Proposed Safe Food for Canadians Regulations

 
  Spring 2017 - Acquiring Financial Capital
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 Proposed Safe Food For Canadians Regulations
Questions and Answers

The proposed Safe Food For Canadians Regulations (SFCR) may impact your farm direct operation. As the SFCR are still in consultation phase, the following information could change before the proposed regulations become law.

For full details on the proposed changes and how they may affect your business, read our special food regulations issue, published in March 2017, complete the online tools and register your concerns before April 21.

1. Will Alberta farm direct vendors who sell only within Alberta have to be licensed?

A licence is not required if you only sell food products within Alberta.

2. Who needs a licence?

A licence is required by everyone who:

• imports food

• manufactures, processes, treats, preserves, grades, packages, or labels food for export or to be traded inter-provincially

• requests an export certificate

• slaughters food animals for export or to be traded inter-provincially

Use the Would You Need a Licence Tool to determine whether or not you would be required to have a licence.

3. What would a licence cost?

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is reviewing its service standards and fees to verify they are in line with the actual cost of delivering the services and treating all industry sectors equally. Before the CFIA changes any of its service standards or fees, it will consult with stakeholders.

4. What is a preventive control plan (PCP)?

A preventive controls plan is a written plan that demonstrates how hazards and risks to your food products are identified and eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level.

5. What is required for Alberta farmers’ market vendors to sell pickled carrots, pickled eggs, fruit pies, breads, cereal mixes, fruit vinegars, homemade pasta or egg noodles, dried saskatoons, flavoured honey, pea butter, beef jerky or fudge at neighbouring farmers’ markets in B.C. or Saskatchewan?

They would require a license. They would also require a preventive controls plan (PCP) unless the proposed exemption for micro businesses with $30,000 or less in gross annual food sales applies.

In addition, the traceability requirements would apply. CFIA suggests using the online traceability tool to determine your requirements.

6. Will vegetable CSA box program operators be able to offer pickup locations in neighbouring provinces? (e.g. can a market gardener near Grande Prairie, AB have a drop off location in Dawson Creek, B.C.)?

A license is not required to grow and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables to be sent from one province to another. However, if you package them in the field, you will need a licence to package them. The operator would require a preventive controls plan (PCP) unless the proposed exemption for micro businesses with $30,000 or less in gross annual food sales applies.

Note: In this example the CSA box includes only fresh fruits and vegetables and no other foods such as jams, jellies, pickles, meat, eggs, etc.

7. What’s involved in terms of inspection requirements?

Inspection requirements are to be determined and will be based on risk.

8. Will farmers’ market vendors moving into selling at specialty retail stores need a one-step-back traceability plan?

Only the retailer would require a one-step-back traceability plan.

If you would like to provide feedback about the proposed regulations, visit the CFIA website and click on the Have Your Say button.

 
 
 
 
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For more information about the content of this document, contact Eileen Kotowich.
This information published to the web on March 31, 2017.
Last Reviewed/Revised on April 3, 2017.