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.

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.

• Canada's Meat Inspection System
• Compliance Verification System (CVS)
• E. coli O157:H7 control in beef production

Food complaints, food safety investigations and food recalls

On average, the CFIA receives 2,000 reports from consumers concerning food safety issues each year.

On average, the CFIA conducts 3,000 food safety investigations each year. The goal of a food safety investigation is to determine whether a food safety hazard exists, assess the nature and extent of the issue, and take appropriate actions to eliminate or minimize potential risks to consumers.

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
• The Food Recall Process
• Food Recall Alerts
• Statistics: Consumer Food Safety Complaints
• Statistics: Food Safety Investigations
• Statistics: Food Recall Incidents