Share your thoughts: Use of foreign decisions for livestock feed approvals in Canada: Closed consultation
Current status: Closed
Opened on February 7, 2023 and closed on March 9, 2023
About the consultation
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking comments on the following proposed pathway for approval of some feeds ingredients which are not approved in Canada but are already authorized by a foreign regulator. CFIA is also seeking comments on the proposed regulatory guidance document that outs the application process for this pathway: Feed approval or registration requirements for the acceptance of a foreign approval/authorization.
Background
The CFIA is responsible for the approval or registration of livestock feeds, including feed ingredients, before they are manufactured, sold or imported into Canada. Approved feed ingredients are listed and defined in Schedules IV and V of the Feeds Regulations, with appropriate guarantees, standards, and label requirements.
The Feeds Regulations require a proponent to submit a pre-market application for feed ingredients that are new, have been modified such that they differ significantly from a conventional ingredient, or are for a new purpose. The CFIA evaluates the information in the application to establish that the feed is safe, effective, and labelled correctly.
Proposed pathway
The CFIA has created an alternate pathway to facilitate the pre-market assessment process for the approval or registration of some feeds products which are already authorized by a foreign regulator. In order to be eligible for this new pathway, the foreign authorization must be based on an assessment that meets the Canadian endpoints for:
- animal health
- human health via food safety and worker/by-standard safety
- environmental safety
- fit for purpose
The CFIA has completed an in-depth comparison of the regulatory authorities and the technical requirements for 2 foreign jurisdictions.
The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) were chosen as their regulatory systems are similar, and the CFIA has a good working relationship with officials in both jurisdictions. As each jurisdiction regulates ingredients for livestock feed a little differently, the need to exclude some ingredients from the process became clear. CFIA has confidence that both jurisdictions have a robust system for the regulation of livestock feed. However, certain differences in how each regulates ingredients for livestock feed require that only certain ingredients can be included in the scope of this new pathway. While this initiative focuses primarily on feed ingredients, in some situations, mixed products may also be considered if authorization is granted as such. The process was validated based on a comparison of all criteria during face-to-face interviews with regulators, and during the assessment of some pre-market applications currently under review.
Benefits
This alternate pathway for feeds which have been approved in foreign jurisdictions should be beneficial to both industry and CFIA. Applicants will be able to capitalize on application packages prepared and submitted for foreign jurisdictions, resulting in less work for the applicant for the pre-market application of a new feed product in Canada. It is anticipated that the overall review of the application will be faster as the CFIA will be able to audit the information provided instead of performing a full pre-market assessment on a complete data package. This should simplify the process for new feed ingredients that have already been approved elsewhere, providing livestock producers with more options for feeds for their animals while maintaining the continued production of safe feed and foods in Canada.
Who is the focus of this consultation
Animal feed stakeholders, including:
- suppliers of feed ingredients
- commercial feed manufacturers
- feed importers, distributors and retailers
- industry associations
- other government departments
- international trading partners
- veterinarians
All comments are welcome from industry, governments, the public, or other organizations or individuals.
Key questions for discussion
The CFIA is asking for feedback on the proposed pathway outlined above and the proposed guidance document: Feed approval or registration requirements for the acceptance of a foreign approval/authorization.
- Are there any elements which require further clarification
- Is there any criteria which may reflect on the safety or efficacy of products that was missed
Related information
Contact us
Animal Feed Program (AFP)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
E-mail: cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca
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