On July 15, 2020, the next scheduled compliance date for the Safe Food for Canadians Act & Regulations came into effect for businesses in the manufactured food sector.

The compliance date, for the category of “all other (manufactured) foods”, required affected businesses to have a PCP (Preventative Control Plan), Preventative Controls, and Traceability in place prior to July 15th.

These new compliance requirements apply to manufacturers of the following:

• Schedule 1 Products (gross annual food sales >$100,000 and >4 employees)
• “All Other” Products (gross annual food sales >$100,000 and >4 employees)
• Food Additives and Alcoholic Beverages

But what should businesses expect in light of the announcement that the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) would not be enforcing the compliance date? Based on a July 10th release, the CFIA recommends that all businesses take steps to meet the preventative control and traceability requirements of the July 15th compliance date where possible.

The CFIA has also stated that any announcements regarding updates to how the July 15th date will be enforced in light of the pandemic will be made with an adequate lead time to allow businesses to prepare.

However, the CFIA maintains that in the event of a food safety issue, they will take action including recalling, seizing, or detaining food products, in order to protect consumers

If you have any questions about this article or any other regulatory matters, feel free to contact dicentra Food Safety and Quality Consulting.