Subject Matters

• Agriculture
• Consumer Issues
• Employment and Training
• Environment
• Fisheries
• Health
• Industry
• Infrastructure
• Internal Trade
• International Trade
• Labour
• Science and Technology
• Taxation and Finance
• Transportation

Subject Matter Details

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Providing feedback to government officials on an industry coordinated response. Ensuring the continued safe supply of essential food and consumer goods and the essential work and services of food and consumer goods manufacturers. Monitoring developments and assessing impacts on members.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program, Regulation

• Biotechnology - ensure that Canada's regulatory guidelines on genetic modification and labelling of food are based on scientific principles.
• Cannabis edibles – Monitor the federal government progress on making the sale of edible and self-care cannabis products legal in Canada and understand any related policy or regulation proposals impacting our industry.
• Healthy Eating Strategy – to ensure that policy and regulation proposals on front-of-package labelling, restriction of unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children, sodium reduction initiative and ongoing revision of Canada’s Food Guide are balanced, reasonable and science-based. Providing input into Health Canada's Healthy Eating Strategy consultations.
• International trade negotiations with respect to identifying trade interests and concerns on a global level and improving market access for food and consumer products. Providing feedback to trade negotiators as well as monitoring developments, and assessing impact on members. Three key recommendations include: protect existing market access; update rules that increase the competitiveness of companies operating in Canada; and increase regulatory alignment.
• Modernization of food regulations and legislation - advocate to ensure modernization efforts are supportive of innovation for plant-based foods and include improvements to the transparency and timeliness of food approvals for novel foods, infant formula, food additives and health claims.
• Nutrition information with regard to how FCPC is committed to enabling consumers to make informed food choices based on Canada's Food Guide and the Nutrition Facts Table.
• Participation and input into Canada's sodium reduction strategy concerning targets for certain food categories/sectors and technical aspects of the target - as well as consumer awareness, education and acceptance issues.
• Plastic Charter – to monitor the development of the federal government national strategy on plastic and potential impact our industry.
• Taxation – Refrain food or consumer product-specific taxation.

Policies or Program

• Competitiveness – providing input to ensure that Canada's food and consumer manufacturing sector is competitive throughout the whole supply chain.
• Economic Strategy Tables – Working closely with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on the implementation of the recommendations of the Economic Strategy Tables.
• Labour & Skills shortages – Working to shape policies and programs to address labour and skills shortages facing Canada’s manufacturing sector.
• Manufacturing Incentives – Working to shape policies and programs to support innovation, competitiveness and growth for manufacturers.
• National Food Policy – Working in consultation with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as the National Food Policy, designed to address issues related to production, processing, distribution and consumption of food, is developed and implemented.

Regulation

• CEPA 1999 Review – ensure any changes to the regulation are science-based and enhance the safety of Canadians and the environment.
• Chemical Management Plan – priority substances batches with regard to chemicals present in food, food contact materials and consumer products; post-2020 or CMP phase IV.
• Food Allergen Precautionary Labelling – Working in consultation with Health Canada to provide input on how to manage precautionary labelling for allergens.
• Food and Drug Regulations with regard to the Addition of Vitamins and Minerals to Food (Fortification) - Discretionary fortification will provide opportunities for product innovation in the food manufacturing industry.
• Food safety - working with government to ensure Canada's food supply remains reliable and safe, and that Safe Food for Canadians Act regulations continue to evolve as there are missing elements in the first release.
• Pre-Market approvals for food additives, novel foods, infant formula, health claims and functional foods in regard to consulting with Health Canada on improving the process to deal with the backlog and new applications.
• Prohibition of Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs) in Foods – continue to engage with government to ensure clarity on compliance and enforcement of regulations. Continue to demonstrate industry’s voluntary efforts in meeting levels in task force report and demonstrating that 97% of food now meets the trans fats guidance set by Health Canada.
• Providing input into Health Canada's Self-Care Products Framework with respect to over-the-counter drugs (OTC), natural health products (NHPs), and cosmetics. Advocating for a framework that is based on science-based claims and regulated according to risk.
• Providing input to Treasury Board on their regulatory modernization initiatives.
• Regulations Amending the Food and Drugs Regulations - Nutritional Labelling, Other Labelling Provisions and Food Colours – continue to engage with government to ensure clarity on compliance and enforcement of regulations.

Communication Techniques

• Written communication
• Oral communication
• Grass-roots communication

Government Institutions

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
• Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
• Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
• Competition Bureau Canada (COBU)
• Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
• Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev)
• Finance Canada (FIN)
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
• Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
• Health Canada (HC)
• House of Commons
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
• Prime Minister's Office (PMO)
• Privy Council Office (PCO)
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
• Public Safety Canada (PS)
• Senate of Canada
• Statistics Canada (StatCan)
• Transport Canada (TC)
• Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

Government institutions added through a monthly communication report

• Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)
• Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Address:
2700 Matheson Blvd. East, East Tower, Suite 602E
Toronto, ON  L4W 4V9
Canada

Telephone number: 613-670-5759