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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has introduced new systems to help reduce the risk of the importation of food that is not fit for human consumption OR is at risk of introducing animal diseases into Canada. These changes include heightened inspections of small importers, with new processes for businesses applying for, or amending, a CFIA SFC Licence. As a result of these new processes, plan for significant delays in the issuance of new or amended licences.
In addition to more rigorous reviews during the application or amendment process, CFIA is also placing a great deal more emphasis on supply chain approval/supplier approval which means that importers must be able to show that the food they are importing was made as safely as if it had been made in Canada. CFIA’s preferred means to show this is through third-party certification to a global standard such as ISO or GFSI.
Why has CFIA been forced to shift from trusting licence application attestations to a more consequential regulatory approach?
There have been TWO recent major human and animal health incidents that have led to these changes.
The first incident, which has been well-communicated, is the issue of Salmonella in pistachios from Iran. So far there have been 178 outbreak cases confirmed in six provinces, twenty-five individuals have been hospitalized, while, fortunately, there have been no deaths. The investigation is ongoing and there continues to be a ban on importing pistachios from Iran.
The second incident has been slightly less well publicized but is, in some cases, potentially more significant than the pistachio issue. Not for human health but for hog farming in North America. A Vietnamese pork processor was discovered in 2025 to have used diseased pork meat to produce canned meat as well as pork-based spring rolls. The diseased pork had African Swine Fever virus in it. Some of this meat made it into Canada through illegal importation by a Canadian importer, possibly through the UK.
The risk with these products and African Swine Fever is strictly limited to pig health, not human health. Because there is no known way to vaccinate or otherwise treat hogs infected with African Swine Fever, North America’s only way to prevent it infecting hogs here is to exclude it from entry. This single importer could potentially have caused a significant cull of pigs all over North America, similar to the one China underwent starting in 2018. China lost an estimated 27.9 million metric tons of its pork output to African Swine Fever https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details?pubid=107924
CFIA has suspended the licence for the importer responsible for importing this illegal meat product.
The decision was based on the following non-compliances:
· insufficient import controls,
· misdeclaration of goods traded internationally,
· and the importation of meat products from a non-approved country.
The move follows revelations that Halong Canfoco, the manufacturer of the canned pork products allegedly used pork infected with African swine fever as raw material for canned food production. This is adulteration for economic gain on a potentially disastrous outcome.
On September 8 last year, Hai Phong police discovered two trucks transporting 1,274.5 kilograms of pork of unknown origin that showed signs of spoilage and later tested positive for African swine fever.
Subsequent searches led authorities to seal four cold storage warehouses containing over 130 metric tons of frozen pork linked to Halong Canfoco, all of which were later destroyed.
On September 12, investigators launched criminal proceedings for violations of food safety regulations.
On December 24 the same year, investigators issued decisions to prosecute nine suspects for supplying and trading food originating from dead or sick pigs infected with African swine fever.
By January 10, the company’s CEO Truong Sy Toan and three quality control employees were arrested for their alleged roles in managing, storing, and using diseased pork in production.
The company annouced the cessation of its production in Hai Phong following this arrest.
From the contaminated meat, the company processed more than 1.7 tons of finished pate products, equivalent to around 14,000 cans, from September 6-7, 2025, police said.
Other products were also found to be contaminated, including more than 4,000 kg of spring rolls and over 3,000 kg of premium spring rolls testing positive for African swine fever virus.
African swine fever (ASF) is a serious viral disease of pigs that can cause fever, internal bleeding and high death rates. It is contagious and can spread between pigs through both direct and indirect contact with other infected pigs or pig products.
The virus can survive for several months in fresh pork and processed pork products, which can be a risk for transmitting disease.
There is no treatment or vaccine for ASF.
As an importer, be aware of your legal and regulatory obligations to import SAFE FOOD. Use only trusted suppliers who can provide you with current valid documents showing the manufacturer has food safety controls in place. Get those certificates of analysis for each lot shipped. Work with your distributors to get that communication link in place to ensure you receive those documents in a timely way. Make sure the food you import is tested for known risks for that food, preferably by a certified lab. If you can’t get that documentation, be prepared to take the risk to import, quarantine, test the food here, and release it only once it has been shown to be safe.
And understand that there are significant penalties – having a licence suspended or cancelled – as well as monetary fines. If, during a CFIA investigation CFIA discovers that fraud was intentional – and this includes using incorrect HS codes for fraudulent shipping purposes – in addition to monetary penalties, there could be criminal charges.
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This section includes information for products such as supplements, aromatherapy, hand sanitizers, traditional medicines, and homeopathic products.
While nearly all pet food sold in Canada is now exempt from registration, many special feeds and supplements for livestock require review and registration.
Ten days before selling any cosmetic in Canada, Health Canada must be notified. This notification process ensures they don’t contain harmful chemicals.
Canada now has a new system that ALL importers must register with – the CARM portal. We can help you set up your CARM account.
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