Rigorous inspection, testing and compliance

Industry is required to adopt science-based risk management practices to minimize food safety risks. If there is a food safety emergency, the CFIA, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and provincial agencies take the appropriate actions and work with the food industry to deal with the problem, quickly and effectively.

Any issue with the safety of a particular food product or ingredient can have a major impact on public health, public confidence and the reputation and success of an industry's business. It can also lead to legal penalties.

It is in the food industry's best interest to comply with regulations. In fact, industry works to:

• Identify potential sources of food contamination
• Update production practices to eliminate risk
• Comply with the inspection and testing protocols
• Pull unsafe products from the marketplace

Industry monitors their production processes to ensure food safety by conducting their own inspection and testing programs (some over and above what has been mandated by regulations) which also serves to maintain consistency and quality of their products.

The CFIA has the responsibility for identifying when a company is not complying to regulations and then subsequently verifying that company corrective actions were effective in dealing with the instance(s) of non-compliance. Should a company be unable or unwilling to correct the non-compliance, the CFIA will prevent the product from being distributed through various enforcement options such as suspension or removal of license to operate.

• Acts and regulations
• Regulated products and sectors

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