Harper Government Invests More Than $30 Million to Further Enhance Food Safety

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Canadian Food Inspection Agency Apr 14, 2015

Canada strengthening its ability to anticipate, detect and respond to food safety risks

Today, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport underlined the importance of World Health Day and its food safety theme for 2015 by announcing an investment of $30.7 million for the establishment of the Food Safety Information Network (FSIN).

The FSIN will help connect federal and provincial food safety laboratories and regulators across the country. This new network will help rapidly identify, mobilize and coordinate laboratory surge capacity and capabilities during complex food safety incidents and emergencies; allow near-real time sharing, organization and analysis of food safety information across the country to inform more preventive and timely risk management decisions; and improve Canada's ability to effectively anticipate and detect routine foodborne threats.

The FSIN is a collaborative initiative developed by the federal government with the provinces and territories. Federal partners include the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The FSIN will be implemented incrementally over five years, linking federal and provincial food safety establishments and accredited laboratories across the country.

Canadian consumers will benefit from the new Network through:

• Faster, more proactive food safety interventions;
• More preventive food safety programs and inspections to better protect consumers;
• Strengthened laboratory emergency response during food safety incidents and emergencies (which should speed-up recalls, for example); and
• Improved guidance on reducing food safety risks.

Minister Raitt was at CFIA's Greater Toronto Area Laboratory, accompanied by Roxanne James, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Centre and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orléans Royal Galipeau made the announcement at the CFIA's Ottawa Fallowfield Laboratory.

Quick Facts

• The FSIN will standardize food safety testing and leverage existing laboratory capacity.
• The FSIN will enhance Canada's ability to provide evidence of the integrity of Canada's food supply to trading partners.
• A 2014 Conference Board of Canada report ranking the food safety systems of 17 countries placed Canada at number one in the world along with Ireland.
• Budget 2014 committed $390 million to strengthen Canada's safe food system.

Quotes

"Our Government is committed to ensuring that Canadian families have confidence in the food they buy and eat. Everyone has a role to play in food safety. We are committed to working with all partners to ensure Canadians have access to healthy and safe food. Today's announcement of the Food Safety Information Network means better protection for the health and safety of Canadian families."

The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health

"As we mark World Health Day, our Government continues to invest and work collaboratively to strengthen food safety by sharing information and laboratory data. Today's investments mean near real-time sharing of food safety information and laboratory data allowing the Government to better manage emerging issues and respond to food safety incidents and emergencies. I am confident that food safety experts at the Greater Toronto Laboratory will be better connected and able to share their work with food safety authorities across Canada."

The Honourable Lisa Raitt
Minister of Transport

"The Government's investments in the Food Safety Information Network mean the food safety experts at the Ottawa Fallowfield Laboratory will be better connected and able to share their important work with laboratories across Canada."

Royal Galipeau,
Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orleans