Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point

The Government of Canada is committed to reducing red tape. In support of this commitment, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has made the following amendments to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) to remove outdated and unnecessary rules.

 Removed prescriptive labelling requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables (FFV)

 The CFIA has removed various prescriptive labelling requirements for FFV from for the SFCR. These include:

 exempting certain consumer prepackaged FFV from the requirement to provide the net quantity on a label;

 exempting FFV packaged in a clear protective wrapper or bag from mandatory labelling requirements;

 amending the minimum font size for mandatory information to 1.6mm for both consumer packaged FFV and FFV packaged for shipping; and

 making size designation statements optional for FFV labels.

 In addition, the CFIA has amended the Units of Measurement for the Net Quantity Declaration of Certain Foods document (which is incorporated by reference into the SFCR) to allow certain prepackaged and consumer packaged FFV (such as ears of fresh sweet corn) to be declared by weight, volume, or numerical count.

 The objectives of the labelling amendments are to reduce regulatory burden, without compromising food safety or consumer protection. The amendments do not trigger any mandatory labelling changes and are consistent with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) labelling standards.

 Modernized Canada's approach to FFV grades

 The CFIA has modernized the approach to FFV grades by transferring the responsibility for maintaining and updating Canada's FFV grades (except for onions, potatoes, apples) from the CFIA to the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC). These FFV grades will be included in a new document incorporated by reference into the SFCR entitled the "Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grade Requirements". This will allow Canada's FFV grades to be more responsive to industry needs, new innovations, and enable market competitiveness.

 The CFIA will establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the DRC to set appropriate terms regarding maintaining the grade standards. The CFIA will be responsible for providing a final analysis of the updates to ensure conformity with the SFCR and trade obligations and will continue to be responsible for enforcing the grades.

 The CFIA will continue to maintain the grade standards for onions, potatoes, and apples given that the grading import requirements for these FFV support trade. They will continue to be maintained in the "Canadian Grade Compendium: Volume 2 – Fresh Fruit or Vegetables" incorporated by reference document. The CFIA will also maintain the grade standards for imports prescribed in the "Canadian Grade Compendium: Volume 9 – Import Grade Requirements" and the "Grade Standard Requirements for Fresh Fruits or Vegetables Imported from the United States".

 The CFIA has also removed the mandatory grading requirement for FFV to be manufactured, processed, or preserved (e.g., apples used in apple juice or fruit used in purees in pastries and yogurt cups). This will reduce regulatory burden and provide increased flexibility for industry.