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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Border Controls
What does it mean?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in coordination with other government and international partners, is constantly assessing the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan as it evolves and taking appropriate actions as necessary to protect Canada's food system.
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has implemented enhanced import controls on all food and animal feed products from areas in Japan affected by the ongoing nuclear crisis. These products will not be allowed entry into the Canadian food and feed systems without acceptable documentation or test results verifying their safety. In addition, the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has launched a sampling and testing strategy to monitor radiation levels of products being imported from Japan.
Canada's actions complement steps taken by the Japanese government to ban the sale of food contaminated with radioactive material in Japan. These controls also add an additional safeguard to Canada's existing import controls.
What areas of Japan are considered affected by Canada's import controls?
Currently, the areas considered affected include:
What actions will be taken if the targeted products reach the Canadian border?
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has instructed the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to refer all shipments of food and feed from Japan to the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> National Import Service Centre. <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> officials will assess the shipments to determine if they can enter the Canadian marketplace.
How will <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> staff evaluate the safety of these imported products?
All shipments of food and animal feed from Japan must be accompanied by a signed attestation from the importer indicating that:
Products from Japan without the appropriate documentation will be held and tested by Canadian authorities to determine if they can enter the Canadian food supply. Only products determined to be safe will be allowed to enter the marketplace.
Any potentially contaminated products will be disposed of in accordance with protocols from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Will the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> be sampling and testing products imported from Japan?
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has launched a sampling and testing strategy to monitor radiation levels of products being imported from Japan.
As part of this approach, the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> will:
When do the enhanced import controls take effect?
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM>'s enhanced border controls related to the nuclear crisis in Japan first came into effect on March 24, 2011. Expanded import controls to include all food and feed products from Japan are effective April 1, 2011.
What does it mean?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in coordination with other government and international partners, is constantly assessing the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan as it evolves and taking appropriate actions as necessary to protect Canada's food system.
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has implemented enhanced import controls on all food and animal feed products from areas in Japan affected by the ongoing nuclear crisis. These products will not be allowed entry into the Canadian food and feed systems without acceptable documentation or test results verifying their safety. In addition, the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has launched a sampling and testing strategy to monitor radiation levels of products being imported from Japan.
Canada's actions complement steps taken by the Japanese government to ban the sale of food contaminated with radioactive material in Japan. These controls also add an additional safeguard to Canada's existing import controls.
What areas of Japan are considered affected by Canada's import controls?
Currently, the areas considered affected include:
- Fukushima
- Gunma
- Ibaraki
- Tochigi
- Miyagi
- Yamagata
- Niigata
- Nagano
- Yamanashi
- Saitama
- Tokyo
- Chiba
What actions will be taken if the targeted products reach the Canadian border?
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has instructed the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to refer all shipments of food and feed from Japan to the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> National Import Service Centre. <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> officials will assess the shipments to determine if they can enter the Canadian marketplace.
How will <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> staff evaluate the safety of these imported products?
All shipments of food and animal feed from Japan must be accompanied by a signed attestation from the importer indicating that:
- products did not originate from the affected areas in Japan. This must be verifiable with acceptable documentation (for example, production, transport and warehousing records).
or - products were produced, grown, processed, packaged or stored in one or more of the affected areas before March 11, 2011 and have been transported and stored outside of those areas until they arrived in Canada. This must be verifiable with acceptable documentation (production, transport and warehousing records).
or - products were produced, grown, processed, packaged or stored in any of the affected areas after March 11, 2011, but have been tested for residual activity by a laboratory acceptable to the Government of Canada and found to have residual levels of background radioactivity below Canadian action levels. The attestation must be accompanied by a certificate of analysis.
Products from Japan without the appropriate documentation will be held and tested by Canadian authorities to determine if they can enter the Canadian food supply. Only products determined to be safe will be allowed to enter the marketplace.
Any potentially contaminated products will be disposed of in accordance with protocols from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
Will the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> be sampling and testing products imported from Japan?
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> has launched a sampling and testing strategy to monitor radiation levels of products being imported from Japan.
As part of this approach, the <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM> will:
- sample and test targeted food and animal feed originating from the affected areas in Japan
- sample and test food and animal feed from Japan that is not accompanied by the appropriate documentation
- randomly sample and test food and animal feed from other areas of Japan.
When do the enhanced import controls take effect?
The <ACRONYM title="Canadian Food Inspection Agency">CFIA</ACRONYM>'s enhanced border controls related to the nuclear crisis in Japan first came into effect on March 24, 2011. Expanded import controls to include all food and feed products from Japan are effective April 1, 2011.
