CMC applauds new Safe Food for Canadians regulations

The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, administered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, came into force Tuesday.

Chris Nash, the Director of Regulatory Affairs with the Canadian Meat Council, says the new regulations bring consistency to the inspection of all foods in Canada.

Mr Nash says: "Pretty much all food companies now fall under this regulation.

"The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations is basically the combination of all the previous inspection regulations - meat inspection regulations, fish inspection and some other things are pulled into this one regulation now governing food safety in Canada. To some extent, importers and exporters of food are also included.

"The Canadian Meat Council has welcomed this regulation for a few different reasons: It helps with ensuring consistency and standardisation across different food commodity groups whereas before, meat companies were inspected under the meat inspection regulations and some other foods weren't fully inspected.

"We've supported this because it's also outcome based, meaning that a company has a little bit more flexibility on how to meet the regulation.

"This flexibility will allow for more innovation and can build efficiencies within the industry as well.

"The meat industry has always had a good relationship with CFIA. CMC especially has had a great relationship with CFIA and over the past six months we've worked well with them since the regulations were published and come into force."

Mr Nash says there was always over sight in one way or another but this brings it all together.

He says the CFIA is now looking at foods in the same way so consumers can be assured there's a high level of food safety protection for all foods across Canada.

As reported by Bruce Cochrane for Farmscape.ca