Traceability and CFIA Regulatory Requirements: What You Need to Know

The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) was introduced on January 15th, 2019. Further requirements are going to be introduced in 2020 and 2021, and the specifics of the requirements will depend upon the business in question, including its size, activity type and food commodity.

The SFCR includes traceability requirements that are based on the international standard, which was established by Codex Alimentarius. This allows the food to be tracked to the immediate customer and then back again to the immediate supplier.

By developing a traceability system that is effective, your business will be able to:

    ● Cut your costs by reducing recalls because you will help to ensure that recalls only occur for food that could pose a health risk.

    ● Ensure that consumers face less risk to their health when they consume your food.

    ● Boost your brand image because trust in your brand will increase as a result of your food being safer.

But what are the regulatory requirements when it comes to traceability? These are found in Part 5 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.

How to Apply the Traceability Requirements

The traceability requirements apply to a large variety of food businesses, and they are far broader than the requirements for licensing and the preventative control plan.

Some of the requirements apply for sellers and individuals who sell food to consumers at retail as well as to people who send food between territories or provinces. There is also a phased-in approach to implementing the traceability requirements.

Do the traceability requirements apply to your food business?

The simple answer is that it depends. You can use the interactive tool to determine this, as well as how they will apply to your business and the date on which they will apply.

The traceability requirements have a new section on labelling requirements by food commodity. This has been added to the regulatory requirements, and you can find it in Section 3, where you will find all the documentation requirements.

What about the timelines?

When it comes to complying with preventive controls, licensing, traceability and the control plan, the timelines depend on various factors, and they will vary by the type of food, the activity of the business and the size of the business.

The requirements will come into force in 2020 and 2021, but when your business needs to comply with the requirements will depend on the above factors.