Newsletter – September 3, 2025

Advocacy

Various pistachio-containing products recalled due to Salmonella – Canada.ca
There is currently a very large recall on pistachios and pistachio-containing products.  It is ongoing and more products ae being added to the alert.
If your company is using or selling  pistachios or pistachio-containing products, you should reach out to your suppliers and check CFIA website to ensure that your ingredients or products are not part of this recall. 

Back-to-school hacks – Food Allergy Canada
Get the hacks and share!
Download and share these fun and useful #FoodAllergyHacks – back to school edition!

• Learn tips and tricks for managing food allergy at school with these #FoodAllergyHacks and share them on social media to drive food allergy awareness.
• Be sure to use the hashtag #FoodAllergyHacks when sharing on social media.
• Click on the images or buttons to download the hacks. The image will then open in a new window. To save the image, right-click the image and save them to your device.

Federal

Reports on food safety testing
Protecting consumers by safeguarding Canada’s food supply is one of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s top priorities. The Agency conducts sampling and testing to detect food hazards and verify that industry is meeting federal food safety requirements.
Check out the latest food safety testing reports:

Find more food safety testing reports on our website.

RCMP publishes updated Chemicals of Concern List
The chemical diversion coordination team of the Trans National Serious & Organized Crimes detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has updated their listing of chemicals that can be used to produce illicit drugs. Many of the listed chemicals are common to the CASE sector and are not currently regulated. The list also includes both Class A and Class B drug precursors as well as a the US Controlled Substances listing status. These lists can be useful in identifying which unregulated chemicals used at your facilities can be diverted through loss or theft to produce illicit drugs. Including these in your security and suspicious transaction training may be useful as organized criminal groups are now focusing on producing precursors using readily available commodity chemicals.

Sofina Foods plant likely source of legionnaires’ disease – Food In CanadaFood In Canada
Public health officials in London, Ont., have redeclared an outbreak of legionnaires’ disease after confirming 25 new cases and identifying the likely source of the bacteria.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit said Tuesday that testing at the Sofina Foods plant in the city’s east end found a match to the subtype of legionella bacteria linked to the outbreak.
Food products from Sofina Foods remain safe to eat, the health unit said, as legionnaires’ disease is spread when people breathe in small droplets of water containing the bacteria and it’s not transmitted through eating or drinking.

Canada Issues Tree Planting Update – Canada.ca
As of June 2025, Canada has signed or is negotiating tree-planting agreements with 11 provinces and territories, 58 Indigenous partners, 30 municipalities and 88 non-governmental organizations.
To date, over 228 million trees have been planted, representing important progress to protect crucial wildlife habitat, restore wildfire-impacted areas and sequester carbon.

PMRA Recent postings of consultations and decisions
The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for pesticide regulation in Canada. The public registry is where you can learn more about all pest control products registered for use in Canada.

• Streptomyces lydicus Strain WYEC 108 (RVD2025-05)  Decision Posted: August 28, 2025

Provincial

Clean water, less waste and more savings | alberta.ca
Alberta’s government is investing $10 million from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program to pilot two new technologies that will help Cardston and Peace River treat wastewater more efficiently and turn waste into clean energy. These projects will help save taxpayers money, reduce waste and create jobs.
 
Ontario Made Manufacturers
Proudly made in Ontario. Discover something new on the Ontario Made website – local manufacturers are constantly listing new products. Think you know what’s made in Ontario? Take another look, you might be surprised!
 
Canada Expands Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in British Columbia – Canada.ca
The investment will install more than 480 EV chargers along main travel routes, in public places, at workplaces and in multi-unit residential buildings.
This funding is delivered in collaboration with partners in provincial utilities and municipalities to improve access to charging stations for existing EV drivers and address range anxiety for Canadians considering purchasing an EV in the future. 

USA

CDC confirms cuts to program that tracks foodborne pathogens | Food Safety News
The CDC has officially confirmed that is no longer tracking six of eight pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses. In communication with Food Safety News a spokesperson with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the agency will only track Salmonella and shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) moving forward.
 
FSIS Data Analysis and Reporting: Public Health Regulations FY 2026 | Food Safety and Inspection Service
Public Health Regulations (PHRs) are verified regulations with statistically higher individual noncompliance rates in establishments in the 90 days prior to a microbiological positive or a public health-related enforcement action than in establishments with no positives or enforcement actions. This statistical association does not inherently imply that a particular regulation constitutes a more serious food safety concern but gives a statistical association to better align scheduling criteria and agency resources. PHRs are not the only important food safety and public health-related regulations; noncompliance with many other regulations are critical indicators of public health concern but may not be statistically associated with the outlined criteria.
Today, FSIS posted the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Public Health Regulations (PHR) report on how FSIS determines PHRs and their thresholds.
 
New US Front-of-Pack Labelling Rules – Potential Motivation for Fraud – News – FoodAuthenticity
New front-of-pack labelling requirements are being introduced in the US.  This will introduce a motivation for fraud which already exists in many other countries with similar compulsory traffic light systems: deliberately omitting or under-declaring a “bad” ingredient or additive in order to make the front-of-pack summary look “healthier”.
 
Keep the party going with these tips for safe holiday leftovers | Food Safety News
As Labor Day celebrations conclude today, Americans will be left with a bounty of leftovers from barbecues, picnics and other gatherings. From juicy burgers and grilled chicken to creamy potato salad and fruit platters, these remnants of the holiday can extend the festive spirit, if handled safely. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers essential guidelines to ensure your holiday leftovers remain free from harmful bacteria, keeping your family safe and the celebration alive.

International

UN Experts Say Food Safety, Nutrition are Two Sides of the Same Coin, Require Joint Response
During a three-day technical meeting in July, three United Nations (UN) organizations emphasized the need for a joint response to food safety and nutrition rather than addressing the issues independently.
In line with the Atoms4Food initiative launched in 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) convened experts from 14 countries in Vienna to explore the interconnected issues of foodborne hazards, food safety, and human nutrition.
 
EU Agri-Food Fraud Suspicion Reports – Rolling 3-Month Summary – News – FoodAuthenticity
FAN produces rolling 3-month graphical analysis, a little later than usual this month due to holiday. In order to show consistent trends we have excluded cases which appear to be unauthorised sale but no intent to mislead consumers of the content/ingredients of a food pack (e.g. unapproved food additives, novel foods), we have excluded unauthorised health claims on supplements, and we have excluded residues and contaminants above legal limits.  We have grouped the remaining incidents into crude categories.  Our analysis is subjective, intended only to give a high-level overview.
 
EU protects food standards in agreement with U.S. | Food Safety News
The European Commission said there is no question of negotiating on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) rules or standards, calling this area a “clear red line”.
 
Two jailed in meat diversion case | Food Safety News
Two men have been jailed and another two have received suspended prison sentences in England for diverting unfit meat back into the food chain.

Safety Share

The Canadian Product Safety Pledge, launched fall 2023, was created to help protect people in Canada from health and safety risks associated with consumer products and cosmetics purchased online. The first Canadian Product Safety Pledge Annual Report for 2023–2024 is now available. Our initial signatories, Amazon Canada and eBay Canada, demonstrated their commitment to advancing product safety in the digital economy by taking concrete steps to help keep consumers safe. Since the report was finalized, one new signatory, Temu, has joined the Canadian Product Safety Pledge – further reinforcing collective efforts to promote safer online marketplaces. We encourage more online marketplaces to join the Pledge and use its commitments as a best practice guide to help improve the safety of products sold online.

Events
 
Save the Date – FDA Virtual Public Meeting on Food Allergen Thresholds and Their Potential Applications
Dates:
• Virtual Presentations and Panel Discussions – November 18, 2025
• Virtual Listening Sessions – November 19-20, 2025
Event Overview:
The FDA will host a three-day, virtual public meeting from November 18-20, 2025, to discuss food allergen thresholds and their potential applications.
Additional meeting details and registration information will be provided in September 2025.

CARM: Did you Know?  Release Prior to Payment (RPP) Program

This short-form information session provides an overview of delegation of authority in the CARM Client Portal and the Release Prior to Payment (RPP) Program.  We will go over how to delegate authority to employees and third-party service providers, as well as financial security requirements and how to enroll in RPP.

Registration is required for this webinar. If you would like to listen to a recording of this webinar, it can be found on the CARM Google Drive.


CARM: Did you Know?  Registering on the CARM Client Portal

This podcast-style webinar offers a step-by-step overview of the process for setting up individual and business accounts in the CARM Client Portal, along with valuable trouble shooting tips. For anyone having difficulty onboarding to the CARM portal, this webinar is for you.

Registration is required for this webinar. If you would like to listen to a recording of this webinar, it can be found on the CARM Google Drive.

Collaborating on Food Safety Culture  | FDA
We are excited to announce the much-anticipated return of the FDA and Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness co-hosted Food Safety Culture Webinar Series.
We appreciate your patience during some scheduling changes and hope you will join us for the newly rescheduled events.
Webinar #1: How to Turn a Problem into an Opportunity
Wednesday, September 3, 12:00pm ET
Join us for seven interactive, hour-long webinars throughout the next year designed to deepen your knowledge and strengthen your commitment to food safety. Each session will feature industry experts who will share valuable insights, real-world tools and actionable strategies to enhance food safety culture across your organization.
Register to view the complete list of webinars and reserve your spot for the series.

Home | Mexico’s Food Retailers Landscape FREE Webinar September 23, 2025 11am EDT
Join the Government of Ontario for a free webinar to learn about the retail space in the Mexican market.  If you are interested in exploring new markets, this is an opportunity to learn about the Mexican market and the opportunities it offers to Ontario food and beverage manufacturers.    

Fully Funded Marketing Training for AgriFood & Innovation Sectors
You have another opportunity to access award-winning professional development—fully funded—through Growclass with its September 16, 2025, cohort. This 6-week online course is your chance to upskill, grow your business, and finish 2025 on a high note with support from Upskill Canada, powered by Palette Skills and the Government of Canada.

Program Value: $9,000 per person (funded in full)


Who’s it for?

• Small business owners managing growth, websites, and data.
• Marketers at all levels looking to upskill in AI, GA4, go-to-market strategies, and more.
• Professionals in innovation sectors who want to stay ahead of industry shifts.

Spots are limited—apply now: Apply Here.