November 14, 2014 – Ottawa, ON - Canadian Food Inspection Agency
As part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) annual testing of various food products, a study released today found that more than 97 per cent of a wide variety of food samples tested met existing Health Canada standards for various chemicals.
The CFIA's National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program (NCRMP) tests foods of animal and plant origin for multiple chemical hazards, including pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues and environmental contaminants. Information obtained through this program allows the CFIA to identify violations and trends, and develop strategic plans to minimize potential health risks to Canadians.
When elevated levels of chemical residues are detected in food, they are assessed by Health Canada to determine if the product poses an unacceptable health risk. Follow-up actions may be taken by the CFIA based on the results of Health Canada's risk assessment. These actions may include notifying the producer or importer, additional inspections, further directed sampling, or product recall. None of the chemical residue levels detected were found to pose a safety concern to Canadians and no recalls were necessary.
This and other CFIA programs are part of ongoing testing to help keep the food safety system strong for Canadian families.
Michael Bolkenius
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Health
613-957-0200
Media Relations
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
613-773-6600
