Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar has been named as president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) effective Feb. 27, 2023. The former CFIA president, Dr. Siddika Mithani, retired on Jan. 20 in what officials say was a planned exit. However Mithani’s leadership was called into question by an October 2022 letter to Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister […] Read more
Tag Archives canadian food inspection agency
Kochhar named new CFIA president
Borderline city hosts interprovincial food trade pilot
Trade barrier on pause for two years for food businesses serving Lloydminster
The idea of loosening interprovincial trade in certain foods made by provincially-inspected processors will get a major test in one of Canada’s very few province-crossing municipalities. The Saskatchewan, Alberta and federal governments on Jan. 19 announced the start of a two-year pilot project within the limits of Lloydminster, a city of over 31,000 people straddling […] Read more
CFIA president retires
NFU calls for next agency boss to prevent 'regulatory capture'
Canada’s federal regulator for the food and animal and plant health sectors is in the market for a new president following the incumbent’s retirement. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed its president, Dr. Siddika Mithani, has retired from the federal public service effective Jan. 20. Mithani has led CFIA since February 2019, having served […] Read more
Federal government’s plan to approve gene editing slows down
Hold-up appears to be how to satisfy organic sector, which opposes biotech tool because of impact on sensitive markets
Glacier FarmMedia – Guidance on how gene editing will be used in Canadian plant breeding is still not available and that doesn’t sit well with the Conservative opposition. “This is important and we need this done,” said agriculture critic John Barlow in an interview. He raised the concern during a standing agriculture committee meeting on […] Read more
CropLife not driving CFIA policy, agency says
NFU calls for CFIA head's ouster over 'indication of improper collaboration'
The National Farmers Union and a clutch of other organizations have asked Canada’s federal ag minister to replace the president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, citing questions about the provenance of regulatory proposals on gene-edited seed. CFIA officials, however, reject the NFU’s allegation that the metadata attached to the proposal document in question may […] Read more
Lessons learned from the H5N1 outbreak
Changes to disease response must be considered as climate change means the virus will continue to be a threat
Canada’s poultry sector has seen relatively minor repercussions from an ongoing global outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (AI) but panelists at the recent Health Day hosted by the Poultry Industry Council (PIC) agreed that changes to disease response must be considered if the industry wants to avoid future harm. That’s largely because this strain […] Read more
Avian flu hits more Alberta, Ontario poultry flocks
Alberta cases spread north, east
Three additional poultry flocks in central Alberta and one in eastern Ontario were confirmed over the weekend to be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Monday it had confirmed high-path H5N1 avian flu on Friday in a commercial poultry flock in Kneehill County, between Calgary and Red Deer, and […] Read more
‘Expedited’ potato wart survey helps make case for P.E.I., CFIA says
National survey done 'ahead of schedule'
A national survey finding no potato wart in any “unregulated” Canadian fields should offer the reassurance on Prince Edward Island potatoes that trading partners such as the U.S. are now looking for, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. CFIA on Thursday reported it has completed this fall’s national survey for the soil-borne fungal potato disease […] Read more
Dominican Republic restricts pig shipments after ASF confirmed
Reuters – The Dominican Republic is restricting pig shipments and mobilizing the military to contain the spread of African swine fever (ASF), the agriculture ministry said July 29, as the United States and Mexico tightened border checks to avoid infections. In an official statement July 29, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also said it was […] Read more
Canada, U.S. agree on plan if African swine fever infects wild pigs
Zoning would keep other parts of the North American hog market functioning
Glacier FarmMedia – Wild pigs are a worry in Canada and the United States for reasons beyond the damage they do to farms, pasture land and ecosystems. They could be an uncontrollable factor if ever infected with African swine fever. Why it matters: African swine fever has devastating effects on swine herds, as shown in […] Read more
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