Canadian Government Releases Draft Model for Improved Food Inspection

OTTOWA, Canada - The Government of Canada released today its draft model for improving food inspection in Canada. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing a single approach to food inspection that will provide consistent and appropriate oversight across all regulated food commodities, either imported or produced domestically, the agency said.

"We have a world-class food safety system in Canada but we want it to be the best," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "A single inspection approach will make an even stronger system that will benefit all Canadians."

The draft food inspection model is based on feedback from discussions with inspectors and industry stakeholders as well as feedback on a recent discussion document called The Case for Change, which outlined the rationale for modernizing inspection.

This initiative is part of the commitment made by the Government of Canada in Budget 2011, which provided the CFIA with $100 million over five years to modernize food safety inspection in Canada. In addition to building a consistent inspection model, this investment is being used to provide better training and more modern tools to front line food inspectors as well as building additional capacity in CFIA laboratories, the agency said.

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