How Changes to Food Safety Laws and Regulations Will Affect Your Business

In 2015 the Safe Food for Canadians Act will come into force and new regulations will follow. The Safe Food for Canadians Act and regulations (together the “SFCA”) will consolidate a number of existing food laws administered and enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), supplementing and eventually replacing the Fish Inspection Act, the Canada Agricultural Products Act, the Meat Inspection Act, and the food provisions of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act.

In the fall of 2014, it is expected that the PEI Government will pass new Food Premises Regulations (FPR’s) under the Public Health Act. This is the first major review of food premises food safety rules since 1979. The Department of Health and Wellness has said that the objectives of the new FPR’s are to ensure that PEI’s food safety requirements meet national standards and give regulators the authority they need to ensure compliance. The new FPR’s have been published by the Department in draft form as part of the consultation phase.