On January 15, 2019, the new Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) will come into force, at the same time as the Safe Food for Canadians Act. These new regulations will replace 11 sets of regulations under the Canada Agricultural Products Act (including the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Regulations, the Honey Regulations, the Organic Products Regulations, the Dairy Products Regulations, etc.), as well as the regulations under the Fish Inspection Act, the Meat Inspections Act, and the food-related provisions under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations.
The new regulatory framework harmonizes with internationally recognized standards for global trade.
Some requirements will have to be met immediately upon coming into force (e.g. licensing), while other requirements will be phased in over a period of 12-30 months based on food commodity, type of activity and business size.
