OTTAWA, Ontario – The Canadian government is requesting public comment on its new Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. The regulations put a greater emphasis on preventing food safety risks for all foods imported into Canada or sold across provinces, as well as protecting food being exported out of the country. The 90-day comment period closes on April 21.

The Safe Food for Canadians Act passed in Parliament in 2012. The proposed regulations will help bring the Act into force. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has consulted stakeholders on this initiative since 2013, including working with small businesses in 2015.

With these regulations, food businesses would have preventive controls in place that would help identify and manage food safety risks before the food is sold to consumers. As a result, this would help reduce the time it takes to remove unsafe food from the marketplace.

The proposed regulations would consolidate 14 sets of existing regulations into one.

During the comment period consumers and businesses can learn more about key elements of the proposal and how it will affect them through informational videos, interactive tools, fact sheets, templates and a handbook. In addition, during the 90-day consultation period, the CFIA will host a series of webinars and information sessions across Canada. Register online at inspection.gc.ca/safefood.