Consultation on Proposed Joint Policy Statement on Food Labelling Coordination
From: Health Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Current status: Closed
Opened on February 2, 2021 and will close to new input on April 3, 2021. Summary of public comments received on the draft joint policy statement
Why
Industry stakeholders have expressed a need for improved coordination of changes to food label requirements to reduce the economic burden associated with multiple, sequential label changes.
In the 2019 Agri-food and Aquaculture Sectoral Regulatory Review Roadmap, Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) committed, with support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), to develop a strategy for coordinating future changes to food labelling requirements.
What
A joint policy statement has been developed for consultation. The policy proposes to implement the following:
- Fixed compliance dates every two years
- An interdepartmental labelling coordination process
The policy would apply to regulatory amendments enacted under the Food and Drugs Act or the Safe Food for Canadians Act that mandate a food label change. Changes that address serious consumer deception or acute risks to health and safety would not be subject to the policy.
To request a copy of the proposed joint policy statement, email us at hc.bpiia-bpaii.sc@canada.ca. All feedback should be emailed to this same address.
Who
We are looking for feedback from all interested Canadians, including:
- Industry associations (e.g. manufacturers and processors)
- Agri-food companies
- Provincial and territorial partners
- Health researchers and advocates
- Consumer groups
When
This consultation will be open for 60 days, from February 2 to April 3, 2021.
Contact Information
For any questions, please contact hc.bpiia-bpaii.sc@canada.ca