How Canada's food safety system works

Canada's food system is among the most trusted and respected in the world. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plays a vital role in upholding this reputation by safeguarding Canada's food supply to keep Canadians safe and maintaining rules to protect consumers. It does this by developing and enforcing Canada's regulations for food which are guided by science and supported through collaboration and innovation.

Industry is at the heart of this system, fulfilling their responsibility to produce safe food, with the CFIA providing rigorous oversight to verify that those responsibilities are met. A robust regulatory framework sets clear requirements for industry to follow, and consequences if they do not.

The CFIA uses a science-based, risk-informed approach to focus its risk control measures (for example licence requirements, inspections, guidance, sampling and testing) where they can have the greatest impact on reducing food risk. By integrating federal oversight, collaboration with provinces, industry responsibility and consumer awareness, Canada's food safety system continues to be strengthened and adapts to emerging challenges.

This comprehensive approach not only protects public health, but also supports consumer confidence in Canadian food – at home and abroad.

The role of industry

Anyone who sells food in Canada is responsible for making sure it is safe to eat. Canada's food industry plays a pivotal role in maintaining food safety. Food manufacturers, processors, importers and retailers are responsible for verifying the food they produce and sell is safe and complies with Canadian regulations.

They must:

follow food safety regulations such as:
- the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)
- the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR)
implement preventive control plans to identify and manage risks
ensure traceability records are kept so that, in the event of an incident, food can be quickly located and removed from sale
comply with labelling rules to prevent misrepresentation.

By maintaining high safety standards, industry helps prevent foodborne illness and builds confidence in Canadian food.

For detailed information and guidance on food safety preventive controls, preventive control plans and traceability visit: Food safety for industry.

Federal oversight and enforcement

The CFIA enforces regulations and guidance that are aligned with international standards, so whether food is produced domestically or imported, it must meet these rigorous standards. The CFIA verifies this by:

conducting inspections at food businesses across the country to verify compliance
testing food in 13 CFIA labs across Canada to support investigations and routine monitoring
combating food fraud by testing food composition for compliance
taking enforcement action and requesting food recalls when needed

Each day, CFIA inspectors work to verify that industry is operating in compliance with Canadian standards and regulations, targeting the areas of highest risk and promoting compliance to help companies meet regulatory requirements.

When non-compliance is found, the CFIA takes enforcement action to protect Canadians.

Leading with science

Science guides all CFIA's activities — from how risk is assessed to how programs are designed and services delivered. This means decisions are based on evidence, helping to keep food safe for Canadians and supporting international confidence in our food safety system leading to greater trade opportunities for Canada.

Risk-informed decision-making on how to apply control measures to reduce risk is at the core of the CFIA's work. The CFIA draws on various sources including technical knowledge, environmental scanning, food sampling and testing, risk assessments and experience and expertise of CFIA inspectors and local and international scientists from across government, academia and industry. The CFIA reviews and updates its risk management approaches on an ongoing basis to adapt quickly to emerging risks. This helps industry stakeholders compete in a changing climate while ensuring that the health and safety of Canadians remains the driving force behind the design and development of CFIA programs.

Learn more about how the CFIA surveys, samples and tests food for chemical contaminants and microbial organisms. You can also explore our reports detailing the results of food safety surveillance activities in Canada.

Food safety investigations, recalls and complaints

Even in a modern and effective food safety system like Canada's, food safety incidents can occur. When dealing with potentially unsafe food, the CFIA acts as quickly as possible to collect information and make decisions. If there is reason to believe that food is unsafe or does not comply with federal food laws, the CFIA initiates a 5-step process to conduct a food safety investigation and determine if a food recall is necessary.

On average, the CFIA receives 2,044 reports from consumers concerning potential food safety incidents and conducts 2,806 food safety investigations each year. The goal of a food safety investigation is to determine whether a food safety hazard exists, assess the nature and extent of the incident and take appropriate actions to eliminate or minimize potential risks to consumers.

When a recall is the appropriate risk mitigation action to take, the CFIA coordinates with our external food safety partners and requests that the company initiate a voluntary recall. The CFIA's role is to inform the public, oversee implementation of the recall, provide guidance and verify that industry has effectively removed recalled food from the marketplace. The CFIA manages about 306 recalls per year.

For more on the food safety investigation process, how to prepare for a food recall and when and how to notify the CFIA, visit: Food safety investigations and recalls.

Consumer role

Consumers are a key part of Canada's food safety system and can reduce risks by:

staying informed by subscribing to food recall notifications
following safe food handling practices at home
reporting concerns about food safety or labelling to the CFIA
following the CFIA on social media

To find resources related to safe food handling practices, food fraud and labelling, and recalls and allergy alerts visit: Food safety for consumers.

Other government departments, provincial and territorial roles

Food safety in Canada involves various government bodies. While the CFIA enforces national standards developed by Health Canada, Health Canada also assesses food-related health risks, and the Public Health Agency of Canada responds to outbreaks of foodborne illness.

Provincial and territorial governments manage food safety in their own regions, including inspections of local food production and retail businesses. This collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive and effective food safety system across the country.

Find out more about the mandates and roles of Canadian federal food safety partners.

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