…Canada's food safety regime is comprised of three federal authorities: Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, which report to the Minister of Health; and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which reports to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Today, we are taking an additional step to further strengthen food safety for Canadians. The CFIA has now joined Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada in reporting to the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health.
This reorganization will strengthen Canada's food safety system by bringing all three authorities responsible for food safety under one Minister. This will ensure clear focus, easy collaboration, and timely communication with Canadians when it comes to food safety. This change also further underscores the CFIA's commitment to food safety as a top priority.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food will continue to be responsible for the CFIA's non-food safety agricultural activities, including economic and trade issues, as well as important animal health and plant protection work. The CFIA will continue to support the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food in exercising these responsibilities and will ensure a continued focus on Government policies, programs, and services that will help drive the economic prosperity of Canada's agricultural sector…
This has been excerpted from 9 October 2013 news release by Health Canada, and is available in its entirety at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2013/2013-137-eng.php.