Forward Regulatory Plan 2023-2025: Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Modernize Food Regulations to Enable Innovative and Safe Foods for People in Canada)
Title of Regulatory Initiative
Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (Modernize Food Regulations to Enable Innovative and Safe Foods for People in Canada)
Enabling Act
Description
Health Canada is proposing amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations to modernize the regulation of food to encourage businesses to bring safe and innovative products to market in Canada.
The proposed amendments would:
- Create a regulatory framework to enable continued use of Human Milk Fortifiers (complete);
- Modernize the regulations for microbiological safety criteria and methods of analysis for timelier and more efficient revisions to respond to advancing science and technology;
- Streamline food additive rules; and
- Establish a new regulatory framework for foods supplemented to contain added ingredients like vitamins or caffeine to safely allow them on the Canadian market (complete).
These priority areas are the first steps to implement a modernized and redesigned architecture for the food regulations under the Act.
This regulatory initiative was identified by Health Canada in the Agri-food and Aquaculture Sector Regulatory Review Roadmap.
This regulatory initiative is associated with Health Canada's Regulatory Stock Review Plan.
This initiative is linked to the Health Canada / Canadian Food Inspection Agency Joint Policy Statement on Food Labelling Coordination.
Regulatory cooperation efforts (domestic and international)
This initiative is not part of a formal regulatory cooperation work plan.
This regulatory proposal would better align Canada's requirements with those of other jurisdictions where appropriate.
Potential impacts on people in Canada, including businesses
The proposed amendments would apply to businesses involved in the sale of regulated food products in Canada.
It is anticipated that the proposal would provide greater clarity and predictability for businesses to allow them to bring food products to market in a timely manner. This impact would in turn provide people in Canada with greater, faster access to safe and innovative food products.
Consultations
Heath Canada plans to pre-publish the proposed changes related to microbiological criteria for foods, scientific methods of analysis and food additives in the Canada Gazette, Part I in fall 2023. Stakeholder engagement was undertaken in October 2022, via webinars with targeted food industry stakeholders to provide an overview of the different areas of the Food and Drug Regulations which Health Canada is modernizing, the purpose of modernization and what the department is intending to accomplish specifically through the Part B Food Modernization proposal.
Health Canada published the changes related to supplemented foods in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on July 20, 2022. As per the Health Canada/Canadian Food Inspection Agency joint Policy Statement on Food Labelling Coordination, the compliance date for the supplemented food amendments is January 1, 2026.
Health Canada published the changes related to Human Milk Fortifiers in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on April 14, 2021.
Further information
Related information can be found on:
CFIA Forward Regulatory Plan: 2023 to 2025 - Canadian Food Inspection Agency (canada.ca)
Consultation Summary – Food and Nutrition Stakeholder Engagement Session, May 7, 2019
Event summary: Health Canada's 2021 stakeholder update on food and nutrition, May 6, 2021
Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations and the Cannabis Regulations (Supplemented Foods)
Additional information can be requested from the departmental contact.
Departmental contact information
Bruno Rodrigue
Executive Director
Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization
Policy, Planning and International Affairs Directorate
Health Products and Food Branch
Health Canada
Telephone: 613-321-4235
Email: lrm.consultations-mlr@hc-sc.gc.ca
Date the regulatory initiative was first included in the Forward Regulatory Plan
June 2019
Consult Health Canada's acts and regulations web page for:
- a list of acts and regulations administered by Health Canada
- further information on Health Canada's implementation of government-wide regulatory management initiatives
Consult the following for links to the Cabinet Directive on Regulation and supporting policies and guidance, and for information on government-wide regulatory initiatives implemented by departments and agencies across the Government of Canada:
To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit:
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