How It Works: Canada’s Food Safety System

As a science-based regulator, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

• helps protect Canadians from preventable food safety hazards, and
• helps effectively manage food safety emergencies.

It does this together with industry, other government departments and agencies, and consumers.

To read about the role industry and consumers play in food safety, visit the Government of Canada’s Food Safety Portal.

Information is available below to help you find out more about how the CFIA works to keep Canada’s food supply safe.

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point approach

Learn more about Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point—an internationally accepted approach to food safety that helps prevent food hazards before they occur.

• Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Meat and poultry

The CFIA verifies that meat and poultry products made in federally registered establishments, or being imported into Canada, are safe to consume.

CFIA inspectors use the Compliance Verification System as a tool to verify that companies are complying with federal regulations and policies.

• The Compliance Verification System (CVS)

Food complaints, food safety investigations and food recalls

The CFIA coordinates food recalls with our external food safety partners. The CFIA manages about 350 recalls each year.

• The Consumers’ Role in the Food Safety System
• Statistics: Food Safety Complaints
• Statistics: Food Safety Investigations
• Statistics: Food Recalls
• Food safety investigations
• The Food Recall Process
• Food Recall Alerts