national or regional economic security or national food security. Lastly, the exemption can only be in effect for up to three years.

Together, these safeguards ensure that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to uphold food safety, animal, plant, and human health, and the environment in exercising its responsibilities.

In the Spring Economic Update 2026, the Government proposed to amend the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act (CFIA Act) to include consideration of food security and cost of food as part of the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

These amendments respond to stakeholder requests and recommendations from a recent Parliamentary report to amend the mandate of the CFIA to consider food security and the cost of food, without compromising health and safety.

First, the amendments create an explicit mandate section in the CFIA Act. They clarify that, in carrying out its responsibilities, the CFIA undertakes many activities including the protection of food safety, animal, plant, and human health, and the environment, as well as consideration of economic and food security.  
 
Second, the amendments introduce a new Governor in Council order-making authority to grant a time-limited exemptions, when necessary to protect economic or food security, from certain CFIA legislative or regulatory requirements, while maintaining health and safety protections. 

These legislative amendments would come into force following Royal Assent of Bill C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update, tabled in Parliament on April 28, 2026.  

• Bill C-30 implements the Spring Economic Update 2026 commitment to include consideration of food security and cost of food as part of the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
• The Bill establishes an explicit mandate section in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act.
• It also clarifies that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency fulfills its responsibilities through a range of activities, including protecting food safety, animal, plant, and human health, and the environment, while also considering economic and food security.
• Collectively, these amendments will ensure Canadians continue to have access to safe, reliable food with robust health and safety protections, while reinforcing consideration of food security and affordability.