Access to Information

As part of its commitment to openness and transparency, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recognizes your right to access information in government records.

You can get information about the CFIA by calling the CFIA's public information line (1-800-442-2342) or by looking on our website.

Information the CFIA regularly publishes for the public includes

• food recall advisories and allergy alerts
• news releases and notices to industry
• reports, audits, reviews and evaluations
• documents submitted to Parliament

You can request more information through the Access to Information Act.

This law allows any person or corporation in Canada to submit an official request for Government of Canada records. All federal government institutions, including the CFIA, must make every reasonable effort to help anyone making an access to information request. The identity of all requesters is protected.

Records available through the access to information process

Under the Access to Information Act, you can request any material under the control of the CFIA, regardless of its medium or form. Records that may be available through an access to information request include

• correspondence
• applications
• certificates
• reports not normally published by the CFIA (for example, reports prepared by consultants)

Exemptions and exclusions to access to information requests

There are certain types of information that may not be released under the Access to Information Act. These are called "exemptions and exclusions."

Exemptions protect certain types of information that could cause harm if released.

Exemptions are classified as

• mandatory (the information must be withheld), or
• discretionary (the information may be withheld).

Some examples of exemptions are

• trade secrets of a third party
• personal information
• information on national security

You can find a complete description of exemptions in Sections 13–23 of the Access to Information Act, which is available on the Department of Justice Canada website.

Exclusions are records not covered by the Act. These include

• published material
• material available for purchase
• museum material
• confidences of the Queen's Privy Council

Making an access to information request at the CFIA

Your requests must be made in writing. They also must include sufficient detail to allow staff to find and retrieve the information requested.

The "Access to Information Request Form", along with detailed instructions, is available on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's website.

You should send your requests to the following address:

Access to Information and Privacy Office
Executive Support and Coordination
Corporate Secretariat
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
1400 Merivale Road, Tower 1, Room 0-149
Ottawa, ON K1A 0Y9

Fees

When you submit a request under the Access to Information Act, you must also send a cheque or money order

• in the amount of $5.00, and
• payable to the Receiver General for Canada.

Payments can also be made by credit card by contacting the CFIA ATIP Office.

This fee helps cover the administrative costs associated with processing your request.

Additional fees may be charged if staff need to search, retrieve, prepare and reproduce records.

You may be charged search fees, in the amount of $10.00 an hour. However, the federal government does not usually charge for searches that take five hours or less.

You may also be charged for photocopying. These fees are $0.20 a page for requests larger than 125 pages.

You must pay all fees in full before information will be disclosed to you.

Time required

In general, an access to information request takes 30 calendar days from the time the CFIA receives the request to the release of the documents.

However, an extension may be required

• to allow for consultation with third parties and other departments, or
• if the request is for a large number of records that need a lengthy search that interferes with the operation of the government institution.

For more information on access to information

The CFIA's Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Office manages access to information requests. You can contact the office

• by phone at 613-773-5554
• by email at ATIP-CFIA-AIPRP@inspection.gc.ca

The CFIA tables annual reports in Parliament on the Agency’s activities in relation to the Access to Information Act.

For general information, please visit the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website at  www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/atip-aiprp/tools/administration-application-eng.asp.