Japan Earthquake - Questions and Answers: Laboratory requirements for product testing

Q1. How do I know if the lab I want to use to test my products is acceptable?

As part of the CFIA’s enhanced import controls and attestation requirements, all food and animal feed products from affected areas of Japan must be tested.

There are two critical requirements labs must meet: accreditation and testing capability

Accreditation:

In order to be deemed acceptable the laboratory must be one of the following:

• a Japanese federal government laboratory
• an ISO accredited by an International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) signatory
• an officially approved, designated or recognized laboratory by a government agency as having jurisdiction in accordance to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Guidelines for Settling Disputes over Analytical (Test) Results (CAC/GL 70-2009) (PDF 10kb)
• a laboratory where testing is done under a registered or certified management system for quality (or equivalence)
• a laboratory where testing is performed under equivalent internal quality assurance and quality controls measures with evidence proving that equivalency

Testing capability:

The laboratory must be capable of testing for radionuclides at Canada’s Food Action Levels. The Canadian Guidelines for the Restriction of Radioactively Contaminated Food and Water Following a Nuclear Emergency outlines the accepted levels that are aligned with those established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. These levels determine whether a food product is considered safe or should be removed from sale or distribution in Canada.

Additional information about the Canadian Guidelines and Action Levels can be found on the Health Canada website.

References:

• Attestation for Importation of Japanese Food and Feed Products, Including Ingredients