Regulatory
REGULATORY NEWS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 13, 2023
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a Food import notice to inform importers that on February 12, 2024, the CFIA will activate the automatic verification of Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licences for imports of manufactured foods. Food import transactions will be automatically rejected unless a valid SFC licence is declared. The CFIA has also updated its guidance on Importing food with a valid Safe Food for Canadians licence. If you import food into Canada, refer to this guidance for more information on automatic licence verification and the steps you can take to make sure your SFC licence is valid. Holding a valid SFC licence before you submit your import declaration will help to prevent your food shipment from being delayed at the border. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting efficient and resilient supply chains. This Supply Chain Regulatory Review will examine federal regulations and regulatory practices, with a view to better support the movement of commodities and goods in Canada and across the border. The consultation closes on January 15, 2024. OMRI is excited to announce an update to the Formulation Builder in our online application system. Additionally, there is a new Ingredient Archive button located on your company page that will display ingredient information previously entered by your company in online applications. The proposed Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Concerning Food Additives and Compositional Standards, Microbiological Criteria and Methods of Analysis for Food were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on November 4, 2023 and will be open for comment until February 2, 2024. The New Substances program is currently evaluating the GloFish® Cosmic Blue®, Electric Green®, Galactic Purple® and Sunburst Orange® sharks, notified by Spectrum Brands Canada on October 3, 2023. A summary of the notifications is available on the Government of Canada website. Further to subsection 108.1(1) of the Act, interested Canadians are invited to submit comments, including scientific information and test data related to potential risks to the environment or human health from the new living organisms, during a 30-day comment period, which will commence on November 13, 2023, and end on December 13, 2023. The Government of Canada welcomes the tabling of five reports from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development and thanks him for his important work in reviewing federal programs and policies to help deliver the best possible results for Canadians. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and other departments are already taking action to address the Commissioner’s recommendations. On November 6, 2023, Plastique Royal inc. was ordered by the Court of Québec, at the Laval courthouse, to pay a fine of $600,000. The company pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (the Act) and one count of violating the Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Concentration Limits for Automotive Refinishing Products Regulations (the Regulations). The fine will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
WorkSafeBC announces that the average base premium rate for 2024 is 1.55 percent of employers’ assessable payroll, which has been maintained at the same level since 2018. Our strong financial results have enabled us to keep the average rate flat for 2024. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, employers and workers will be required to cooperate in a worker’s timely and safe return to work after an injury. Additionally, employers with more than 20 workers will have a legal duty to maintain a worker’s employment. The Ontario government will soon introduce legislation that, if passed, would require employers to include expected salary ranges in job postings, giving workers more information to make informed decisions in their career search. In addition, the legislation would make Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada to require businesses to disclose if artificial intelligence (AI) is used during their hiring process. The Ontario government will soon introduce legislation that, if passed, would make it the first province in Canada to help even more internationally-trained immigrants work in the fields they’ve studied in by banning the use of Canadian work experience as a requirement in job postings or application forms. To help workers dealing with a critical illness, the government will be launching consultations on a new, job-protected leave to match the length of federal Employment Insurance sickness benefits, which is 26 weeks. A job-protected leave could ensure employees who receive a diagnosis of cancer or other diseases will have the peace of mind that their job will be waiting for them while they seek treatment. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) programs, the Accredited Third-Party Certification Program (TPP) and the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program (LAAF), are each offering a QR code and a graphic element to communicate the status of participants in TPP and LAAF and to promote awareness of the programs. Neither the QR codes nor graphic elements are required to be used by either program’s participants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an update to its online submission module to improve communication for industry who send regulatory submissions to FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry and the public on the requirements related to cosmetic product facility registration and cosmetic product listing under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) entitled “Compliance Policy for Cosmetic Product Facility Registration and Cosmetic Product Listing.” This guidance announces FDA’s intention to delay enforcement of the requirements related to cosmetic product facility registration and cosmetic product listing for an additional 6 months after the initial December 29, 2023, deadline. 1,4-Dioxane is a chemical present in some everyday household cleaning and personal care products, where it shows up as a manufacturing byproduct. A cancer-causing chemical on the Proposition 65 list, 1-4 dioxane is also found in some paints, varnishes, and glues, as well as some drinking water supplies. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends its Hazardous Materials Safety Permit (HMSP) regulations to incorporate by reference the updated Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) handbook containing inspection procedures and out-of-service criteria (OOSC) for inspections of shipments of transuranic waste and highway route-controlled quantities (HRCQs) of radioactive material (RAM). The OOSC provide enforcement personnel nationwide, including FMCSA’s State partners, with uniform enforcement tolerances for inspections. Currently, the regulations reference the April 1, 2022, edition of the handbook. Through this rule, FMCSA incorporates by reference the April 1, 2023, edition. The Chemical Review Committee at its 19th meeting recommended that chlorpyrifos and mercury be listed in Annex III to the Convention. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and its sister agencies providing scientific advice on environment, public health and food safety have published a joint statement to express their common commitment to support the One Health agenda in Europe. One Health brings together the One Health efforts made by EFSA and the other four ENVI agencies: the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Enforcement Forum has published its advice on the enforceability of the proposed PFAS restriction prepared by five national authorities. Safety Share Despite growing national conversation on violence and harassment in the workplace, bullying continues to affect many workers. Have an event you would like to share? Please send details to [email protected]. IHSA welcomes you to join us via Zoom for the second annual NCSO®/NHSA™ Educational Conference on Thursday, Nov. 23rd at 8:00 a.m. This half-day event will provide NCSO/NHSAs with an opportunity to increase their knowledge of relevant health and safety topics and learn more about some of the key areas important to maintaining their NCSO®/NHSA™ status. As Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada begins to organize logistics around the Wrap-up Conference, we ask that parties interested in attending please reply to this message by September 8, 2023 email to: [email protected] The Forum is an annual event and brings together scientists and public and private stakeholders with expertise on endocrine disruptors to exchange information and best practices, identify challenges and build synergies. This year the Forum will include sessions on regulatory updates by the European Commission and Agencies; global developments; research; national, regional and local initiatives; and a specific focus on PFAS. The next European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Conference will take place on 28 February 2024 in Helsinki. As we are preparing the programme, we want to hear what would be the most important topics for you. So, fill in our short survey and help us shape a relevant and inspiring stakeholder event. The 2024 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo will take place March 10–14, 2024, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit the 2024 website to view upcoming deadlines. 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.Advocacy
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