The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is updating the Annex 1 questionnaire, which is used to evaluate foreign facilities that export pet food, treats, and compound chews to Canada using import permits.
The new Annex 1 will be published on June 20, 2024, replacing the old Annex 1 which is currently published on the external website. There will be a 12 month transition period, so facilities with an existing old Annex 1 will not need to provide the new Annex 1 until their old Annex 1 reaches its expiry date.
There are several changes to the Annex 1, which are summarized below.
Official veterinarian must stamp each page in the Annex 1 package
Currently, the CFIA receives some Annex 1 packages where information (such as ingredient lists, or cleaning and segregation procedures) are provided in a separate document, which is not stamped by the foreign official veterinarian. This makes it unclear whether the official veterinarian has reviewed these documents. The new Annex 1 specifically states that every page must be stamped by the official veterinarian.
Ingredients present in the facility must be listed separately from ingredients present in items for export to Canada
There will be two lists of ingredients, which will reduce confusion about which ingredients are being exported to Canada.
Official veterinarian must confirm the effectiveness of the procedures of the facility
The new Annex 1 requires that the official veterinarian attest whether the segregation and cleaning protocols for the facility are being implemented effectively.
We hope this information is helpful to you and will help you to prepare for these upcoming changes. If you have any questions about these changes, please contact the Animal Products and By-Products import inbox at APABPImport@inspection.gc.ca.
For routine inquiries, your local CFIA office continues to be your first point of contact.