This year, World Food Safety Day falls on Friday, June 7
The World Health Organization is focusing this year’s theme on the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents, no matter how mild or severe they can be.
The team at SNI recognizes the importance of food safety plans and preventing potential food safety incidents during all steps in the supply chain.
Both Canada and the US have regulations in place to ensure brand owners, manufacturers, and importers adhere to strict food safety controls, in order to protect consumers.
In Canada, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) defines requirements related to:
1.
Licensing: Importers, exporters, and certain domestic businesses must have a Safe Food for Canadians License.
2.
Preventive Controls: Requirements for food safety plans, including hazard analysis and preventive control plans.
3.
Traceability: Businesses must be able to trace products one step forward and one step back in the supply chain.
4.
Recalls and Complaints: Procedures for managing recalls and handling consumer complaints.
In the US, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) sets requirements such as:
Preventive Controls: Mandatory preventive controls for food facilities, including hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls (HARPC).
Produce Safety: Standards for growing, harvesting, packing, and holding produce.
Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP): Importers must verify that foreign suppliers meet U.S. safety standards.
Accredited Third-Party Certification: Certification of foreign food facilities to ensure compliance with U.S. standards.
Both countries emphasize rigorous preventive controls, traceability, and clear procedures for managing recalls to protect public health.
Last month, our team wrote three blogs related to food safety and impacts on consumers, check them out here:
If you have questions about what this all means for your company, reach out to our experts today!
