Feds to toughen food safety penalties

Heavier fines for food safety violations and stronger recall powers are among the new measures for food, health and consumer product safety that the federal government plans to legislate in the new year.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the government’s plans Monday in Ottawa, starting with a dialogue with consumer and industry stakeholders in early 2008 on how best to proceed with what it calls the Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan.

Proposed measures include:

• Raising the maximum fines for violations under the Food and Drug Act, up from the current $5,000 to “current international standards.” Dollar amounts weren’t specified.
• Imposing mandatory product recalls when companies “fail to act on legitimate safety concerns.”
• Making importers responsible for the safety of the goods they bring into Canada, which would include reporting on any product shortcomings.

The plan also proposes to improve the level of safety information available to consumers and offer more guidance for industries on “building safety throughout their supply chains.”

Harper noted the recent rise in product recalls involving unsafe foods, drugs and toys, and said the new plan would “significantly enhance” the government’s ability to regulate product safety.

“Canadians rightly expect their federal government to police the safety of the products they bring into their homes,” he said in a release Monday.