Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 1, 2024
The Food Directorate’s Bureau of Chemical Safety would like to advise you of the following update(s) on “Food Additives”. Please contact Susan Abel, Principal of FPCSC is you require any assistance – [email protected], our team of experts are at your service. Health Canada has launched a consultation on a revised policy regarding the regulation of foods derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) cloned cattle and swine, and their progeny. This consultation will be open for 60 days, from March 26 to May 25, 2024. This alert is directed to employers, contractors, staffing agencies and employees in the food processing industry, including cleaning and maintenance shifts, to increase awareness and help ensure the industry is taking action to reduce the alarming number of serious preventable injuries, including deaths, in poultry, meat and other food processing establishments. In an effort to reduce confusion about certain products Listed in the Processing and Handling scope, OMRI has revised the OMRI Generic Materials List© (including the OMRI Standards Manual©) for review to the USDA NOP regulations. This revision is effective March 27, 2024. Health Canada would like to inform you that they have recently launched consultations on the preparation of veterinary new drug submissions. Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a premarket safety assessment of chymosin B from T. reesei GICC03546 for use as a milk clotting enzyme in the manufacture of sour cream and various cheeses. The results of the assessment support the safety of chymosin B from T. reesei GICC03546 for its requested use. The modification came into force on March 21, 2024. The March issue of the Health Product InfoWatch published by Health Canada is now available. This monthly publication provides clinically relevant safety information on pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices and natural health products. Each year, Environment and Climate Change Canada add substances that have been added to the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory. Canada’s NDSL is updated twice per year to include new substances that have not been subject to risk management by the EPA. The provides Canadian manufacturers and importers of these substances reduced regulatory reporting under the New Substances Notification Regulations. The March 2024 issue of the Workplace Hazardous Products Program (WHPP) newsletter is now available! The final assessment for Thallium and its compounds has been published. It is concluded that thallium and its compounds may be harmful to the environment and meet the criteria under paragraph 64(a) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). A risk management approach has been published concurrently to outline the proposed risk management actions. The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for pesticide regulation in Canada. The public registry is where you can learn more about all pest control products registered for use in Canada.
The company was fined for contravening clause 3-1 (c) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to comply with the duties of an employer at a place of employment including the provision of any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the serious injury of a worker). As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $60,714.29 with a surcharge of $24,285.71, for a total amount of $85,000. The Ontario government is increasing the minimum wage from $16.55 per hour to $17.20, effective October 1, 2024. This 3.9 per cent annualized wage increase is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) and brings Ontario’s minimum wage to the second highest in Canada. The New Brunswick Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence (DIPV) in the Workplace Committee has launched a new 5 Module E-Course entitled It’s Your Business: A Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence (DIPV) Workplace Toolkit. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the availability of a guideline to assist meat (including Siluriformes fish and fish products) and poultry establishments in meeting the regulatory requirements for calculating the correct retained water percentage in raw livestock, poultry, and Siluriformes fish carcasses and parts resulting from post-evisceration processing, and the proper labeling of these products. FSIS is also announcing when the Agency will start verifying that establishments are correctly calculating retained water in applicable product. The guideline clarifies the methods an establishment may use to collect and use data to determine the amount of retained water in a product covered by its retained water protocol (RWP). In addition, it provides specific information on protocol development, process control, and air-chilled product claims. Submit comments on or before May 31, 2024. The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule clarifying the rights of employees to authorize a representative to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officer during an inspection of their workplace will be published in the Federal Register on April 1. The Occupational Safety and Health Act gives the employer and employees the right to authorize a representative to accompany OSHA officials during a workplace inspection. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing this final rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address to the extent necessary the unreasonable risk of injury to health presented by chrysotile asbestos based on the risks posed by certain conditions of use. The injuries to human health include mesothelioma and lung, ovarian, and laryngeal cancers resulting from chronic inhalation exposure to chrysotile asbestos. This final rule is effective on May 28, 2024. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking the public for information on the potential ways in which people might be exposed to lead through the use of wheel weights. Lead exposure can have devastating impacts to human health and can be especially harmful to developing children. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the fourth Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) test order requiring testing on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under EPA’s National PFAS Testing Strategy, the latest action taken under EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront contamination from “forever chemicals” nationwide. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule under section 8(d) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that would require manufacturers (including importers) of 16 chemicals to report data from unpublished health and safety studies to EPA. In addition to health and safety studies, manufacturers would also be required to submit unpublished studies on environmental effects and occupational, general population and consumer exposure for these chemicals. These studies would help inform EPA’s prioritization, risk evaluation and risk management of chemicals under TSCA, furthering the Agency’s efforts to protect human health and the environment. From 24 April 2024: changes to AICIS categorisation, reporting & record-keeping requirements. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Enforcement Forum prepares a project to check if suppliers have notified hazardous chemical mixtures to the poison centres. The poison centre notifications allow appropriate emergency response. Safety Share Join the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents. Struck-by incidents are the second leading cause of workplace deaths and the leading cause of nonfatal injuries among construction workers. Have an event you would like to share? Please send details to [email protected]. Weaving together technical application presentations with case studies and project overviews, ensure your seat at the table for this important plant operations conference! Plan to attend Canada’s premier environmental event, as it returns to a fully in-person format that is designed to meet your compliance needs, and connect you to experts and peers. The Baking Association of Canada’s national baking industry event will feature a bustling trade show and conference, inspirational speakers, education sessions, competitions and demonstrations and countless opportunities to network and benefit your business. The American Chemistry Council welcomes you to make plans to join your colleagues at one of the industry’s leading events focused on the environmental, health, safety & sustainability arena. Collaborate and network with thousands of your colleagues, experts from several industries, and NFPA staff on life, fire, and electrical safety innovation at the 2024 NFPA Conference & Expo. ChemEdge is a conference and trade show tailored for the chemical distribution channel. It provides training and education on issues important to chemical distributors, manufacturers, warehouses and service support companies.Advocacy
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