Category: Canada

  • Proposed Amendment Would Provide Funds for FDA Oversight of CBD

    Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.), in partnership with the Natural Products Association, has reportedly filed an amendment to the House Agriculture appropriations bill that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) funding to undertake the process to identify a safe daily intake level of cannabidiol (CBD). “Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Act…

  • Canada to Ban Single-Use Plastics

    The Government of Canada has announced that it “is taking additional steps to reduce Canada’s plastic waste, support innovation, and promote the use of affordable and safe alternatives” by banning “harmful single-use plastics as early as 2021 (such as plastic bags, straws, cutlery, plates, and stir sticks).” The announcement indicates that the “measures will be…

  • Canadian Food Safety Law Takes Effect

    The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), which consolidates 14 Canadian food safety laws into one set of rules, went into effect January 15, 2019. The final rules were published in June 2018 and aim to “provide clear and consistent rules for food commodities so consumers can be confident that food on grocery shelves is…

  • Canada to Revise Beer Compositional Standards

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has proposed changes to its compositional standards of beer, ale, stout, porter and malt liquor “to allow for innovation within the beer category while still preserving product integrity and to better reflect the tastes and needs of consumers.” The proposed amendments would update the definition of beer to allow the…

  • Canada Reportedly Bans Soylent Sales

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has reportedly banned sales and distribution of Soylent meal-replacement drinks because they “do not meet a select few of the CFIA requirements.” In a letter posted on Soylent’s website, Rosa Foods’ CEO Rob Rhinehart said the CFIA informed the company of its decision. Rhinehart said Soylent is working with…

  • Canadian Lawmakers Reject GMO Labeling Bill

    The Canadian House of Commons has voted 216-­67 against a proposal to require mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food. The proposed bill would have amended Canada’s Food and Drug Act to state “No person shall sell any food that is genetically modified unless its label contains information . . . to prevent…

  • Canada Proposes Ban on PHO by Summer 2018

    Canada has announced a proposal to ban the use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) in food by adding them to the agency’s “List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances in Food” by summer 2018. That deadline would bring Canada in line with the United States, where food manufacturers have until June 2018 to remove PHO…

  • Canadian Senate Committee Advocates Soda Tax in “Groundbreaking” Obesity Report

    The Canadian Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has issued a “groundbreaking” report on obesity that calls for a tax on sugar- and artificially-sweetened beverages as well as a ban on advertising food and drink to children. Titled Obesity in Canada: A Whole-of-Society Approach for a Healthier Canada, the March 2016 report…