The Canadian Advantage
We are committed to earning your trust in Canadian agriculture and food products every day through our relentless pursuit of excellence in all that we do. Click on the video thumbnails below to learn about how Canadian foods make their way to your table.
Canada's Meat Industry
Canada's Meat Industry produces your food with care from start to finish. Products that are shipped from federally registered facilities are closely tracked to help ensure that what you buy in a store or restaurant is safe and of the highest quality.
Canada's Horticulture Industry
Canada's Horticulture Industry produces world-class products for your table according to rigorous standards. Our country's growing appetite for safe, healthy produce has inspired innovation and quality, from the field to the grocery store.
Canada's Grains and Oilseeds Industry
Canada's Grain and Oilseeds Industry is committed to excellence and grows crops that are carefully tended and of the highest quality. Grain farmers work hard using certified seeds and quality assurance programs to grow products that meet the high standards of the Canadian Grain Commission.
Canada's Dairy Industry
Canada's Dairy Farmers and Processors continuously provide Canadians with safe and nutritious dairy products. Careful on-farm practices and a strong commitment to food safety, result in the very best products for you and your family.
Canada's agriculture and food safety systems
As the world's fourth largest agriculture and agri-food exporter, Canada takes pride in its food safety systems. Canada exports approximately 45 per cent of its domestic food and agricultural production—worth $42.8 billion (Cdn)— to over 180 countries worldwide and is dedicated to meeting customers expectations for safe, quality products produced in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is a federal government regulatory agency that verifies industry compliance with federal acts and regulations through activities that include the registration and inspection of abattoirs and food processing plants, and the testing of products. CFIA certifies all meat and many other agricultural goods for export.
Food safety systems are continually updated by Canada's agricultural producers and food processors, as well as others in the value chain. These systems are based on the internationally recognized approach to food safety called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). A number of agricultural commodity sectors are also developing traceability systems.
Below is additional information, and links, to Canada's various food and agriculture safety systems.
On-farm food safety systems
Many of these on-farm HACCP-based food safety systems have been developed by national producer or commodity organizations with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Dairy
Canadian Quality Milk Program (CQM)
The CQM is an on-farm food safety system developed by Dairy Farmers
of Canada to assure consumers that Canadian milk is produced in a safe
manner.
www.dairygoodness.ca
Eggs
The Canadian Hatching Egg Producers and Egg Farmers
of Canada, both national producer organizations, have HACCP-based
farm level systems, Canadian Hatching Egg Quality Program and Stay Clean
– Start Clean respectively.
www.cbhema.com
www.eggs.ca
Grains
Canadian Identity Preserved Recognition System
(CIPRS)
The CIPRS is a voluntary program led by the Canadian Grain Commission.
It certifies that a company's identity preservation system for production,
handling, and transportation of specialty grains, oilseeds or pulses
meets the standard created by the Canadian Grain Commission. This standard
is designed to be compatible with quality management systems such as
ISO (International Organization for Standardization). This program can
also be combined with a HACCP plan (CIPRS+HACCP). A generic HACCP plan
for grains, pulses and oilseeds is available on the Canadian Grain Commission's
Web site for reference.
www.grainscanada.gc.ca
Honey
The Canadian Bee Industry Safety Quality Traceability
program has been developed by beekeepers for beekeepers.
www.honeycouncil.ca
Horticulture
CanadaGAP is the name of the Canadian Horticultural
Council's on-farm food safety system. The program consists of national
food safety standards and a certification system for the safe production,
storage and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables.
www.canadagap.ca
Livestock
Canada has earned its reputation as a consistent supplier of safe and
healthy livestock and meat products. Protection of the animal livestock
sector is integral to food safety, public health, protection of the
resource base, and national and international confidence in Canadian
agriculture and food products. That is why Canada's meat producers have
established food safety systems that start at the farm or ranch. More
information...
Post-farm food safety systems
Warehouse HACCP Program
This program, developed by the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors,
provides members with a government-approved resource for implementing
HACCP-based programs at both retail and warehouse levels.
www.ccgd.ca
Repacking and Wholesale Food Safety Program
This is a national, HACCP-based and auditable food safety program led
by Canadian Produce Marketing Association. It is designed for businesses
involved in the repacking or wholesale of domestic and imported fresh
fruits and vegetables.
www.cpma.ca
Trucking Food Safety Program
The Canadian Trucking Alliance initiative aims to deliver a practical,
cost-effective and results-oriented program for ensuring food safety
within Canada's trucking community.
www.kasarcanada.com
Food Safety Standard for Packing
The Packing Association of Canada developed voluntary programs specifically
for the food packing sector. It is designed to help food packers harmonize
with HACCP, the international protocol used by the global food and beverage
industry.
www.pac.ca
Traceability
Can-Trace
An industry-led initiative developing minimum requirements for traceability
standards for all food products sold in Canada.
www.can-trace.org
Canadian Sheep Identification Program
The Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP) is an industry-led,
mandatory initiative to develop a traceability system for sheep.
www.cansheep.ca
Canadian Bison Identification Program
An industry program that initiated and established a trace-back system
for the control and eradication of disease. It operates in conjunction
with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency.
www.canadianbison.ca
Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency is a non-profit, industry-led
organization incorporated to establish a national cattle identification
program.
www.canadaid.com
Organics
Canada Organic Regime: A Certified Choice
Canada has had voluntary organic standards in place for some time but
in 2009 implemented a mandatory national standard. As a result, Canada
and the United States now have an agreement that recognizes each other's
organic standards. Plans for equivalency with the European Union's organic
standards are also underway.
www.inspection.gc.ca
Animal welfare
Flock Care Program
An auditable program designed by the Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency
to ensure proper handling and care of turkeys as based on the Recommended
Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm
Animals – Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders from Hatchery to Processing
Plant.
www.turkeyfarmersofcanada.ca
Annex 1 - Livestock
Canada's livestock sector continually strives to uphold the strong reputation it has earned as a consistent supplier of safe and healthy livestock through a number of initiatives.
Beef
Quality Starts Here√TM Verified Beef Production
Program
This on-farm food safety program by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association
is for beef producers across Canada. Producers who follow this program's
guidelines for procedures and record-keeping, ensure that products leaving
the farm-gate are as safe as possible – and they have the verified records
to show it.
www.qualitystartshere.on.ca
Bison
Canadian Quality Bison Program
This Canadian Bison Association program is made up of several components
including HACCP-based on-farm food safety, animal identification and
traceability, as well as animal welfare.
www.canadianbison.ca
Chicken
Safe, Safer, SafestTM
Chicken Farmers of Canada's on-farm food safety program combines good
production practices (GPP) and internationally recognized Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles into chicken production.
www.chicken.ca
Pork
Canadian Quality AssuranceTM
This program is led by the Canadian Pork Council. Producer records and
protocols are reviewed by a program validator once a year. The farm
facilities are examined by the validator on the initial visit, and every
third year thereafter to ensure that program requirements are being
met. Once the farm has met all the program standards, it can become
CQA®-certified.
www.cqa-aqc.ca
Sheep
Canadian Sheep and Lamb Food-Safe Farm Practices
This Canadian Sheep Federation Program examines all areas of production
and outlines management options designed to minimize food safety risks.
It is based on good production practices (GPPs).
www.cansheep.ca
Turkey
Canadian Turkey Marketing Agency's OFFS Program
This national program incorporates biosecurity procedures and requires
detailed on-farm record-keeping and documentation, which are audited
on a regular basis.
www.turkeyfarmersofcanada.ca