ARCHIVED - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

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Minister's Message

As always, the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority of the Government of Canada. We are committed to delivering a strong and effective food inspection program, protecting the health of Canada’s plant and animal resource base as well as providing consumer protection so Canadians can have confidence in the foods they buy.

Maintaining an effective food safety system is a shared responsibility in which various levels of government, industry and even consumers must work together. The Agency works diligently in collaboration with other federal departments, provincial and municipal governments. While the goal is to proactively identify risks before problems occur, the reality is that the Agency must respond to unpredictable emergencies and continuously adapt to a constantly changing global environment.

Canadians expect their food products to be safe and reliable. This year the Government launched Canada’s Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan (FCSAP). This includes focusing efforts on enhancing regulatory compliance related to the safety of domestic and imported foods, as well as developing tougher more comprehensive food and product safety legislation.

In 2008–2009, the Government of Canada responded to a number of food safety investigations and recalls involving ready-to-eat meats, Salmonella in imported peanut butter products and pistachio nuts, melamine in imported milk products and several E. coli incidents. In response to the tragic listeriosis outbreak this year, we worked with other federal and provincial authorities to notify the public and recall potentially affected products. As part of the investigation into the outbreak, the Agency released detailed Lessons Learned Reports, and participated in the Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food on Food Safety, to identify areas for improving our system.

Those lessons learned are being acted upon. The Agency has already started to make important changes to the way we respond to foodborne illness outbreaks; this included immediately implementing mandatory requirements that increase the level of testing in ready-to-eat meats by both the CFIA and industry.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed an Independent Investigator to look into last summer’s recalls. In July 2009, Ms. Sheila Weatherill delivered a comprehensive report with detailed recommendations that outline a path forward. In response, the Government has committed to moving forward on all 57 recommendations and is already working to implement further improvements to our food safety system.

As Minister responsible for the CFIA, I am pleased to submit this performance report, which illustrates how the Agency continues to work to fulfill our Government’s commitment to improve and protect the health and well being of Canadians.

Management Representation Statement for Performance Information

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) 2008-2009 Performance Report for the year ending March 31st, 2009 was prepared under the direction of the President and the Senior Management Committee of the CFIA and approved by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Wheat Board. In accordance with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act, the report also includes an assessment of the fairness and reliability of the performance information conducted by the Auditor General of Canada.

I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2008–2009 Performance Report for the CFIA.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the Estimates: 2009-10 Reports on Plans and Priorities and 2008-09 Departmental Performance Reports:

• It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) guidance;
• It is based on the Agency’s Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity Architecture (PAA) that were approved by the Treasury Board;
• It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable information;
• It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
• It reports finances based on approved numbers from the Estimates and the Public Accounts of Canada.

Carole Swan
President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Section I – Agency Overview

1.1 Raison d’être

As Canada’s largest science-based regulatory agency, the CFIA is committed to fulfilling its mission of safeguarding food, animals and plants. With approximately 7,000 employees, the Agency’s goal is to contribute to and enhance the health and well-being of Canada’s people, environment and economy.

The CFIA’s activities are aimed at protecting Canadian and international consumers, thereby benefiting farmers, fishers, foresters, processors and distributors (including importers and exporters).

1.2 Responsibilities

The CFIA enforces 13 federal statutes and 43 sets of regulations that govern the safety and nutritional quality of all food sold in Canada and that support a sustainable plant and animal resource base. The Agency’s activities include verifying industry compliance; registering and inspecting establishments; and testing food, animals, plants and their related products.

The CFIA shares many areas of responsibility with other federal departments and agencies; provincial, territorial and municipal authorities; and other stakeholders. Working within this complex operating environment, the Agency collaborates with its partners to implement food safety measures; manage food, animal and plant risks and emergencies; and promote the development of food safety and disease control systems to maintain the safety of Canada’s high-quality agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries, and agri-food products.

This complex operating environment is also affected by the evolution of science and technology, new business and production practices, growth in trade volumes with goods sourced from a greater diversity of markets, changing consumer demands driven by demographic and social trends, and higher international standards. These factors have led to an increase in the complexity of the risks which need to be mitigated by the CFIA and have placed greater demands on the Agency’s inspection and certification efforts.

1.3 Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity Architecture

The CFIA’s PAA is a component of its Management, Resources and Results Structure (MRRS), which forms part of the Whole of Government Framework for a common, government-wide approach to the collection, management and reporting of financial and non-financial information. To effectively deliver on its responsibilities, the CFIA aims to achieve three strategic outcomes¹. As noted in the 2008-09 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), the Agency’s PAA has changed from 2007-08. The current PAA, shown in Figure 1, illustrates the alignment of the Agency’s strategic outcomes with those of the Government of Canada (GoC) and reflects how the Agency plans to allocate and manage its resources in order to achieve the corresponding expected results.

Figure 1: The CFIA’s Program Activity Architecture

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1.4 Performance Summary

1.4.1 Expenditure Profile

1.4.1.1 Comparison of Planned versus Actual Spending

2008-09 Financial Resources ($ millions)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
605.3	697.0	645.5

For 2008-09, the variance between Planned Spending and Total Authorities was, in part, due to extra funding received for new program initiatives such as the FCSAP and extended program initiatives such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The variance also includes extra funding received for collective bargaining and increases in statutory items such as statutory compensation and the employee benefit plan. The variance between Actual Spending and Total Authorities was mainly the result of frozen allotments² and a “start-up” year for the CFIA in the implementation of the FCSAP.

2008-09 Human Resources (FTEs³)

Planned	Actual	Difference
6,294	6,489	(195)4

The variance between Planned and Actual Human Resources is attributed to the implementation of the FCSAP during the fiscal year, along with increased staffing activity for front line inspection services.

1.4.1.2 Voted and Statutory Items

Vote # or Statutory Item (S)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	2006-07 ($ millions) Actual Spending	2007-08 ($ millions) Actual Spending	2008-09 ($ millions) Main Estimates	2008-09 ($ millions) Actual Spending
30	Operating Expenditures and Contributions	530.5	573.6	471.9	524.6
35	Capital Expenditures	21.4	22.3	34.7	26.1
(S)	Compensation Payments under the Health of Animals Act and the Plant Protection Act	3.8	10.6	1.5	20.5
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	64.6	74.1	67.5	73.5
(S)	Spending of proceeds from the disposal of surplus Crown assets	0.3	0.7	0.0	0.8
Total		620.6	681.3	575.6	645.5

The decrease in Actual Spending from 2007-08 to 2008-09 within the Operating Expenditures and Contributions Vote was mainly a result of the following: the 2007-08 settlement of one-time retroactive payments resulting from the reclassification of meat inspector positions and frozen allotments in 2008-09. The overall decrease was partially offset by increased expenditures in 2008-09 resulting from the first year of implementation of the FCSAP.

The increase in Actual Spending within the Capital Expenditures Vote from 2007-08 to 2008-09 is attributed to FCSAP funding received in 2008-09. The increase in Statutory Compensation Payments from 2007-08 to 2008-09 largely pertains to increased expenditures related to Chronic Wasting Disease and Sudden Oak Death.

1.4.1.3 Spending and CFIA Population Trend

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The CFIA’s spending steadily increased from 2004-05 to 2007-08 mainly due to incremental resources received for BSE, Avian and Pandemic Influenza (AI), the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Strategy, the National Aquatic Animal Health Program (NAAHP) and collective bargaining allocations. However, in 2008-09, spending decreased over the previous fiscal year largely on account of an increase in frozen allotments and non-recurring spending in 2007-08 for settlement of the reclassification of meat inspector positions. These reductions were partly offset by new FCSAP spending.

The CFIA's population including inspection staff and inspectors and field inspection staff steadily increased from 2004 to 2009

1.4.2 Performance Summary Tables

Table 1–1: Linking Performance to Strategic Outcome 1

Strategic Outcome 1: Public health risks associated with the food supply and transmission of animal diseases to humans are minimized and managed

Program Activity	Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes5
Food Safety and Nutrition Risks	Healthy Canadians
Zoonotic Risks6	Healthy Canadians
Performance 2008-097 In collaboration with its partners, the CFIA has improved inspection procedures, enhanced emergency preparedness and response and promoted public awareness in order to minimize and manage public health risks associated with the food supply. The Agency continued to advance its surveillance, detection and control activities in order to minimize and manage risks associated with the transmission of animal diseases to humans.

Program Activity	2007-08 Actual Spending8 ($ millions)	2008-099 ($ millions)
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Food Safety and Nutrition Risks	291.310	236.8	260.9	289.6	281.0
Zoonotic Risks	95.6	124.3	126.1	149.7	99.3
Total	386.9	361.1	387.0	439.3	380.3

Table 1–2: Linking Performance to Strategic Outcome 2

Strategic Outcome 2: A safe and sustainable plant and animal resource base

Program Activity	Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
Animal Health Risks and Production Systems	Strong Economic Growth
Plant Health Risks and Production Systems	A Clean and Healthy Environment
Biodiversity Protection	A Clean and Healthy Environment
Performance 2008-09 In collaboration with its partners, the CFIA has improved animal disease and plant pest surveillance and detection activities and enhanced plant and plant products risk assessments, thereby contributing to a safe and sustainable plant and animal resource base. The Agency remains faced with the challenge of a higher number of high risk pathways for plant pests and continues to take steps to address this issue.

Program Activity	2007-08 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2008-0911 ($ millions)
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Animal Health Risks and Production Systems	121.2	73.6	74.7	88.7	100.0
Plant Health Risks and Production Systems	82.3	77.6	79.0	95.7	91.4
Biodiversity Protection	13.1	14.5	14.8	16.0	15.1
Total	216.6	165.7	168.5	200.4	206.5

Table 1–3: Linking Performance to Strategic Outcome 3

Strategic Outcome 3: Contributes to consumer protection and market access based on the application of science and standards

Program Activity	Alignment to Government of Canada Outcomes
Integrated Regulatory Frameworks	A Fair and Secure Marketplace
Domestic and International Market Access	A Prosperous Canada Through Global Commerce
Performance 2008-09 The CFIA has taken steps to protect consumers and the marketplace from unfair practices and to improve market access, thereby ensuring that the Agency contributes to consumer protection and market access based on the application of science and standards. While the Agency has continued to modernize its legislative and regulatory framework, ongoing work in this area is needed.

Program Activity	2007-08 Actual Spending ($ millions)	2008-0912 ($ millions)
		Main Estimates	Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
Integrated Regulatory Frameworks	32.9	19.1	19.5	21.6	21.1
Domestic and International Market Access	44.9	29.7	30.3	35.7	37.6
Total	77.8	48.8	49.8	57.3	58.7

1.4.3 Contribution of Priorities to Strategic Outcomes

For 2008-09, the CFIA established five priorities to guide the management of resources towards achieving its strategic outcomes. The Agency’s performance with respect to achieving these priorities is summarized below. Section II elaborates in detail performance by strategic outcome (SO).

Table 1–4: Summary of Performance by Operational Priority

Operational Priorities	Type	Status	Linkages to SO(s)
Enhancing regulatory compliance, with a focus on safety of domestic and imported food	Ongoing	Partially met* In support of this priority, the CFIA undertook the following: Advanced work in support of Canada’s FCSAP, a comprehensive and integrated strategy of active prevention, targeted oversight and rapid response. In response to the listeriosis outbreak in 2008, improved testing and reporting requirements, enforcement procedures, laboratory processes and relationships with international partners to mitigate food safety risks. Developed the Food Safety Research Plan, which has resulted in the development of more sensitive testing methodologies and a reduction of analysis time, thus facilitating better decision-making for food safety Established plans to improve regulatory compliance through the continued implementation of the Compliance Verification System (CVS), enhanced capacity to anticipate and respond to food safety incidents, and improved surveillance activities related to food imports.	SO 1: Public health risks associated with the food supply and transmission of animal diseases to humans is minimized and managed
Strengthening preparedness to mitigate and respond to animal and plant diseases and pests	Ongoing	Partially met* In support of this priority, the CFIA undertook the following: Continued to advance work under the Avian and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Strategy, contributing to an international exercise of the North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza. The Agency successfully responded to the AI outbreak in British Columbia in early 2009, with no reports of associated human illness. Continued to implement its comprehensive and integrated BSE program. In 2008, no part of the four confirmed BSE cases entered the human food supply or animal feed systems. Through the bolstering of the Canadian Veterinary Reserve (CVR), strengthened preparedness and rapid response capability to assist governments in responding to animal health emergencies. Established plans to maintain capacity for plant protection programs and address areas of high risk to manage the entry and spread of regulated animal and plant diseases.	SO 1: Public health risks associated with the food supply and transmission of animal diseases to humans is minimized and managed SO 2: A safe and sustainable plant and animal resource base
Improving the program and regulatory framework to support continued consumer protection and economic prosperity	Ongoing	Successfully met* In support of this priority, the CFIA undertook the following: Introduced revised Product of Canada and Made in Canada guidelines to enable consumers to make informed choices regarding the origin of food and food contents. Continued to strengthen and streamline regulatory frameworks to support enhanced compliance and minimize unnecessary regulatory burden, meeting its Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative (PBRI) target of a 20 per cent reduction in administrative burden imposed on small business. Continued to promote national and international alignment of regulations and enforcement, enhance import control activities and facilitate improved market access. Established plans to work with partners and stakeholders to improve coordination and the legislative and regulatory framework; undertake consumer protection activities, including outreach, enforcement and investigation; and provide technical solutions that support trade.	SO 3: Contributes to consumer protection and market access based on the application of science and standards

* The CFIA considers to have successfully met its expected results for each operational priority when progress has been made on all commitments outlined in the 2008–09 RPP and most (≥ 80 per cent) of the corresponding performance targets have been met where targets exist. For details on progress made against RPP commitments, please refer to the RPP Commitments Performance Table in Section 3.3.

Table 1–5: Summary of Performance by Management Priority

Management Priorities	Type	Status	Linkages to SO(s)
Implementing Human Resources Renewal	New	Successfully met* In support of this priority, the CFIA undertook the following: Made improvements in the areas of recruitment, retention, leadership development, learning and creating an enabling HR infrastructure. Performance highlights include the selection of the CFIA as one of the National Capital Region’s Top 25 Employers for 2009; exceeding workforce availability in three of the four employment equity groups; the creation and ongoing expansion of a fast-track staffing process; and, as the CFIA's flagship renewal initiative, the development and initiation of the HR Process Lab – a multi-year initiative to create a more risk-based and people-focused culture for managing human resources. Established plans to continue implementation of the CFIA Renewal Plan.	All SOs
Enhancing alignment and coordination within the Agency to better integrate risk management into effective policy development, program design and program delivery	Ongoing	Successfully met* In support of this priority, the CFIA undertook the following: In an effort to support integrated risk management practices, updated the Agency’s Corporate Risk Profile and developed mechanisms to support program risk profiling and the monitoring of risk management processes. Made progress to strengthen activities toward protecting Canadians from preventable health risks due to unsafe food, animals and plants through improved environmental scanning; enhanced detection methodologies, surveillance and emergency response protocols; improved governance of client business processess and data; provided safe food handling tips to the public; and applied science standards that help to facilitate market access at the international level. Established plans to further implement integrated management practices that support program and investment planning, decision-making and resource allocation.	All SOs

* The CFIA considers to have successfully met its expected results for each management priority when progress has been made on all commitments outlined in the 2008-09 RPP . For details on progress made against RPP commitments, please refer to the RPP Commitments Performance Table in Section 3.3.

1.5 Risk Analysis

Risk refers to the likelihood of an adverse outcome from a particular event and the extent of its consequences. Managing risk is a continuous, proactive process that involves environmental scanning, accurate risk assessments, the development of risk profiles and the integration of these activities into the decision-making process. For the CFIA, one of the more difficult aspects of risk management is that factors well outside the control and influence of the Agency can significantly affect its ability to manage its key risk areas. For example, changes in the global climate can affect the ability of certain plant pests to survive in environments that were previously outside of their range. This can lead to the introduction, establishment and spread of new plant pests, thereby affecting the sustainability of the plant resource base.

In response to this complex risk environment, the Agency has continued to integrate risk management into its program design, delivery and measurement frameworks in an effort to further encourage integrated risk management throughout the organization. This has improved effective risk assessment, management and communication skills at all levels of the organization and has resulted in an improved ability to make decisions that take into account both operational and strategic risks.

In 2008-09, the CFIA completed the update of its Corporate Risk Profile. Nine risk areas were identified that could affect the Agency’s ability to effectively deliver on its mandate. For each of the risk areas identified, the Agency put in place strategies to mitigate, reduce and manage risks where possible. For each strategic outcome in Section II, the Agency has identified, by program activity, the work undertaken to address the key risk areas. The following table outlines the CFIA’s key risk areas in 2008-09, examples of possible risk events and key initiatives aligned to each risk area.

Table 1–6: Summary of Risk Areas and Related Key Initiatives

Risk Area	Possible Risk Event	Key Initiatives
Foodborne Hazards	The CFIA and cooperating jurisdictions fail to detect, track and mitigate foodborne pathogens, toxins, chemical contaminants and other health hazards.	FCSAP Lessons Learned exercises following the listeriosis outbreak Good Importing Practices Meat Inspection—Continuous Improvements Public Security and Anti-Terrorism
Zoonotic Outbreaks/ Incidents	The CFIA is not able to detect and/or prevent the entry and/or spread of an animal disease transmissible to humans.	Avian and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Strategy Animal Health Foresight
Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases	The CFIA is not able to appropriately prevent, detect, contain and mitigate a pest or disease that threatens the plant and/or animal resource base.	CVR National Wildlife Disease Strategy Plant Health Program NAAHP Animal Health Program: Surveillance IAS Strategy Animal Biosecurity (prevention and containment)
Program Framework	The CFIA’s program and regulatory framework is insufficient to protect Canadian consumers and facilitate trade.	Cabinet Directive on Streamlining Regulation Aquatic Animal Health regulatory amendments Meat Inspection—Continuous Improvements Equivalency discussions/negotiations
Human Resources	The CFIA is unable to attract, develop and retain a human resource base with the necessary competencies to fully and effectively deliver on its mandate.	The CFIA Renewal Plan
Science and Technology Capacity	The CFIA’s scientific and/or technology capacity can not remain abreast of new scientific or regulatory developments.	Forestry Research Strategy Biotechnology Research Plan Food Safety Research Plan
Information for Decision-Making	Performance, analytical and scientific information is insufficiently compiled, focused and defined to support CFIA decision-making and reporting.	Performance Management Reporting Solution Enterprise and Operational Reporting Initiative Information Management Way Forward Advances to Performance Measurement Framework
Partnerships	The roles and responsibilities of key partners are insufficiently coordinated to support program delivery.	Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers-CFIA Committee Federal Food Safety Senior Managers Meeting Academic Advisory Panel Federal/Provincial/Territorial engagements
Internal Coordination	There is insufficient internal coordination to support program design and delivery.	Corporate Governance Review Planning and reporting integration
For detailed information on many of these key initiatives, please see Sections II and III.

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