CPMA launches food safety fund

Ottawa – The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) has launched its Canadian Food Safety Fund (CFSF).

As the CPMA explains in a statement, the association identified food safety as a top priority and says that “a food safety incident in one commodity group or segment could have devastating repercussions throughout the industry.”

Ron Lemaire, the president of the CPMA, says in the statement the association saw an opportunity to support research in food safety. He says the CPMA believes there’s a “need for ongoing Canadian-focused research and education in the areas of pathogens, regulatory changes and best practices so members can stay at the forefront of food safety in Canada.”

The CPMA’s aim is to support research projects that smaller companies in the association couldn’t otherwise contribute to.

The CFSF will, says Lemaire, “facilitate and disseminate the important work, current and future, occurring in the produce industry.”

Main goals

The statement says several goals, including:

-supporting Canadian-focused food safety research
-developing educational programs and key information for CPMA members on existing and emerging food safety challenges
-increasing government outreach, including in the U.S. and Mexico, to address food safety issues for CPMA members.

CPMA members can also “suggest or initiate commodity specific projects to address opportunities or challenges faced by their businesses; contribute to the overall body of scientific knowledge…and seek out the advice of CPMA’s new food safety expert, Jeff Hall.”

Info sessions

The CPMA says it will be hosting information sessions on the upcoming Safe Food for Canadians Regulations and the on the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act, which is now in effect.

The sessions are free to CPMA members and media and will take place in January and February in cities in Canada and in the U.S.

For more information, click here.