Consultation on Proposed Joint Policy Statement on Food Labelling Coordination

From: Health Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Why

Industry stakeholders have expressed a need for improved coordination of changes to food label requirements to reduce the economic burden associated with multiple, sequential label changes.

In the 2019 Agri-food and Aquaculture Sectoral Regulatory Review Roadmap, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) committed, with support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), to develop a strategy for coordinating future changes to food labelling requirements.

What

A joint policy statement has been developed for consultation. The policy proposes to implement the following:

• Fixed compliance dates every two years
• An interdepartmental labelling coordination process

The policy would apply to regulatory amendments enacted under the Food and Drugs Act or the Safe Food for Canadians Act that mandate a food label change. Changes that address serious consumer deception or acute risks to health and safety would not be subject to the policy.

To request a copy of the proposed joint policy statement, email us at hc.bpiia-bpaii.sc@canada.ca. All feedback should be emailed to this same address.

Who

We are looking for feedback from all interested Canadians, including:

• Industry associations (e.g. manufacturers and processors)
• Agri-food companies
• Provincial and territorial partners
• Health researchers and advocates
• Consumer groups

When

This consultation will be open for 60 days, from February 2 to April 3, 2021.

Contact Information

For any questions, please contact hc.bpiia-bpaii.sc@canada.ca

For more information

• Food and Drugs Act
• Safe Food for Canadians Act
• Agri-food and Aquaculture Sectoral Regulatory Review Roadmap