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Reference Listing of Accepted Construction Materials, Packaging Materials and Non-Food Chemical ProductsBarrier Creams | Cleaners | Coatings for Construction | Construction Material General | Construction Prefabricated Units | Containers for Food | Denaturing Agents | Deodorizers | Disinfectants | Egg Treatment Compounds | Inks | Lubricants | Maintenance Aid Products | Materials and Products, Used for Collection and Storage of Maple Products | Microbial Control Agents | Miscellaneous | Packaging Materials | Pesticides | Processing Aids | Refrigerants / Heat Exchanger Agents | Release Agents | Sanitizers | Water Treatment Compounds | Working Apparel |
Frequently Asked QuestionsA. The Non-Food Chemicals Program1.Question: What are the objectives of this program? Answer: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) Non-Food Chemical and Container Integrity Programs deals with the safe use of non-food chemical products (e.g., cleaners, disinfectants, sanitizers, etc.), food packaging materials and construction materials in federally registered food establishments. Among the responsibilities of this program is the evaluation of submissions for CFIA acceptance of these products for their use in food establishments. Evaluation of these products by the CFIA consists of not only evaluating each chemical ingredient of a particular product individually but also as a whole to ensure their use will not present a food safety concern for the food products in a food establishment. Please refer to the section "Guidelines for Submission" of the CFIA web site for more information on the criteria used in product evaluation. These guidelines are available at the following internet address: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ppc/reference/sube.shtml Once the product has been accepted for use in a food establishment, a letter of acceptance is issued to the applicant and the reference listing of accepted product on the CFIA web site is updated. 2. Question: Who are typical applicants and who consults the reference listing? Answer: Typical applicants are manufacturers or distributors wishing to sell their products to federally registered food establishments. Those consulting the reference listing include food establishments wishing to use a particular non-food chemical product or CFIA inspectors verifying that products used in a federally registered establishment are CFIA accepted. 3. Question: What is an acceptance letter? Answer: A letter of acceptance is an opinion expressed by the CFIA regarding the acceptability of a product for use in federally registered food establishments. The acceptability of a particular product is determined using the information available at the time of its evaluation. 4. Question: What is the expected turnaround time for the issuance of a letter of acceptance? Answer: A submission is given a preliminary review on a first come, first serve basis. The expected turnaround time for the issuance of a letter of acceptance is dependant upon the following:
5. Question: How long are letters of acceptance valid? Answer: At the present time, letters of acceptance are valid from the date the letter was issued until a time where either the product’s name, formulation, intended use, label, manufacturer or manufacturer name changes. 6. Question: What is the protocol in the event that the formulation or intended use of an accepted product changes? Answer: In the event the formulation or intended use of an accepted product changes, the product will have to be re-evaluated in order to re-gain its acceptable status. Once found acceptable, a new letter of acceptance will be issued. Please note that for non-food chemicals, a draft label reflecting the necessary changes must also be submitted. 7. Question: Is a letter of acceptance required for a product destined for the retail market? Answer: Products destined for the retail market, such as plastic utensils and food packaging material for home use or household cleaning products, do not fall under the jurisdiction of the CFIA, but under the jurisdiction of Health Canada. Therefore, a letter of acceptance from the CFIA is not required for these products. Products destined for the retail market for food contact application should meet Division 23 of the Food and Drug Regulations. To determine if a product is in compliance with Division 23, an opinion may be requested from Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety Bureau. This request may be sent to the following address: Consumer Product Safety Bureau Telephone (613) 957-4467 Fax (613) 952-3039 Internet: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/index_e.html 8. Question: Does the non-food chemical program deal with food additives or food processing aids which are intended to become part of the food product? Answer: The CFIA’s non-food chemical program does not include the evaluation of food additives or food processing aids intended to become part of the manufactured food product. In order to determine if these products and their intended use do not contravene the Food and Drugs Act, you may wish to obtain a non objection opinion from the following address: Chemical Health Hazard Assessment Division Fax (613) 990-1543 Internet: CHHAD_BCS@hc-sc.gc.ca - Starting April 15th, 2005 9. Question: Does the CFIA issue registration numbers for accepted products? Answer: No, the CFIA will only issue letters of acceptance for those products that have been found acceptable. Upon the issuance of the letter of acceptance, the product will then be listed, in its appropriate category, on the CFIA web site "Reference Listing of Accepted Construction Materials, Packaging Materials and Non-Food Chemical Products":. 10. Question: Does the CFIA maintain a public listing of ingredients/components which are permitted to be present in non-food chemical products used in federally registered food establishments? Answer: No. Each formulated product’s list of ingredients/components is evaluated on an individual basis according to its intended use. Only a list of accepted formulated products is maintained by the CFIA. 11. Question: What is a federally registered establishment? Answer: A federally registered establishment is an establishment registered under either the Meat Inspection Act, Fish Inspection Act or the Canada Agricultural Act and which are permitted to ship food products from province to province as well as out of Canada. A non-registered establishment is not allowed to ship their products inter-provincially or export to other countries. 12. Question: In what manner is confidential information protected by the CFIA? Answer: The CFIA’s confidentiality policy is in compliance with the Access to Information and Privacy Acts. You may wish to consult these acts for further information. These acts can be found on the Justice Canada web site at the following addresses: Access to Information Act: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/a-1/8.html Privacy Act: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/p-21/95414.html 13. Question: Is compliance with the United States’ Food and Drugs Act recognized by the CFIA? Answer: Although compliancy with the United States’ Food and Drugs Act is to the advantage of a manufacturer wishing to export their products to the United States, this act is a foreign piece of legislation and compliancy with this act does not necessarily imply compliance with Canada’s own acts and regulations. 14. Question: Who is responsible to ensure that products used in federally registered food establishments are compliant with respect to the various Canadian Acts and regulations, such as the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations? Answer: Compliance of accepted products with the various Canadian acts and regulations is solely the responsibility of the food packer/manufacturer. 15. Question: What information is available on an accepted product from the reference listing of accepted products on the CFIA web site? Answer:
16. Question: How do I obtain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) data sheets for accepted products listed on the CFIA web site? Answer: CFIA is not responsible for the issuance of MSDS or WHMIS data sheets for accepted products. To obtain MSDS or WHMIS data sheets, please contact the company manufacturing the accepted product to request copies of the above or you may obtain a copy from Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety at the following internet address: http://www.ccohs.ca 17. Question: What is meant by "incidental contact" with food? Answer: Incidental contact is described as the limited contact of food products with products not destinated for direct contact with food. This incidental contact of the product with food products will not pose a health risk to the consumer. 18. Question: Who do I contact for more information? Answer: For further information, please contact Jack Donald, Technical Program Officer, Food Risk Analysis Unit, Food Safety Directorate, CFIA. Regular mail may be sent to the following address: 3851 Fallowfield Road Telephone (613) 228-6698 (ext: 4965) Fax (613) 228-6675 B. Non-Food Chemicals19. Question: What is a non-food chemical? Answer: A non-food chemical is a product used in a food preparation environment and its intended use is not to become part of the food product e.g. (cleaners, disinfectants, sanitizers, etc.) 20. Question: What is a food additive? Answer: A food additive is any chemical substance that is added to food during preparation or storage and either becomes a part of the food or affects its characteristics for the purpose of achieving a particular technical effect. For example, substances that are used to enhance the appearance, texture or keeping qualities of a food or serve as essential aids in the processing of food are all considered to be additives. Antioxidants, preservatives, colouring agents and enzymes are all examples of food additives. 21. Question: What is a maintenance aid product? Answer: Any product used in the maintenance of a food establishment, such as wall and floor repair materials, de-icing compounds and floor drying compounds. 22. Question: What is a processing aid? Answer: For CFIA’s purposes, a processing aid is considered to be a product that is used in the manufacture of food products but is not present in the finished food product. 23. Question: What is a barrier cream? Answer: A cosmetic cream applied to the skin as a protective measure against irritants and may require a Cosmetic Notification. See question no. 25. 24. Question: What is a pest control product? Answer: To determine what a pest control product is, please consult Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) website at the following address: http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/legis/pcpa-e.html All pest control products (e.g., pesticides) imported into, sold or used in Canada must be registered in accordance with the Pest Control Products Act and Regulations. All applications for registration must be submitted to the Minister of Health through the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). Regular mail may be sent to the PMRA at the following address: Pest Management Regulatory Agency The PMRA may also be reached either by telephone at 1-800-267-6315 or by fax at (613) 736-3798 (for those outside of Canada, please call 1-613-736-3799. Please note that long distance charges will apply). Once an application has been reviewed and accepted, the Minister will issue a pest control product (PCP) registration number. For more information concerning PMRA, see the following internet addresses: E-mail: pmra_infoserv@hc-sc.gc.ca For application or registration: http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/appregis/appregis-e.html You may wish to consult the Pest Control Products Act and Regulations. The are available on-line from the Justice Canada web site at the following addresses: Pest Control website: http://www.pmra-arla.gc.ca/english/index-e.html Pest Control Products Act and Regulations: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/p-9/93378.html 25. Question: What is a cosmetic notification? Answer: Sections 10 and 30 of the Cosmetic Regulations of the Food and Drugs Act requires that a cosmetic manufacturer submit a Cosmetic Notification Form to Health Protection Branch (Health Canada) prior to importation of a cosmetic product, or within 10 days of its first sale, if the product is manufactured in Canada. A cosmetic notification is a means of disclosing all ingredients (and their concentrations) in a cosmetic product. Health Canada will review the ingredient makeup of the product to ensure that all ingredients are safe for human and animal use. All information contained on Cosmetic Notification Form submitted to the Microbiology and Cosmetics Section, Product Safety Bureau is entered into the Cosmetic Notification System (CNS), an Oracle-based database. Cosmetic Notification Form Numbers (CNF No.) are assigned by the system to each notification form. For further information on the sale of cosmetic products in Canada, please consult the Health Canada web site at the following addresses: General Information on the Sale of Cosmetics in Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/person/cosmet/notification-declaration_e.html Guide for Completing Cosmetic Notification Forms: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/person/cosmet/guide_e.html May we suggest contacting directly the Product Safety Bureau for additional information at the following address: Consumer Product Safety Bureau Internet: CPS-SPC@hc-sc.gc.ca The Cosmetics Program may be reached at the address mentioned above or: You may also wish to consult the Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations. Both the Food and Drugs Act and the Cosmetic Regulations are available from the Justice Canada web site at the following addresses: Food and Drugs Act: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/F-27/index.html Cosmetic Regulations: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/F-27/c.r.c.-c.869/122960.html 26. Question: Do any non-food chemicals require a Cosmetic Notification Form? Answer: Any non-food chemical which may be considered to be a cosmetic must be submitted for a Cosmetic Notification Form. Health Canada defines a cosmetic product as: "Any substance or mixture of substances, manufactured, sold or represented for use in cleansing, improving or altering the complexion, skin, hair or teeth and includes deodorants and perfumes". Non-food chemicals that may require to submit such a form include hand cleaners, cleaners for personal hygiene and barrier creams. 27. Question: What is the submission protocol for non-food chemicals? Answer: For the evaluation of acceptability, the following CFIA Form must be completed in duplicate: CFIA/ACIA 4031 The form requires the following information:
28. Question: What products are exempted from review by the CFIA? Answer: Non-food chemicals to be used in areas where food is neither prepared, handled nor processed, are considered as exempted products: See list of products exempt from evaluation by CFIA at the following internet address: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/ppc/reference/exempte.shtml Although these exempted products are not subject to our review, it is expected that these products bare a label which outlines their intended use. 29. Question: What information is required to be included on the label of non-food chemical products? Answer: Every label shall show the following basic information:
30. Question: Which non-food chemical products require a label? Answer: The following non-food chemical products are required to be labelled: barrier creams, cleaners, decharacterizing agents, denaturing agents, deodorizers, disinfectants, egg treatment compounds, inks, lubricants, maintenance aid products, microbial control agents, pesticides, processing aids, refrigerants/heat exchanger agents, release agents, sanitizers and water treatment compounds. 31. Question: What is the procedure for private labelling of a previously accepted product? Answer: A company wishing to privately label an accepted product must provide the CFIA with a letter from the manufacturer/supplier of accepted product indicating that they will be supplying the company with their product. The company must also submit a draft label for evaluation by CFIA. 32. Question: What is a Drug Identification Number (DIN)? Answer: A DIN is assigned by the Therapeutic Products Programme (Health Canada) to each drug approved for use in Canada in accordance with the Food and Drug Regulations. 33. Question: Do any non-food chemical products require to have a DIN previously assigned to them before being accepted by the CFIA? Answer: The only category of non-food chemicals that require a DIN prior to being accepted by the CFIA are disinfectants used in food handling areas of a food establishment or any other product with having a disinfectant claim on its label. 34. Question: How do I register my product for a DIN? Answer: Submissions for DIN registration should be made to the following address: Submission and Information Policy Division Telephone (613) 954-6497 Fax (613) 952-3039 C. Food Packaging Materials35. Question: What types of packaging material are to be submitted for evaluation? Answer: Any packaging material for use in a registered food establishment which is intended to come in direct or indirect contact with food products should be submitted for evaluation by the CFIA. Such materials include, but are not limited to, the following: paper wraps, wrapping materials, films, synthetic casings, nettings, trays, pouches and bags. 36. Question: Can we use recycled materials in food packaging material? Answer: Recycled materials may be used in the manufacture of food packaging materials. Recycled materials such as glass, metal and aluminium have historically been used for food packaging applications. However, due to the permeable nature of plastics, the possibility that chemical contaminants (resulting from post-consumer misuse or abuse) remaining in the recycled materials and migrating into food is one of the major concerns regarding the safe use of recycled plastics as food packaging materials. Other issues of plastics recycling also include microbial contamination and structural integrity. As such, the Health Canada has developed a set of guidelines for determining the acceptability of a recycled plastic for use as a food packaging material. These guidelines may be found on the Health Canada web site at the following address: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/index_e.html 37. Question: Should we also submit for evaluation those packaging materials which are not intended to be direct or indirect contact with foods? Answer: No. Those packaging materials which are not intended for indirect or direct food contact applications are exempted from evaluation and will not be listed in the reference listing by the CFIA. 38. Question: What is the submission protocol for food packaging materials? Answer: For the evaluation of acceptability, the following CFIA Form must be completed in duplicate: CFIA/ACIA 3826 The form requires the following information:
D. Construction Materials39. Question: Which construction materials are required to be CFIA accepted prior to their use in federally registered food establishments? Answer: Materials used for the construction of interior floors, walls and ceilings surfaces as well as coatings and joint sealants to be used in federally registered food establishments areas where foods are prepared or stored, must be submitted for evaluation by the CFIA. 40. Question: What is the submission protocol for construction materials? Answer: For the evaluation of acceptability, the following CFIA Form must be completed in duplicate: CFIA/ACIA 4032 The form requires the following information:
E. Reference Listing of Accepted Construction Materials, Packaging Materials and Non-Food Chemical Products41. Question: How often is the reference listing updated? Answer: The reference listing is updated twice monthly. 42. Question: How often does the CFIA publish hard copies of the reference listing of accepted materials? Answer: The CFIA does not provide hard copies of the reference listing of accepted products. The listing on the web site is provided in a downloadable, print-ready format. F. Equipment43. Question: Who do I contact concerning the use of equipment in a meat establishment? Answer: Please contact Dr. Zbigniew Gacek, Chief, Plant and Equipment Evaluation, concerning the use of equipment in a meat establishment. Telephone (613) 221-7107 Fax (613) 228-6636 44. Question: Who do I contact to obtain acceptance for equipment to be used in another food establishment? Answer: For another establishment such as dairy products, egg products, fruits and vegetables products, fish products, please contact your local CFIA services at the following internet address: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/directory/offbure.shtml |
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