Question Period Note: Food Safety

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KEY MESSAGES
• Canada has one of the best food safety systems in the world.
• The Canadian Food inspection Agency’s focus on prevention, conducting risk-based inspection and sampling activities improve regulatory compliance and help prevent food safety issues.
• On average, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts 2,800 food safety investigations every year and oversees approximately 160 food recalls to protect Canadian consumers.
IF PRESSED …
Q1 : If pressed on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s role in food safety
A1 :
• Food safety is a concern shared by consumers, industry and governments. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for enforcing the food safety policies and standards that Health Canada sets.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspectors work to verify that industry is operating in compliance with Canadian standards and regulations to safeguard food, animals and plants.

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• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes a risk-based approach to food safety, targeting inspections where needed. Since implementing the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations in 2019, the Agency has issued over 18,000 Safe Food for Canadians licences.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducts inspections to verify compliance with regulatory requirements and permission conditions. These inspection activities can be triggered by national work planning, following up to a non-compliance, responding to an incident, e.g. complaints or positive sampling results, identification of a foodborne illness outbreak or request for a permission.
• When the Canadian Food Inspection Agency detects food safety risks in food sold in the Canadian marketplace, it works diligently with implicated government partners and food companies to issue food recalls.