Keeping canadians safe

Why do we need regulations

• Food safety increases consumer confidence

• Food safety affects all Canadians - thus there need to be regulations across the entire supply chain

• Consolidate 14 sets of existing food regulations into a single set of regulations to improve consistency across all types of foods and businesses, reduce administrative burden of CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)

• Align standards with internationally recognized standards for food safety and consumer protection

• Mainly for food imported, exported, and traded interprovincially

Food and drug act

Part I: Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Devices

Part II: Administration and Enforcement

Part I: Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Devices

• Prohibited advertising and sales of food, drug, or cosmetic for specific diseases, disorders, abnormal state including contraceptive devices

• Food, Drugs, Cosmetics, Devices, Therapeutic Products, Advanced Therapeutic Products

Part II: Administration and Enforcement

• FDA is enforced by the CFIA

• Scope of inspections, seizures, forfeitures, destruction of unlawful imports, preventive & remedial measures 

• Exemptions from Minister, market authorizations, fees etc.

CFIA

• trigger

• food safety investgations

• health risk assesment

• recall process

• follow up

Bisphenol A (BPA)

• Industrial chemical used to make clear, hard plastic

• Can act as a lining on the inside of some metal food and drink cans

• Found in plastic food storage containers, thermal paper receipts, certain food packaging materials, older types of baby bottles

BPA hazards

• Mostly broken down and disposed of by our bodies in a matter of hours

• Can be potentially harmful → endocrine disruptor; linked to breast & ovarian cancer, immune, thyroid, and metabolic issues

• Most likely to cause harm during puberty and fetal development, but research on humans is limited

What is goverment doing about BPA

Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999

• BPA identified as a toxin

Canada Consumer Product Safety Act

• Illegal to manufacture, import, advertise, or sell polycarbonate baby bottles that contain BPA

• Working with industry to phase out use of BPA-containing packaging for infant formula products

Microplastic

Found on almost every beach, surface of every ocean, deepest parts of the ocean, and in the most remote parts of the Earth

Primary microplastic

 Directly released in the environment as small particles. Often used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetic products

Secondary microplastic

Come from larger plastic objects that break down or degrade

What is goverment doing about microplastic

In Jan 2024, $2.1 M of funding over four years to increase research of microplastics and impact on human health → McGill, Memorial, U of Toronto

Canadian Environmental Protection Act

• Bans microbeads ( ≤ 5 mm) in toiletries including bath and body products, skin cleansers, and toothpaste

• GoC undertook scientific review of microbeads → > 130 scientific papers and consulted with experts

• Banned single use plastics to reduce plastic waste - packaging, shopping bags, straws, cups, plates, stir sticks, etc.