In four months food businesses may need a licence to import, export or send food across provincial and territorial borders. They may also need a preventive control plan and traceability records.
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations will make our food system even safer by focusing on prevention and allowing for faster removal of unsafe food from the marketplace. They will reduce unnecessary administrative burden on businesses by replacing 14 sets of regulations with one, and will help maintain and grow market access for Canada’s agri-food and agricultural sector.
The new consolidated regulations will require food businesses that import or prepare food for export or to be sent across provincial or territorial borders to have licences, as well as preventive controls that outline steps to address potential risks to food safety. They will also help reduce the time it takes to remove unsafe food from the marketplace by requiring businesses to trace their food back to their supplier and forward to whom they sold their products.
Find out what requirements will apply to your business when the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations come into force on January 15, 2019. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has interactive tools and timelines to help you.
Services and information include:
Licensing – Find out if your food business will need a licence, when and how to apply and other related information.
General food requirements and guidance – Businesses that import or prepare food for export or to be sent across provincial or territorial borders must meet new requirements.
Food imports – Importers will require a licence under the new consolidated regulations. Find out what other requirements apply to importers.
Labelling, standards of identity and grades – Learn about requirements for labelling, standards and grades.
Timelines – Find out when the new requirements will apply to your business
Toolkit for businesses – Use our interactive tools and other resources to see how and when new requirements will apply to your business and what you need to do.
Food-specific requirements and guidance – In addition to general requirements, other requirements apply to specific foods.
Food exports – Businesses that prepare food for export or that require an export certificate will need a licence. Find out what other requirements apply to exporters.
Regulatory compliance – Learn more about compliance and inspection.
Sign up for My CFIA now so you can apply for the licence when it becomes available: inspection.gc.ca/MyCFIA.