Meat industry singled out for new penalties

The Canadian meat industry was surprised by an out-of-the-blue announcement by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that it is being singled out for a financial penalty regime for food safety infractions. Jim Laws, president of the Canadian Meat Council, says the agency had said the administrative monetary penalty system (AMPs) would be introduced to the

Lessons For Canada From The Food Safety Modernization Act

FOOD LAWYER / OTTAWA The new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) signed into law by President Barack Obama on Jan. 4 is a model of how not to make food safety law. The Americans laboured long and hard and delivered a mouse. Under the FSMA, some powers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are


Washington’s Tough New Food-Safety Law Could Affect Canada

While it’s too soon to tell for sure, the new U.S. food-safety law could become another big headache for Canadian food exporters. The law, to be implemented over the next 18 months, gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration powers similar to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, namely the authority to proactively protect the food

Germany Announces Anti-Dioxin Action Plan

Germany announced a plan to enforce higher standards in animal feed production Jan. 14 after the discovery of toxic chemical dioxin in feed, which has triggered a health alert and hit sales of German eggs and pork. German and European Union authorities are struggling to contain the alert which began on Jan. 3, when German


Taiwan Seeks Talks With U. S. After Banning Beef

The U. S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said it was “outrageous” for Taiwan to suggest U. S. beef posed risks. Taiwan, eager to mend trade ties with the U. S. a day after overturning part of a deal to import U. S. beef products, said Jan. 6 it would seek to reopen talks with its

China Introduces New Food Safety Law

China said March 2 that food security remains “grim” after a series of health scandals, the most recent being last year’s tainted milk formula that killed at least six toddlers and made almost 300,000 sick. A new food safety law, approved Feb. 28 in an accelerated process after the milk scandal came to light in