Food manufacturers in Canada: we hope you all have your SFCR license because as of November 1, 2022, food manufacturers in this country are required to abide by all provisions of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.
The SFCR was designed to strengthen Canada’s existing food regulations, and includes requirements for the selling and safe handling of imported and exported foods. The Regulations include three key mandates: licensing, preventive control plans, and traceability requirements.
The SFCR became law on January 15, 2019, with a phased-in implementation timeline for businesses that manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, package, or label food for interprovincial trade, import, and export. Food manufacturers were to be compliant with SFCR rules by mid-July, 2020; however, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency postponed compliance to allow manufacturers to focus on COVID-19. That postponement ended on November 1, and the CFIA is conducting activities as per its compliance and enforcement policy.
The CFIA has a toolkit for food businesses here; a fact sheet and specific requirements for manufactured foods are also available online. Information specific to licenses (who needs a license, applying, and other relevant items) can be found here. And monitor our blog for additional updates.
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