G/SPS/N/CAN/845  
 
5 August 2014  
(14-4569)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: CANADA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Food intended for human consumption 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Foreign Food Safety Systems Recognition: Proposed 
Framework (FFSSR)  Language(s): English and French  Number of pages: 7 and 8 
6. Description of content: As indicated in A New Regulatory Framework for Federal Food 
Inspection: Overview of Proposed Regulations  (G/SPS/N/CAN/700/Rev.1 notified on 
5 June 2014), Canada has released a draft Framework for Foreign Food Safety Systems Recognition [FFSSR], which describes the CFIA's approach to the recognition of a foreign 
country's food safety system. The proposed fr amework identifies its benefits and guiding 
principles and outlines a process to guide th e implementation of this approach for the 
CFIA. 
FFSSR is an approach which involves the recognition that two countries' food safety 
control systems can achieve comparable public health outcomes based on comprehensive legislative frameworks, impl ementation and oversight programs, and 
monitoring of regulatory performance.  It is one approach that may be used by the CFIA 
in its risk management activities for imported food. 
Recognition of an exporting country's meat in spection system will continue to be a pre-
requisite to importation into Canada based on Canada's existing assessment process. 
Imports of other commodities such as molluscan shellfish may also be identified as 
requiring systems recognition prior to admissibility, based on risk. 
Applicable animal and/or plant health import requirements are not within the scope of 
the framework and must be met in order for f ood products to be imported into Canada. 
7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/CAN/845 
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) CAC/GL 26-1997; CAC/GL 34-1999 ( Guidelines for 
the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accr editation of Food Import and Export 
Inspection and Certification Systems and Guidelines on the Judgement of 
Equivalence of Sanitary Measures A ssociated with Food Inspection and 
Certification Systems ) 
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [X] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard: The proposed framework is based on international standards 
and provides specificity to guide implementation by the CFIA. 
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: A New 
Regulatory Framework for Federal Food Inspec tion: Overview of Proposed Regulations: 
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/abo ut-the-cfia/accountability/co nsultations/federal-food-
inspection/eng/1400782729114/1400782730114  (English) 
http://www.inspection.g c.ca/au-sujet-de-l-
acia/responsabilisation/consultations/inspection-federale-des-
aliments/fra/1400782729114/1400782730114  (French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Fall/Winter 2014/15 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Fall/Winter 2014/15 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : June 2015 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 29 August 2014 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Comments can be submitted directly to: 
CFIA-Modernisation-ACIA@inspection.gc.ca  
13. Texts available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The electronic version of the proposed policy document can be downloaded at:  
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/abo ut-the-cfia/accountability/co nsultations/foreign-food-
safety-systems-recognition/proposed-framework/eng/1400593024679/1400593048394  
(English) 
http://www.inspection.g c.ca/au-sujet-de-l-
acia/responsabilisation/consultations/reconnaissance-des-systemes-de-salubrite-des-
alime/cadre-propose/fra/1400593024679/1400593048394  (French)