ARCHIVED - Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Supplementary Tables

Federally inspected boning establishments and slaughter establishments continue to be verified on-site and record reviews are performed by CFIA inspection staff to ensure that:

• Operators are following their written HACCP System related to the removal and control of Specified Risk Material (SRM)
• Effectiveness of Operator's written HACCP system to meet regulatory requirements related to the removal and control of SRM in boning establishments.

In the 2009-10 fiscal year, a compliance rate of over 99% has been achieved in over 5538 tasks delivered on the enforcement and verification of SRM removal.

Provincially inspected slaughter establishments continue to be verified on-site and record reviews are performed by CFIA inspection staff to ensure that the removal, segregation and disposal of SRM, are carried out to determine the adequacy of Provincial oversight regarding plant controls.

These reviews have been and will continue to be a crucial part in our ongoing efforts to strive for continuous improvements to the consistency and overall quality of our inspection verifications and related activities in non-registered provincial establishments.

Safe animal

1. Monitoring prevalence of BSE in Canada and assessing the effectiveness of the BSE control measures including the Feed Ban and imports controls
2. Analyzing options to redesign the BSE surveillance program and consulting with stakeholders to explore further targeting of surveillance.

The Canadian BSE surveillance program continues to be delivered in accordance with national and international / OIE guidelines.

• CFIA collected 34618 samples during the 2009-10 and triggered, in compliance with the national reimbursement program eligibility criteria, an approximately equivalent number of payments to eligible partners of the program including cattle producers, private veterinarians and dead stock collection operators.
• TSE Laboratories network completed the testing of 34618 received samples with a detection of one BSE case

The CFIA explored in a joint working group with Alberta government avenues to refine the program by having a more targeted surveillance focussed on sampling high risk category of animals

• Results of the Alberta BSE surveillance pilot continue to be periodically reviewed.
• Further analysis to be undertaken regarding the integration of certain factors into the remaining national program.

The CFIA conducted national training for clarification of sampling technique and maintenance of chain of evidence for samples.

Products imported into Canada meet Canadian standards. The CFIA reviews and updates current import policies and conditions for BSE as required in order to reflect changes to international standards and evolving science.

1. Update relevant import policies and procedural directives (by priority, minimum 25% per year) to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and CFIA domestic disease control; support market access by maintaining and improving Canada's animal health status and production of safe food, feed, fertilizer from imported animal origin ingredients
2. CFIA acceptance of OIE BSE disease categorization for trading countries: negligible risk, controlled risk or undetermined risk
3. Co-partnered risk evaluation on the manufacture process of gelatine from cattle hides sourced from controlled and undetermined risk for BSE countries

1. Revised BSE import policy (umbrella import policy) officially signed off by Health Canada partners, and Chief Veterinary Officer of CFIA. Submitted this to WTO for comments (2009) and implementation (2010)
2. Highly processed products directive revised and submitted to WTO. Implemented October 2009
3. Updated 25 percent of the procedural imports directives for precision and clarity; further updates continuing this year (2010-2011) more specifically combined the 5 different rendered and inedible products directives into one document by commodity type.
4. All of Terrestrial Animal Health Division, import section activities go towards supporting domestic disease control (EFB, 1997 FB) programs, aligning with international obligations, and advancing scientific knowledge, as well as supporting market access by maintaining Canada's domestic reputation for animal health.

Safe animals. Continue work on cattle identification enforcement activities, including verification at auctions and federally and provincially inspected abattoirs that cattle are identified with an official ear tag.

Federal abattoirs operators are routinely verified in order to meet the regulatory requirements for animal identification for cattle are received bearing an approved tag.

In the 2009-10 fiscal year, a compliance rate of over 99% has been achieved in over 1265 tasks delivered at federally inspected abattoirs on cattle identification enforcement activities.

The CFIA inspection staff continues to monitor and enforce the Canadian Livestock Identification program at auctions, dead stock collectors, farms and livestock operations, feedlots, provincial abattoirs, renderers and tag distributors, where:

9758 visits were performed and 1% of visits were reported as in violation (97% of cattle tagged)

The CFIA's animal identification program has performed extensive work on:

• training material developed for the implementation of compliance verification system (CVS) in the animal identification program;
• livestock traceability data sharing agreement has been signed between CFIA and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
• enhanced cattle traceability system implementation plan developed

Products exported from Canada meet requirements imposed by foreign countries. Continue the provision of export-related certification services to a wide range of affected industries.

The CFIA remains committed to promote an international regulatory framework to protect Canadian exporters from discriminatory and unnecessary barriers. The CFIA also leads or participates in a number of international and bilateral agreements. Consistent with its international regulatory cooperation framework, the CFIA maintains close relations with key foreign regulatory counterparts.

The CFIA, through on-going discussions with Singapore, has negotiated a partial lift of the ban on importation of Canadian beef and now Canadian boneless beef derived from animals aged less than thirty month can be exported to Singapore. Significant progress has been achieved with Hong Kong with regards to Canadian beef trade and most of restrictions have now been lifted. On-going communication and negotiation of export conditions allows for on-going trade and the potential of new markets for Canadian exporters.

Safe feed, fertilizer, animals and food. Continue the enforcement of enhanced feed ban restrictions.

The CFIA began enforcing an initial set of feed ban regulations in 1997. At that time, these new regulatory requirements were integrated into existing inspection programs for feed and feed ingredient manufactured, distributed and used by inedible rendering plants, commercial feed mills and on farms.

In response to the detection of a native-born case of BSE in Canada in 2003, the CFIA received additional funding in 2005-06 and subsequent fiscal years to support implementation and enforcement of an enhanced feed ban regulatory framework that took effect in 2007. The impact of implementing the enhancements principally involved:

1. Increasing inspection capacity and frequency throughout the feed supply and use chain i.e. at inedible rendering plants, commercial feed mills, feed retail outlets, and farms; and
2. Implementing and administering a system of control permits and compliance inspection activities at abattoirs, dead stock collectors, landfills and other processing and disposal sites regarding the collection, transport, treatment and disposition of cattle Specified Risk Material (SRM) tissues. As part of the enhanced regulations, SRM must be segregated, identified and appropriately managed until final disposal. CFIA workload increased to include inspection oversight of SRM equipment and facilities, tracking movement at several points in the chain to final disposal or alternative use not historically subject to CFIA inspection.
3. Removing the fertilizer and supplement chains as possible SRM outlets unless specifically authorized by a permit issued under the Health of Animals Regulations. The permits are issued on a case-by-case basis and include requirements for processing the material (e.g. composting) as well as conditions for its final disposal to mitigate against any potential risks to human, animal health and the environment.

During 2009-10, the CFIA continued to verify compliance with the 2007 regulatory enhancements at rendering plants, commercial feed manufacturers, feed retail outlets, on-farm feed manufacturers and ruminant feeders as well as at meat slaughter and processing establishments, cattle dead stock collectors, transporters and receivers of SRM downers and dead stock and commercial composting and fertilizer manufacturing facilities.

Some of the major achievements are: (Feed inspection - stats to be provided at later date)

• # of facilities inspected (total and by sector)
• # of inspections (total and by facility type)
• # of compliance verification tasks assessed (total and by sector)

(SRM control)

• Renewed and issued a total of 1804 permits for the control of SRM in Canada
• Contracted services with engineers and worked with them to evaluate 4 new sites for disposal of SRM in Canada.
• Developed an ash testing protocol for incinerators permitted to receive and destroy SRM.

Confidence in Canada's animal production and food system, facilitating access to domestic and international markets. Continue the establishment and maintenance of strong relationships with trading partners, and the provision of global leadership and influence regarding international policies and standards development.

The CFIA continues to play an active and participatory role at the international level. In addition, the CFIA is contributing and influencing international science based disease control standards for BSE, which are critical components of the foundation for safe trade and the maintenance of international market confidence. On a bilateral basis this involves the invitation to trading partners for incoming technical missions to confirm first hand the integrity and implementation of Canada's inspection controls. At the multilateral level, the CFIA is maintaining the official designation as a BSE Controlled Risk country through the evaluation process of the 167 member country World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The CFIA continues to contribute to the discussions at OIE, not only with respect to at the General Session and in revisions to the various Codes, but also with respect to having an OIE BSE reference laboratory as well as CFIA employees on a number of the OIE commissions.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Mitigate impact of full Specified Risk Materials removal on industry competitiveness; Enhance infrastructure in place for feed ban regulations.

Federal Spending under SRM Federal-Provincial Contribution Agreements terminated March 31, 2010. Provincial spending has been extended for 5 provinces past March 31, 2010 to ensure completion of eligible SRM projects is achieved. Over 300 SRM related projects have been undertaken across Canada with funding to support industry competitiveness and enhance infrastructure (such as composting sites and incinerators) to comply with feed ban regulations. Investments have been made in research to seek long-term value-added uses for SRM.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Infectious Disease Prevention and Control

Internal Services

Risks of human TSEs in Canada remain clearly defined and well controlled

• Continued comprehensive national laboratory-based surveillance for all human prion diseases in Canada.
• Resolved various potential public health issues related to individual cases of human prion disease, including suspected domestic case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
• Renewed mandate and support for external neuropathology reference laboratory.
• Completed internal validation study on accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid protein markers for diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
• Completed external validation study on use of Western immunoblot for detection and typing of pathological human prion proteins in brain tissue.
• Co-authored publication (led by CFIA) on molecular, biochemical and genetic characteristics of BSE in Canada.
• Continued work on development of diagnostic markers for BSE in bovine urine.
• Established linkages with national forum on Chronic Wasting Disease.

Food and Nutrition

Health Products

Health Canada program objectives for BSE and other TSEs are to:

• i) Protect consumers from exposure to BSE and TSEs;
• ii) Maintain and improve the safety, quality and availability of safe food and health products by minimizing the risks posed by BSE and TSEs;
• iii) Continue to reduce the risk of BSE and TSEs to consumers by maintaining and improving scientific capacity, and by diverting tissues of high potential infectivity away from use in food and health products;
• iv) Partnerships - Engage with the United States and the international community to encourage and facilitate the adoption of equivalent public health protection measures; and
• v) Review of master files and product licence applications which contain ingredients where the ingredients are sourced from animals and which may be susceptible to TSE.

• i) Protect consumers
  • Development of SOPs for review of medicinal ingredients and non medicinal ingredients which are at risk of containing prions;
  • Ongoing summative evaluations of BSE1 and 11.
• ii) Maintain and improve safety
  • Working group developing guidelines and policies for minimizing the risk of TSE in health products.
  • Development of internal guidance to minimize the risk of TSE in NHPs.
• iii) Maintaining and improving scientific capacity
  • Review of master files and product licence applications which contain ingredients where the ingredients are sourced from animals which are susceptible to TSE.
• iv) Partnerships / Networking
  • Ongoing work through MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) / LOU (Letter Of Understanding) / Contract : TSE Secretariat and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture);
  • Completed research project "Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) studies in non-human primates and the implications for human health", under signed MOA between the TSE Secretariat, Food Directorate and CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique) France.
  • Completed research project "Detailed analysis of abnormal prion protein (PrPRes ) and infectivity detection in materials from cattle incubating classical or atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in order to achieve a more substantiated specified risk material (SRM) definition.", under signed MOA between the Food Directorate, TSE Secretariat and Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Germany.
  • Completed three research projects under LOU between TSE Secretariat and Canadian Food Inspection Agency: "Infectivity studies of blood from elk and deer with clinical CWD"; "Experimental CWD and BSE in domestic cats: comparative oral transmission studies"; and "Data collection to populate the Canadian Animal Surveillance Network (CAHSN) data system with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance information".
  • Completed research project "Oral Transmission and Tissue Infectivity Study for All Types of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Diagnosed in Canadian Cattle", under LOU between the Food Directorate, TSE Secretariat, and Canadian Food Inspection Agency; and
  • Research project; Assays for infectious prions and PrP-Sc in the milk of scrapie-infected goats.
• v) Review
  • Continued to review master files and product licence applications which contain ingredients where the ingredients are sourced from animals and which may be susceptible to TSE. As part of the risk assessment, every review requires an assessment for animal sourced ingredients. During this time period, approximately 99 new and generic drug submissions were reviewed along with 531 Notifiable Change Applications. A percentage of these reviews were contracted out for review
• Other (accountability):
  • Completed development of a joint CFIA-HC-PHAC logic model for BSE III, lead by the Branch and Department to meet the BSE III Treasury Board submission requirements.
  • Ongoing performance evaluation and logic model updating of BSE III started and lead at the Branch and Department level.
  • The BSE evaluation was originally planned to be conducted in 2009-10, but was delayed until 2010-2011 because of the one-year extension of funding. No money was spent.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Regulatory amendments based on full consultation (FPT, Aboriginal Groups, & WTO); Initiation of discussion on FPT MOUs on Emergency Response & delineation of Domestic Disease Control zones;

Priority policies and procedures required to enforce revised regulations; NAAHP integration into priority IMIT systems (SIMS, AIRS, ICTS, IPS, CEMRS) & linkage to DFO LIMS; and

Training modules for key NAAHP implementation activities.

In December 2009, changes were proposed in Canada Gazette, Part 1 to the Health of Animals Regulations to require import permitting for aquatic animals and their products that represent a disease risk. The 75-day comment period closed March 7, 2010. Reportable Disease Regulations are expected to coincide with Health of Animals regulatory amendments;

Commenced discussions with FPT on Emergency Response and completed the planning of a Simulation Exercise to be delivered in 2010/2011;

Completed priority policies and procedures required to enforce revised regulations. They include Hazard specific plans and Functional plans, Initial Site Inspection Standard Operating Procedures, Import permit policy framework, Export policy framework and Surveillance framework;

Initiated project and planning requirements for NAAHP integration into IMIT systems and linkage to DFO LIMS for implementation by the end of next fiscal year; and

Completed Five (5) National Training Initiatives Submissions pertaining to overview of the NAAHP, Disease Control and Contingency Planning, Import/Export and Surveillance activities for implementation in 2010/2011.

1. Diagnostic tests validated to OIE requirements
2. Operational Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
3. Amendment of the Fish Health Protection Regulations (FHPR)
4. Capacity for diagnostic testing

Name of Program: National Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory System (NAAHLS)

1. Continued to develop and validate diagnostic tests required to support NAAHP program activities. Laboratory standards and tracking systems meet international requirements for audit/challenge of export certificates and/or import controls – International Standards. Priority disease list established collaboratively with CFIA. DFO will complete the validation of all 35 priority diseases by 2013-2014.
2. Continued development of the LIMS in accordance with the International Standards Organization (ISO) 17025 (17025 is the main standard used by testing and calibration laboratories).
3. Worked collaboratively with CFIA on a transition framework moving regulatory authority from the FHPR to the amended HAR. This will be a two phase process. Phase One: remove from the authorities for FHPR, International Import /Export to avoid regulatory duplication and overlap with the authorities under amended Health of Animals Regulations (HAR).Phase two: The CFIA led Facility Recognition Program will replace the FHPR. When Phase two is complete the FHPR will be rescinded.
4. In collaboration with CFIA, continued to establish a network of third party testing laboratories in support of NAAHP program activities.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

Hire additional inspection staff in ready to eat (RTE) meat facilities to deliver new inspection activities.

The Government has made funds available to hire 170 new full-time inspectors, over three years, dedicated to food safety. Budget 2010 committed an additional $13 million to CFIA to increase inspection capacity for meat and poultry processing facilities. As of June 15, 2010, the CFIA has hired 59 inspectors. The hiring of inspectors will continue on a priority basis.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

CFIA has developed and approved a new National Training Plan for meat processing inspectors. The Plan specifies 29 weeks of blended training (self-study, e-learning, coaching, instructor-led) for meat processing inspectors, and focuses on developing a new course curriculum and the continuous training of new and existing inspectors. The first round of inspector training using the new curriculum began in April 2010, and will be completed in the fall. Training plans for meat processing inspectors will continue to be reviewed and evaluated on an annual basis, in keeping with available resources. Moreover, a national assessment of training needs related to the delivery of the CVS has been completed.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

Where possible, the CFIA has increased the use of existing technologies such as laptops, cell phones and faster network connectivity. To make it easier for inspectors, particularly those in remote locations, to access the information they require to do their jobs, new wireless technologies have been evaluated. A pilot project was completed on April 1, 2010 to assess whether this wireless technology could enable inspectors to securely access the CFIA computer network and applications. The CFIA is reviewing the results of the pilot project to determine the impact of proceeding with this new technology and the associated costs.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

The CFIA works to review and update its programs, regulations and directives on an on-going basis. Work is also being conducted in relation to the CFIA's food safety programs delivered in the non-federally registered food sector, under the Government's Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan. Business processes are being streamlined so that manuals, including directives, are updated regularly and changes are implemented efficiently. These business processes are expected to start being phased in by March 2011.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

Improve test detection methods for Listeria and other food-borne hazards to provide greater availability and choice of testing methods for the detection of Listeria, and faster turn around time for reporting results.

CFIA has developed the capacity, through its Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis Center, to routinely test and then report virtually immediately to the provincial and federal PulseNet Canada members when its laboratories isolate foodborne bacterial pathogens. In addition, Health Canada is working in collaboration with CFIA to improve and validate detection methods for Listeria and other hazards in food to reduce testing time and enable more rapid response during food safety investigations.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

Conduct additional Listeria testing to contribute to improved decision making.

Due to the increased volume of samples tested through CFIA's Listeria monitoring program, the Agency now provides food microbiology laboratory services seven days per week. In the past year, CFIA has increased the number of Listeria samples analyzed by its laboratories by approximately sixty percent.

Food Safety and Nutrition Risks

Internal Services

Develop and maintain a Government of Canada food safety portal to improve public access to integrated Government of Canada food safety information.

On February 25, 2010, the CFIA launched a Government of Canada online food safety portal website that offers a one-stop approach to food safety and foodborne illness information (www.foodsafety.gc.ca) and has links to HC, PHAC and CFIA websites. To raise awareness of the food safety portal, CFIA sent out a social media news release which enables a wide range of social media book marking and tagging options to be applied to the conventional news release. To promote the food safety portal, and to raise awareness of safe food handling practices and recall procedures, CFIA has prepared an exhibits strategy which will see the Agency participate in six food-related events between May 2010 and March 2011.

Strengthen Public Health Capacity

National public health tools and platforms.

PHAC is working on a pan-Canadian surveillance system. It is initiating plans for a pilot implementation of the Panorama system, funded by Canada Health Infoway, in order to test the feasibility of using the system for managing multi-jurisdictional outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Pilot testing will include an investigation of the feasibility of integration with existing alerting systems such as the Canadian Integrated Outbreak Surveillance Centre (CIOSC).

Infectious Disease Prevention and Control

Strengthened laboratory diagnostic tools and networking tools.

Next-generation laboratory methods are being implemented within PulseNet Canada, which is coordinated by PHAC and represents a network between provincial public health laboratories and federal laboratories (including those of PHAC, CFIA and HC). The goal of the network is to share the information relating to genetic fingerprinting tests to allow for real-time identification, communication and response to clusters of foodborne illness. New experimental approaches to characterize bacterial pathogens have been developed within Canada and the PulseNet International member laboratories. These approaches have been evaluated and are now implemented for selected pathogens. In particular, responses to outbreaks related to pathogens E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria have benefited by utilizing these new technologies.

Infectious Disease Prevention and Control

Modernize and exercise the FIORP.

A revised draft of the Foodborne Illness Outbreak Response Protocol (FIORP) was developed by HC, CFIA and PHAC and was shared with the provinces and territories (P/Ts) in February 2010. The revised protocol includes clarified roles and responsibilities of food safety partners, as well as guidelines for information sharing during foodborne illness investigations. P/T health and agriculture ADMs are finalizing their input on the revised FIORP, with a view to endorsing the document in the spring of 2010.

Infectious Disease Prevention and Control

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases

Emergency Response

Develop an operational framework that provides procedures and guidance to the Health Portfolio for the coordination and management of foodborne illness emergencies.

PHAC, in consultation with HC and CFIA, is developing an Incident Command Structure (ICS) to improve coordination and capacity among food safety partners during foodborne illness outbreaks, and is refining and implementing this emergency response mechanism to better prepare and respond to potential foodborne illness outbreaks. Integration with CFIA's Emergency Management System is underway and will be assessed in 2010.

Strengthen Public Health Capacity

Building Public Health Human Resource Capacity

Pilot test a surge capacity model of qualified public health experts.

PHAC has established a secretariat office to coordinate its surge capacity under the FIORP. The purpose of this office is to ensure that PHAC is positioned to assign qualified individuals needed to effectively manage and respond to multi-jurisdictional outbreaks. The Agency has completed a skills survey of its staff that identifies qualified individuals who could be assigned in these circumstances.

Infectious Disease Prevention and Control

Foodborne, Waterborne and Zoonotic Diseases

Develop and implement a multi-faceted risk communications plan.

PHAC is developing a comprehensive risk communications strategy that will guide how the Agency communicates to Canadians during a national foodborne illness outbreak. The strategy includes plans for communicating with the public and at-risk populations using a variety of traditional and innovative formats, including social media networks, the newly launched food safety portal, and audio-video webcasts by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. PHAC also collaborates with Health Canada to ensure that the Agency's information for Canadians during a national outbreak flows consistently from Health Canada's pre-outbreak food safety advice.

Food and Nutrition

Build Health Risk Assessment Capacity

• Improved detection method for Listeria developed and validated to decrease the time required for the isolation of L. monocytogenes.
• Proof of Concept for the lab-on-a-chip platform for the detection of foodborne pathogens, targeting Listeria monocytogenes (results in 48hr instead of current 10 days) for the first application.
• Establishment of criteria and processes to identify priority microbial methods for validation, by Health Canada and the CFIA.

• Method developed for detection of L. monocytogenes in 3-5 days instead of 10 days. Method Validation Initiated.
• Collaboration initiated with the National Research Council of Canada to demonstrate the proof of concept (POC) for the lab-on-a-chip platform.

Food and Nutrition

Improve test detection methods for Listeria and other foodborne hazards

• Begin to set criteria to prioritize and fast track approvals of food safety interventions with proven health benefits.
• Strengthen health risk assessment capacity to provide 24/7 coverage and enhance surge capacity preparedness.

• Drafting of guidelines initiated to set criteria to prioritize and fast track approvals of food safety interventions with proven health benefits.
• Additional FTE's hired to conduct Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) for responding to CFIA.
• Established 24/7 emergency contact for CFIA to conduct after hours HRAs and enhanced response capacity to address CFIA requests.
• All HRAs on Food chemical and microbiological safety incidents, conducted at the request of the CFIA were delivered within service standards or shorter.

Internal Services

Social Marketing Strategy