Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 24, 2023
The National Day of Mourning is a day to remember and honour those lives lost or injured due to a workplace tragedy, and to collectively renew our commitment to improve health and safety in the workplace and prevent further injuries, illnesses and deaths. Pause at 11 am for a moment of silence to honour workers who have died, were injured, or became ill from their job. Health Canada is facilitating the temporary importation of infant formula to improve supply. New regular infant formulas are now beginning to appear in retail stores and pharmacies across the country and more are expected later in May 2023. National Immunization Awareness Week (NIAW), celebrated each year during the last week of April, highlights and recognizes the importance, safety and effectiveness of vaccines. NIAW 2023 is an opportunity for us to reflect on improvements in people’s health and quality of life over the last century and more as a result of widespread vaccination. As part of its broader commitment to move toward zero plastic waste, the Government of Canada is consulting on recycled content and labelling, comments are needed before May 18, 2023. This notice is to inform Canadians of the decisions adopted at the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP19) to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the intent of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to implement these decisions in Canada. The Minister intends to request an exemption from prepublication of amendments to the Wild Animal and Plant Trade Regulations (WAPTR) in the Canada Gazette, Part I. Final regulatory amendments to WAPTR are currently anticipated to be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, in fall 2023. The guidance document What to consider before applying for a Safe Food for Canadians licence has been updated to clarify licensing requirements for manufacturers and importers of infant formula and human milk fortifier. In addition, “human milk fortifiers” have been added as an example of food under the Manufactured foods commodity, sub-commodity Infant foods. Please be advised, public consultations on the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) have launched and will be open until May 9, 2023. Submissions received from these consultations will help define Canada’s priorities in potential APEP negotiations. There are a variety of ways Canadians, including agriculture and agri-food industry stakeholders, can participate. Health Canada’s Food Directorate completed a safety assessment of L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine for use as a supplemental ingredient in foods, under the Supplemented Foods regulatory framework. The results of the assessment support the safety of L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine. Consequently, Health Canada intends to enable the use of L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine as a source of supplemental choline by modifying the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients as described in the Notice of Proposal information document. The Commissioner’s latest reports reviewed federal programs and policies for the 2019 to October 2022 time period to ensure they were achieving their stated objectives. The reports contain a series of findings and recommendations that are primarily directed at the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). April 30th is the deadline for reporting PERC (perchloroethylene). For your convenience, you can submit your report by email or regular mail to the addresses below using the documents you received in the reporting package. An electronic version of the reporting form is also available. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is seeking your help in providing information that could help inform future assessment activities and clarify the information that was received. The information that we require can be provided by responding to the questions in the attached Excel file for each of the relevant substances that you are currently involved with. ECCC is requesting information for years 2021 and 2022, to ensure that information on use patterns and quantities are reflecting current activities. The deadline is June 11, 2023. The purpose of this notice is to articulate how the remaining 65 substances will be addressed as the Government transitions to new priorities and an enhanced assessment program resulting from proposed amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). The 65 substances (see Annex I) have been placed into two categories to be addressed. The Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for pesticide regulation in Canada. The following consultation have begun: Clopyralid – PMRL2023-21 Mandestrobin – PMRL2023-22 Pydiflumetofen – PMRL2023-23
Alberta’s government is making it easier for certified professionals from across Canada to work in Alberta and join the booming economy. The Ontario government is investing more than $15 million to help address veterinary shortages in rural and northern communities, making it easier for farmers and large animal owners to access veterinary care when and where they need it. A new federal-provincial partnership will support the sustainability and competitiveness of the province’s agriculture sector. WorkSafeNB is still accepting payroll reports (Form 100). Employers who don’t file by April 28 will be arbitrarily assessed (automatically billed based off last year’s payroll estimate). The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting the interim final rule on non-discretionary quality control provisions of Title IV of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, and its correction, as final. In this final rule, USDA is also removing one obsolete paragraph from the interim final rule due to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) subsequent approval of information collection activities associated with the rule. DATES: Effective April 18, 2023. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is requesting information to help empower consumers with accurate, informative, and accessible food labeling. The purpose of this request is to obtain current information on the content, format, and accuracy of food label information that is presented to consumers through online grocery shopping platforms. Either electronic or written comments on the notice must be submitted by July 24, 2023. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will reopen the comment period for the draft guidance entitled “Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements; Draft Guidance for Industry,” that appeared in the Federal Register on February 23, 2023. The new deadline for comments will be determined when the reopening notice publishes. The FDA is reopening the comment period in response to requests from stakeholders to allow additional time for interested persons to develop and submit comments. Comments should be submitted to Regulations.gov and identified with the docket number FDA-2023-D-0451. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the latest action to protect public health under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), proposing a ban on most uses of methylene chloride, a dangerous chemical known to cause serious health risks and even death. A bill to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide for a consistent definition for plant biostimulants. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This notice invites comments on a proposed information collection titled Human Factors Considerations in Commercial Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. It is a driving simulator study with a series of questionnaires that will evaluate how commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers engage in CMVs equipped with SAE International Level 2 (L2) advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and Level 3 (L3) automated driving systems (ADS). Effective April 21, 2023, the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is adding 1,1,1-trichloroethane (CAS Registry Number 71-55-6) and leucomalachite green (CAS Registry Number 129-73-7) to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer for purposes of Proposition 65. The listing of these chemicals is pursuant to the “Labor Code” listing mechanism. The warning requirement for significant exposures to these chemicals will take effect on April 21, 2024. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is pleased to announce Meeting 136, Talc and Acrylonitrile, of the IARC Monographs. The meeting will be held on 11–18 June 2024. Germany submitted an intention to restrict the manufacture, placing on the market and use of 1,4-dioxane (EC 204-661-8; CAS 123-91-1) in surfactants on 19 April 2023. The restriction proposal will be submitted on 12 April 2024. A call for evidence organised by Germany will open on Thursday 20 April 2023 and close on 20 June 2023. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Commission has updated the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation with the following hazard classes: Safety Share Once inside a grain storage bin, a worker can find themselves engulfed or trapped by flowing grain in just seconds. In 2021, 38 percent of reported grain engulfments turned deadly because required safeguards were not followed. OSHA’s Grain Handling Safety Standards focus on the grain and feed industry’s six major hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, “struck by,” combustible dust explosions and electrocution hazard. Learn more about OSHA and agriculture industry safety resources. Have an event you would like to share? Please send details to [email protected]. The sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-16), the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-11) and the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-11) will be held in Geneva, from 1 to 12 May 2023. The New York Society of Cosmetics Chemists will hold its Suppliers’ Day on May 2-3, 2023 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Achieving Excellence in Safety, Stewardship and Sustainability Take this opportunity to mark in your calendars next years Bakery Showcase, May 14, 15 2023 in Vancouver BC. Ekotox Centers together with partners and representatives of Cefic, Eurometaux, EPMF are all kindly willing to participate on the REACH Conference Bratislava 2023. Ready for the Ontario food and beverage processing industry’s best annual event? It’s that time again to hear from industry experts and network with colleagues at Food and Beverage Ontario’s 9th Annual Conference. Location: Steam Whistle Brewery, 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3M9. Time: 11:30 am to 6:30 pm ET. The workshop will be an opportunity to bring stakeholders together and develop a common understanding of what new approach methodologies (NAMs), can achieve in the short and long term. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) will host its annual Conference & Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on June 19-21, 2023. This comprehensive event brings together thousands of the industry’s leading professionals who will attend more than 110 educational sessions addressing the latest issues, challenges, and trends in the world of fire, electrical, and life safety. Over two days delegates will come to learn from dozens industry leaders and technical experts about the exciting opportunities within Canada’s downstream sector. ChemEdge 2023 is bringing supply chain professionals all along the chemical distribution industry together to share best practices and business solutions. There is no other health and safety event like this in Canada. Make a plan to join us for this two-day national event that will bring together leaders, change makers, and subject experts representing government, labour, and workplaces, to share their knowledge and experience around current and emerging health and safety issues.Advocacy
If you have mustard allergy, you may have an allergic reaction if you eat foods containing added canola protein. Health Canada expects food manufacturers to label all foods that contain a canola protein ingredient, but do not contain mustard, with a cautionary statement indicating canola protein may not be suitable for individuals with mustard allergy. This allows people with mustard allergy to make an informed food choice.Canadian Federal News
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