New Food Safety Regime Signals Opportunity for Canada’s Fish and Seafood Sector

New Food Safety Regime Signals Opportunity for Canada’s Fish and Seafood Sector


OTTAWA, ON: New rules which modernize Canada’s food safety regime are an opportunity for Canada’s fish and seafood sector to expand exports. Launched by the Canada Food Inspection Agency, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) which came into effect today are designed to make Canada’s food safety system safer, benefiting Canadians, but also burnishing the country’s international reputation as a trusted supplier of safe and high-quality fish and seafood.

“Canadians already have one of the strongest most modern food safety regimes in the world. However, the speed, volume and complexity of food production present new risks and challenges – including new threats to food safety, changing consumer preferences and prevention-focused international standards,” says Paul Lansbergen, President of the Fisheries Council of Canada. “For an internationally competitive and export driven sector like fish and seafood, it’s crucial to respond to these challenges by maintaining Canada’s reputation as a world leader in food safety.”

The new Safe Food for Canadians Regulations are the product of collaboration between federal regulators, business and food safety experts and will make Canada’s food system even safer by focusing on prevention and traceability—allowing for faster removal of unsafe food from the marketplace. At the same time, SFCR is intended to streamline the licensing process and reduce redtape by replacing 14 sets of regulations with one, to help maintain and grow market access.

“In November 2018, FCC launched a national brand Canadian Seafood to promote the sector’s key attributes. Having a modern, reliable and trusted food safety regime is one of those key attributes— it’s one of the reasons we’ll stay ahead of the pack because it instills confidence in the Canadian brand,” says Lansbergen. “None of the other compelling reasons for buying Canadian seafood would matter if customers didn’t have faith in the quality or safety of our products. SFCR, builds on our past success in food safety and positions Canada well for the future.”

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) is the voice of Canada’s fish and seafood industry, promoting a healthy resource and prosperous industry playing a vital role in the Canadian economy. Our members include small, medium and larger-sized companies along with Indigenous enterprises that harvest and process fish from Canada’s three oceans and inland waters.


For more information please contact:
Clarke Cross, Director, Policy and Regulatory Affairs

 

January 15, 2019 – Press Release:  New Food Safety Regime Signals Opportunity for Canada’s Fish and Seafood Sector

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