Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: Canada

  • Health Canada Expected to Declare BPA Hazardous to Human Health

    According to a news source, Health Canada is about to become the first country to formally place bisphenol A (BPA) on its toxic substances list and prohibit its use in baby bottles. An official announcement in the Canada Gazette is reportedly imminent, although nothing on the government agency’s website confirms this report. Health Minister Tony…

  • United States and Canada Agree on Organic Equivalency Standards

    The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has announced that the United States and Canada have agreed to finalize negotiations on their organic equivalency standards before the new rule is implemented on June 30, 2009, to ensure trade continues uninterrupted. The new Organic Products Regulations will require all Canadian organic products to be endorsed by a certification…

  • Health Canada Finds BPA in Canned Drink Products

    Health Canada has published the results of a survey it conducted to detect and measure levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in canned beverages such as soft drinks, tea and energy drinks. The federal agency detected the chemical in nearly all of the samples tested, with some of the highest levels appearing in energy drinks containing…

  • Food Safety Expert Says Canada’s Listeria-Testing Rules Do Not Go Far Enough

    As the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) unveiled tougher Listeria-testing rules for ready-to-eat meat manufacturing facilities at the end of February 2009, one of the federal government’s food safety advisors reportedly claimed that the rules do not go far enough for large operations. The tougher rules resulted from last summer’s listeriosis outbreak that purportedly led…

  • Health Canada Seeks Comments on Acrylamide Proposal

    Health Canada has recommended adding acrylamide to the country’s list of toxic substances. The chemical is produced when sugars and an amino acid in starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures, causing a reaction called the Maillard effect. Acrylamide has been detected in breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, breads and rolls, coffee, and potato products such…

  • Quebec Signals Harsher Penalties for Youth Marketing Law Violations

    Quebec courts have reportedly fined a snack cake manufacturer CAN$44,000 for violating the province’s Consumer Protection Act, which forbids marketing to children younger than age 13. Saputo Inc. pleaded guilty to 22 charges resulting from a complaint filed by anti-obesity advocate Coalition Poids and the Union des Consommateurs. The groups claimed that Saputo used a cartoon…

  • Canada Challenges U.S. COOL Law Before World Trade Organization

    The Canadian government has reportedly filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), challenging the U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law. According to a news source, Canada alleges that COOL will impose unnecessary costs on meatpackers that use Canadian livestock and could lead to additional and more stringent labeling requirements in other countries. Canadian Trade…

  • Toronto Bans Sale of Bottled Water on City Property

    Toronto’s city council has approved a ban on the sale and distribution of bottled water at city facilities, making it the largest city in the world to impose such a ban. The council also approved a measure requiring shoppers to pay five Canadian cents for plastic bags and business owners to offer reusable bags and…