CFIA Regulatory Oversight - Ensuring the safety and efficacy of fertilizers and supplements in Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) administers a number of Acts and Regulations that, together, are designed to safeguard our food supply, protect the health of animals and plants and enhance the well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. Fertilizers (nutrients) and supplements (substances other than fertilizers that improve the physical condition of soils, or plant growth) imported into and/or sold in Canada are regulated by the CFIA under the authority of the federal Fertilizers Act and Regulations.

What does the mandate of the CFIA's Fertilizer Program cover?

The Fertilizers Act and Regulations requires that all regulated fertilizer and supplement products must be effective and safe for humans, plants, animals, and the environment. They must also be properly labelled. The mandate of the CFIA's Fertilizer Program covers a wide range of products sold for agricultural, commercial, and home and garden purposes. Products include farm fertilizers, micronutrients, lawn and garden products as well as supplements such as water holding polymers, microbial inoculants, and composts. All fertilizers and supplements that are imported and/or sold in Canada are regulated by the CFIA. The manufacture, proper use and safe disposal of these products are controlled by provincial and municipal rules and regulations. The CFIA works together with provinces and municipalities to ensure that all fertilizers and supplements meet the highest standards for safety and efficacy.

Some fertilizers and most supplements are subject to registration and require a comprehensive pre-market assessment prior to their import and/or sale in Canada. Products that are exempt from registration are still subject to regulation and must meet all the prescribed standards at the time of sale or import. Companies that manufacture and/or import these products may approach the CFIA and request a voluntary pre-market assessment to verify that their products meet the requirements.

What is a pre-market assessment?

The CFIA's pre-market assessment consists of a detailed, science-based evaluation of product safety information, efficacy, and labelling. To assess a product, the Agency requires that supporting information, which varies in scope depending on the nature of the product, is submitted. The basic supporting information includes the product label, the manufacturing method, and a complete list of ingredients and source materials. For certain products, additional information such as a detailed description of the physical and chemical properties of each ingredient, results of analytical tests that show freedom from biological and chemical contaminants, a toxicological data package derived from either laboratory studies or scientific publications, or data supporting product efficacy may be required.

Who carries out safety and efficacy assessments?

Safety and efficacy assessments are conducted by a team of highly qualified and trained evaluators. Safety evaluators examine all ingredients in a fertilizer or supplement including the active components as well as the formulants, carriers, additives, potential contaminants and by-products that might be released into the environment as a result of product's use and application to soil. In addition to evaluating the desired effect of the product as a nutrient or plant growth supplement, the CFIA also examines unintended and potentially adverse effects. This includes bystander and worker exposure (e.g. retailer, farmer, home owner), safety of food crops grown on land that has been treated with the product, impacts on animals and plants other than the target crop species, and ecosystem effects including impact on soil, biodiversity, leaching to waterways, etc.

Efficacy assessments of fertilizer and supplement products can range from simple calculations, ensuring that the product delivers a sufficient amount of nutrients to satisfy plant needs, to highly complex statistical analysis of performance data generated from field or greenhouse trials. In all instances, the efficacy claims that appear on a product label must be supported by scientifically valid information and the product benefits must be substantiated in a clear and definite way. A variety of factors are considered by CFIA evaluators when evaluating product performance including product application rates, nutritional requirements of the target crop, usage pattern, frequency of application, current agricultural practises, appropriate statistical methods, research trial designs, and Canadian climate and soil conditions.

How are labels verified?

All products submitted to the CFIA for registration or approval undergo a thorough label verification to ensure that displayed information is in compliance with the standards prescribed by the Fertilizers Act and Regulations. Evaluators verify that requisite information such as guaranteed analysis, directions for use, company/manufacturer contact information, appropriate units of measurement, and mandatory cautionary statements correctly appear and are clearly legible on the label. The assessment process also verifies that labels only convey true and accurate information. The CFIA requires that any misleading or inappropriate statements be removed from the label, to protect the consumer from fraudulent claims.

In addition to pre-market assessments, what else does the CFIA do to ensure compliance?

The CFIA also monitors fertilizer and supplement products that are already available in the marketplace to verify their compliance with the prescribed standards. Across the country, CFIA inspectors visit facilities, sample products and review labels. These efforts are focussed on verifying that products meet label guarantees and satisfy the safety standards for biological and chemical contaminants (pathogens, heavy metals, pesticide residues, etc.). Products found to be non-compliant are subject to regulatory action, which may include product detention (stop sale) and, in severe cases, prosecution.