Food In Canada

CFIA proposes animal transportation regulation changes

Food in Canada   

Food In Canada Regulation Meat &Poultry amendments Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations transportation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s draft amendments were published in the Canada Gazette in December


In an effort to better reflect current scientific views about animal welfare, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)  is proposing updates to the Health of Animals Regulations that deal with the transportation of animals.

Most of the existing transportation regulations have been in place since the 1970s, and although discussions about changing them have been going on for several years, the draft amendments were just published in the Canada Gazette in December 2016. To view the whole proposal, click here.

According to the Canada Gazette, “The current provisions of the Health of Animals Regulations (HAR or the Regulations) dealing with the transportation of animals do not reflect current science regarding the care and handling of animals, do not align with the standards of Canada’s international trading partners, and are not aligned with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) welfare standards for animals transported by land, air, and sea. This leads to a continuing risk that animals will suffer during transportation.”

To address these shortcomings, the CFIA is proposing to amend the regulations so that they:

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  • Provide clarification by adding definitions (for example definitions for compromised and unfit animals) and establishing clear requirements for regulated parties to better understand what is expected of them;
  • Improve animal welfare and reduce risk of suffering during transportation by establishing clear and science-informed requirements that better reflect animals’ needs and current industry practices;
  • Better align with the standards of Canada’s international trading partners and the OIE animal welfare standards for animals transported by land, air, and sea; and
  • Remove obsolete or unnecessary requirements to reduce the burden on the industry.

Comments on the proposed changes are due to the CFIA by Feb. 15, 2017. Details on how to comment can be found on the CFIA website


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