ARCHIVED - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Part XII of the Health of Animals Regulations (regulations that control animal transportation in Canada) will be modernized by setting reasonable standards of care that address the welfare of animals in transit.   

New regulations are being developed under the Health of Animals Act that will regulate how feeds are manufactured and will implement manufacturing to ensure that finished products meet regulatory standards. These regulations will apply to both commercial and non-commercial manufacturing operations that wish to manufacture medicated feed on their premises.

Over-medicated feeds for food producing animals pose a risk of drug residues in meat, milk and eggs as well as allergic reactions
in sensitive individuals.

A safe and sustainable animal resource base Better control of medications in feed limits over and under medication. Under medication inadequately controls animal disease, compromises efficient animal production and as such, the animal resource base. Over medication can pose a safety risk both to animals and humans consuming food from these animals.

The purpose of this amendment is to remove the links between both the FFV Regulations and the L&A Regulations with respect to the requirements for CFIA -delivered destination inspections. This amendment is designed to offer flexibility to licensees under the L&A Regulations by deregulating the requirement to have only the CFIA deliver destination inspection.

The objective of this amendment is to bring fish under the authority of the Health of Animals Regulations, thereby making fish subject to disease requirements and also qualify when compensation
is appropriate.

The objective of this amendment package is to create a flexible, variety registration system that will allow for the necessity of merit and pre-registration testing to be determined based on crop kind.

While the Act currently provides the authority to prescribe (toxic substances), none are presently prescribed. The Act further specifies the way in which (toxic substances) can be prescribed. The addition of a list of toxic substances to the federal Health of Animals Regulations is therefore being proposed.

The CFIA will enhance its ability to take regulatory action in instances where animals are suspected of being, or are known to have been, contaminated by toxic substances. The contamination of animals by chemicals or toxins has the potential to affect animal health, and public health via the human food chain.

This proposal will also strengthen Canada’s ability to respond to emergency situations, either accidental or deliberate such as via bioterrorist attacks through the contamination of livestock feed and/or animals.

Market access based on the application of science and standards

The integrated regulatory framework will better align Canada with international standards (including meeting EU standards) ensuring a regulatory infrastructure that supports safe food animal production.

This regulatory initiative amends the Health of Animals Regulations in order to establish the identification and movement components of a national hog traceability system.

a) correctly identifying the source of the disease or contamination, and correctly establishing the control area;

b) reducing the response time;

c) helping to zone Canada in addressing the guidelines of the World Animal Health Organization (OIE), and meeting trading partners’ expectations; and

d) ensuring that the national traceability system is compatible with systems developed by other Canadian livestock sectors and packers.