Meat and Poultry Products

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) verifies that meat and poultry products leaving federally-inspected establishments or being imported into Canada are safe and wholesome. The CFIA also monitors registered and non-registered establishments for labelling compliance and audits the delivery of a grading program based on objective standards of meat quality and retail yield.

CFIA activities include:

• registration and inspection of slaughter and processing establishments of meat products;
• inspection and grading of exports and meat products for interprovincial trade;
• inspection of imported meat products;
• process, formula, labelling policy and program development, registration and verification;
• verifying that food advertising complies with requirements;
• retail inspection including enforcing label regulations at retail; and
• residue testing.

The key acts and regulations we enforce are:

• Canada Agricultural Products Act
  • Livestock and Poultry Carcass Grading Regulations
• Food and Drugs Act
  • Food and Drug Regulations
• Meat Inspection Act
  • Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990

Information we provide for consumers includes:

• Causes of Food Borne Illness
• Food Thermometer Food Safety Tips

Information we provide for the food industry includes:

• CFIA audits of meat inspection programs in other countries
• Federally Registered Meat Establishments and their Licensed Operators
• Food Safety Enhancement Program Manual
• Imports
• Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures
  • Meat Hygiene Directives
• Packaging and Labelling
  • Chapter 7 - Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures
  • Consultation on Section 92
  • Decisions: Meat and Poultry
  • Meat Cuts Manual
  • Retail Food: Information Bulletins
• Federal/Provincial/Territorial Interprovincial Meat Trade Pilot Project
• Reference Listing of Accepted Construction Materials, Packaged Materials and Non-Food Chemical Products

Additional government and industry information can be found at:

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Red Meat Market Information
• Canada Beef Export Federation
• Canadian Meat Council
• Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council
• Further Poultry Processors Association of Canada
• Health Canada - Antimicrobial Resistance Policy Development
• Provincially Registered Meat Establishments