Question Period Note: Food Recalls

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KEY MESSAGES
• The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the safety of Canadians and to protecting Canadians from food-borne illnesses.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency protects the health and safety of Canadians from potential hazards in the Canadian food supply. Food safety investigations may lead to food being recalled from the marketplace.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency communicates high-risk food recalls, including allergen recalls, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through multiple channels. All recalls are posted on the Recalls and Safety Alerts website.
IF PRESSED…
Q1 : If pressed on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s role in recalls….
A1 :
• Several triggers can start a food safety investigation, which could then lead to a food recall including:
o illness outbreak
o food test result
o inspection finding
o consumer complaint
o company-initiated recall
o recall in other country
o information from law enforcement about potential food tampering, trade complaints, information from consumer associations, or even posts on social media websites.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts effectiveness checks to verify that unsafe food has been removed from store shelves. Additionally, the Agency continues to work with the manufacturer or importer to ensure that any problems that led to the recall are resolved.

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• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency helps to protect Canadians from preventable health risks related to food and zoonotic diseases.
• The ability to prevent and/or respond to food incidents in a timely and appropriate manner is a critical component to safeguarding food, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy.
• A food recall is the removal of a food from further sale or use, or the correction of its label, at any point in the supply chain as a risk mitigation action.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency uses social media and email notifications to subscribers to communicate high-risk food recalls, including allergen recalls, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.