Harper announces more rigorous product safety law

The federal government on Monday announced a plan that will allow for greater product recall powers, stiffer fines for manufacturers and more product safety inspectors and investigations.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces Canada's new food and consumer safety action plan, at a Salvation Army toy depot in Ottawa Monday.
(Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the plan at a Salvation Army toy depot in Ottawa, saying product safety regulation in Canada is not as rigorous as it should be.

"Canadians shouldn't have to worry about the toys they're putting under the tree, they shouldn't have to worry about the food they eat and they shouldn't have to worry about drugs that may do more harm than good," he said.

Legislation to be introduced early next year will empower the government to order mandatory recalls of products if companies fail to act on legitimate safety concerns, Harper said. Importers and manufacturers will also be required to ensure the safety of products, reporting on all defects.

Under the current Food and Drug Act, first-time offenders who violate safety standards face fines of up to $5,000.

The new legislation will also call for broader tracking systems for food products along with more partnership with foreign authorities.

'Canadian companies that take product safety seriously shouldn't have to compete with fly-by-night operators out to make a quick buck no matter what the consequences.'— Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement, who also spoke at the news conference, said consumers should take an active role in monitoring the products they bring into their homes. The online product safety database, launched in October, will be expanded next year to include safety information on cosmetics, household items, and sports and leisure equipment, Clement said.

Harper said the plan will help set apart legitimate manufacturers who are competing with careless operators.

"Canadian companies that take product safety seriously shouldn't have to compete with fly-by-night operators out to make a quick buck no matter what the consequences," Harper said.

'A step in the right direction': Consumers' Association

Bruce Cran, president of the Consumers' Association of Canada, said the proposed legislation is good news for consumers. While details of the program have yet to be announced, the plan should force manufacturers and importers to be more accountable, Cran said.

"I think it'll at least be a step in the right direction," he said.

Cran also called on the government to consider provisions that would ensure recalled products are destroyed, saying toy drives and food banks are sorting through and separating recalled items that have been donated.

"We might as well not have what we have at the moment because there isn't any inspection," he said.

"We've got toys being donated to children's gift funds.… We've got toys and other goods on sale on the internet after they've been condemned and pulled off the shelves."

Toys, pet food, toothpaste recalled in 2007

This year, millions of products have been recalled globally, rattling consumer confidence. In Canada, a series of recalls and product safety investigations were issued for Chinese imports, including products ranging from pet food to toothpaste to children's toys.

In June, Health Canada warned consumers against using certain brands of toothpaste imported from China that were found to contain diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze.
(Health Canada)

More than 18 million Mattel toys, which were manufactured in China, were pulled for high lead levels and magnet safety problems. Other recalls over the summer involved Thomas the Train products, and children's jewelry and art sets.

In early November, store shelves in North America were cleared of Aqua Dots, also sold as Bindeez in Australia, after an investigation found beads in the art kits were coated with the chemical 1,4-butanediol, which metabolizes into the date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate when consumed. At least nine children in the U.S. and four in Australia became ill after swallowing the beads.