Frequently Asked Questions about Canadian Food Inspection Agency:
Can I prepare and sell food from my home?
All food sold in Canada must comply with the requirements of the Food and Drugs Act and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and their related regulations. You can access the Food and Drugs Act, Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and other legislation enforced by the CFIA at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca. You can review labelling related requirements in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency`s Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising.
Before beginning a home-based food business, you should verify municipal and provincial licensing requirements. Health related requirements may also be regulated by your local health authority or board of health. The authorities who are responsible for restaurant and food service inspection in Canada are also generally responsible for inspecting home food businesses.
How do I report a plant pest?
Plant pests can usually be divided into two categories – nuisance and exotic. The CFIA is most concerned with the reporting of exotic (foreign) pests. Prior to contacting the CFIA, you may want to check with your local plant nursery, municipal horticulturist or the provincial agricultural specialist located in your area to determine if the pest is either nuisance or exotic. Exotic pests are usually introduced to an area through imported products or crating. Try to contain your pest specimen to submit for identification. Please note that some insects can chew through plastic bags.
If you or your local horticulturist suspects that the pest may be exotic, contact your nearest CFIA district office and ask for a plant health specialist
How do I report a potential food safety incident?
If you believe a product presents a health and safety risk, you can report a potential food safety incident to the CFIA:
- by contacting an area recall coordinator – contact
- by telephone at 1-800-442-2342
If you suspect that your health has been compromised because of food, contact your family physician or local health authority who will follow-up with the appropriate treatment. You can report any concerns about restaurant food to your local inspection authority. If they determine that food appears to be the likely cause of illness, they will contact the CFIA to initiate an investigation.
QWhat does the CFIA do
CFIA delivers 14 inspection programs related to foods, plants and animals across Canada. Our role is to enforce the food safety and nutritional quality standards established by Health Canada and, for animal health and plant protection, to set standards and carry out enforcement and inspection.
Activities range from the inspection of federally-registered meat processing facilities to border inspections for foreign pests and diseases, to the enforcement of practices related to fraudulent labelling. We also verify the humane transportation of animals, conduct food investigations and recalls, perform laboratory testing and environmental assessments of seeds, plants, feeds and fertilizers.
We regulate the import, export and domestic movement of horticulture, forestry and plan tproducts where they are regulated. We also work with exotic pest introductions and the control or eradication of quarantine pests. In a nutshell, were Canadas federal food safety, animal health and plant protection enforcement agency.
For more information on the CFIA, see our Corporate brochure, Protection You Can Count On
What food products can I bring into Canada?
It depends where you are coming from. For more information, please see the publication What Can I Bring into Canada?
What is the CFIA`s role in labelling?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for the administration of food labelling policies related to misrepresentation and fraud in respect to food labelling, packaging and advertising (Food and Drugs Act), and the general agri-food and fish labelling provisions respecting grade, quality and composition, (Canada Agricultural Products Act, Meat Inspection Act and Fish Inspection Act). In addition, responsibility for the administration of the food related provisions of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, including basic food label information, net quantity, metrication and bilingual labelling was transferred to the CFIA from Industry Canada in 1999.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also responsible for the enforcement of all of the above requirements at all trade levels.
Health Canada is responsible for the administration of health and safety standards and the development of food labelling policies related to health and nutrition under the Food and Drugs Act.
For more information on labelling, check out the CFIA’s Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising.
Who do I call if I want to import a pet?
For information on pet imports, visit the CFIA website.
You can also contact one of three regional CFIA Import Service Centres toll-free at:
Eastern Import Service Centre (877) 493-0468
Central Import Service Centre (800) 835-4486
Western Import Service Centre (888) 732-6222