The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has embarked on a change agenda designed to strengthen how food commodities are regulated in Canada. Initiatives include the new Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA), regulations to be made under the Act, and the Integrated Agency Inspection Model. The SFCA, when fully in force, establishes a modern legislative framework for food safety. Recognizing the challenging import environment, the SFCA significantly strengthens import oversight authorities and proposed SFCA regulations will require importers to be licensed, develop and maintain a preventive control plan and have a fixed place of business in Canada, except where the Minister has recognized a foreign system.

Canada currently uses a range of tools and approaches for import control, based on its legislative and regulatory framework, to target inspection resources and to verify compliance with requirements, in line with international rights and obligations. ...

As the CFIA modernizes its food safety regulatory system, it has an opportunity to make greater use of tools that could optimize its risk management activities for imports...

This final report is available on the CFIA website.