The Government of Canada is committed to reducing red tape. In support of this commitment, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has amended the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR) to remove outdated requirements and implement modern regulatory tools.
Ambulatory Incorporation by Reference of the Import Reference Document
Canada's Import Reference Document (IRD) sets out conditions for importing animals and germplasm into Canada to mitigate any potential risks and is incorporated by reference into the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR). Incorporated by reference documents have the same force as the regulation into which it is incorporated.
The CFIA changed the incorporation by reference of the IRD in the HAR from a static to an ambulatory basis to allow updates to be made in accordance with Canada's incorporation by reference policies rather than requiring a regulatory amendment. This will create a more responsive Canadian import framework, enabling quicker alignment with international standards and emerging science.
Updates to the IRD have also been made to respond to Canadian stakeholder requests to streamline conditions and align them with domestic requirements. This includes:
Updating import conditions for veal feeder calves imported from the United States (US) to:
1. increase the maximum timeframe that feeder calves must be slaughtered after import from 36 to 40 weeks;
2. increase the minimum age at import from eight days to nine days to align with domestic transport of animal requirements under the HAR; and
3. increase the maximum age at import from 14 days to 21 days.
Updating Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) testing requirement for hatching eggs imported from the US and destined to a Canadian licenced hatchery to align with domestic requirements.
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