Advocacy
Urgent Notice for All Safe Food for Canadians Licence-holders
In response to a significant rate of non-compliance by SFC Licence Holders to their regulatory obligations, CFIA has begun a new policy that could significantly impact your ability to do business.
To avoid issues renewing your licence and your ability to import or sell manufactured foods, we are recommending that you BEGIN YOUR LICENCE RENEWAL PROCESS 90 (NINETY) DAYS BEFORE EXPIRY.
CFIA has a new process in place where anyone who is applying for a new licence, is having a licence amended, or is renewing their licence MUST participate in a 30-minute interview prior to CFIA granting a licence renewal. Because of the sheer volume of work this new policy means for CFIA inspectors, CFIA has implemented a 70-day service standard. This means that it may take up to 70 days for your licence renewal, amendment, or new issue to happen. To date, CFIA has been unable to commit to a shorter or more transparent process.
Why is this so important? CFIA is expiring licences for businesses who do not get through the process in advance of the expiry date. Once a licence has expired, a new one must be applied for. All new applications are going through this interview process causing further delays to getting a validated CFIA SFC Licence.
As a consequence, some licence holders are now finding shipments are being held in customs at great cost, with no guarantees from CFIA when a new licence will be successfully issued to the licence holder. In theory, this means that containers could be stuck in customs for UP TO 70 days. For importers supplying Canada’s large retailers this delay can have a second financial consequence – fees and fines from the retailers and even the loss of shelf space if the product delays are long enough.
We have reached out to CFIA, IE Canada, and the Baking Association of Canada to see if we can find a reasonable solution to the issues, ensuring the flow of safe goods while businesses deal with the unexpected delays for renewal. CFIA has indicated the team is reviewing the issues – we will keep you posted should we hear from them.
Federal
Effective immediately–Suspension of exports of pet food-China
Please note that, effective immediately, no export certificates for pet food to China (HA2756) are to be signed. This certificate has been suspended until further notice. Shipments currently en route to China should be accepted without issue. Should any shipments be refused upon arrival in China, please inform the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) as soon as possible. We will keep you informed of any developments as the situation evolves.
If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact your local CFIA office.
Kraft Heinz to invest $250M in Montreal factory – Food In CanadaFood In Canada
Kraft Heinz Canada sets aside $250 million to modernize its Mont Royal factory in Montreal. The funds will be used to upgrade key plant systems, improve efficiency and make operations more sustainable.
Employers and employer representatives, unions and employee groups and other key stakeholders will be asked to provide feedback on measures to strengthen labour relations and ensure workers are better protected and supported.
Provincial
The final provisions of Law 59 and the Regulation respecting prevention and participation mechanisms in an establishment (the “Regulation”) have been in force since October 1, 2025, ending the “interim regime” and imposing new occupational health and safety obligations on Québec employers. As several months have passed since then, an update should be provided on the status of the implementation of these obligations.
By investing in world-class infrastructure, we’re helping local companies scale, create good jobs and bring made-in-B.C. innovations to patients and markets around the world,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “These wet labs provide the space and equipment companies need to move from research to commercialization, helping to propel them forward and cement B.C. ‘s position as a hub and leader in life sciences, and that’s exactly what our Look West strategy is built to do.”
Ontario Strengthening Worker Safety with New Mine Rescue Training Institute | Ontario Newsroom
The Ontario government supports the $125 million investment through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to build a new, state-of-the-art Ontario Mine Rescue Training Institute in Sudbury.
USA
USDA Office of Seafood targets easier access to programs | MEAT+POULTRY
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the creation of the new Office of Seafood.
The agency said that this first of its kind office will prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers and processors to access USDA programs.
A research team led by Purdue University, with partners Entomol and 1,4Group, has been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to evaluate a novel antiviral fogging technology to combat high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which remains a serious threat to poultry health and the global food supply.
The FDA is releasing data from a sampling assignment in 2025 that tested domestic and imported honey for economically motivated adulteration, also known as food fraud.
International
Global Survey Highlights Gaps and Opportunities in Food Safety Training | Food Safety Magazine
A newly released global survey on food safety training found that, while some improvements have been made since 2024, significant gaps remain in training practices, technology adoption, and program effectiveness across the food and beverage industry.
Sustainable Fertilizer Practice Causes Increased Cadmium in Rice, Study Shows | Food Safety Magazine
A new study led by Wageningen University and Research has found that large-scale recycled manure use can lead to the accumulation of cadmium in soil, which is then taken up by rice crops, affecting food safety.
The findings were published in Nature Food. Researchers from China Agricultural University joined as collaborators on the project.
Iran war disrupts food supply chains as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens
What started as an energy shock is fast becoming a food crisis, with stranded cargoes and fertiliser shortages threatening global supply chains
EU Sustainable Supply Chains Coalition created, includes Nestlé, Hershey, Mars
Nestlé, Barry Callebaut, the RSPO and Rainforest Alliance will all take part
Safety Share
Healthy home guide – Canada.ca
Every day, we are exposed to chemicals and pollutants in the air, water, soil, food and products we use in our home. Here are some tips on how to help protect yourself and those around you.
Events
CFIN’s latest report, Building Resilient Food Supply Chains Through Canadian Innovation, maps those vulnerabilities and profiles the Canadian companies building commercially validated solutions to address them. In this webinar, we’ll unpack the report’s findings with the operators and innovators deploying these solutions across the sector.
Inscriptions visiteurs | SIAL Canada
Registration for SIAL Canada 2026 is now open!
Join us from April 29 to May 1 at North America’s leading trade show dedicated to the agri-food industry
Food Safety Virtual Training Courses Presented by National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)
The Food Safety Excellence program provides Ontario meat processors with access to free, National Sanitation Foundation (NSF)-delivered food safety courses designed to build confidence, strengthen food safety systems and support continuous improvement. Each session is instructor-led and each attendee will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
Eligibility: Free training is available only to provincially licensed meat plants in Ontario.
April 21-22, 2026 & April 28-29, 2026
This course is designed for processors who want to build, implement and maintain a robust HACCP-based food safety system aligned with Codex and GFSI expectations.
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