Articles on regulatory compliance and food safety.
What Is SFCR?
10 Signs your food safety system needs a professional review by a consultant
Regulatory compliance
SFCR stands for the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.
It is the federal food-safety regulatory framework in Canada, administered and enforced primarily by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The SFCR came into force on January 15, 2019, replacing several older food regulations and creating a more consistent, preventive approach to food safety.
What does the SFCR cover?
The SFCR establishes requirements for businesses that import, export, or prepare food for interprovincial trade. Depending on the activity, businesses may need to:
Obtain a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence
Develop and maintain a Preventive Control Plan (PCP)
Implement effective preventive controls for food safety
Maintain traceability records
Meet specific labelling and packaging requirements
Control hazards related to sanitation, allergens, pests, employees, equipment, processing, storage and transportation
Maintain appropriate records and documentation
Comply with import requirements, including importer-specific controls
Demonstrate that their food is safe and meets applicable Canadian requirements
Preventive Control Plan (PCP)
For many food businesses, the PCP is at the heart of SFCR compliance.
A PCP documents how a business identifies and controls potential hazards throughout its operations. It typically incorporates principles from HACCP, GMP/GHP, sanitation programs, allergen controls, supplier controls, traceability, recall procedures and other preventive measures.
A simple way to understand the relationship between SFCR & PCP is:
SFCR is Canada's federal preventive food-safety regulatory framework, while PCP is the documented system a regulated party uses to demonstrate that it is controlling food-safety and other applicable regulatory risks.
Requirements and obligations for SFCR and PCP vary according to activities, commodities, trade activity, and business circumstances.
CFIA inspections
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is primarily looking for objective evidence that your food business is complying with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and that your preventive controls are working—not simply that you have written procedures.
CFIA inspectors may review your Preventive Control Plan (PCP), facility, processes, employees, products, records, labels, traceability system and corrective actions.
CFIA specifically verifies that a PCP is complete, implemented and effective.
A strong food safety system is essential for protecting consumers, maintaining regulatory compliance, reducing recalls, and protecting your company's reputation.
Many food businesses have food safety procedures in place, but having documents on file does not necessarily mean that the system is effective. A HACCP plan, Preventive Control Plan (PCP), SOPs, training records, and monitoring forms must work together and be implemented consistently.
Here are 10 signs that your food safety system may benefit from a professional review.
1. Your HACCP or Preventive Control Plan has not been reviewed recently
Food safety systems should evolve when your business changes.
A professional review may be necessary if you have:
Introduced new products or ingredients
Changed suppliers
Modified processing equipment
Changed production processes
Added new packaging
Changed production volumes
Started exporting or importing new products
Experienced a food safety incident or customer complaint
An outdated HACCP plan or PCP may no longer accurately reflect your actual operations.
Consulting opportunity: A comprehensive HACCP/PCP review can identify gaps between your documented procedures and what is actually happening on the production floor.
2. Employees do not consistently follow your procedures
A procedure is only effective if employees understand and follow it.
Warning signs include:
Incomplete monitoring records
Employees skipping required checks
Incorrect completion of forms
Employees using outdated SOPs
Inconsistent cleaning practices
Improper temperature monitoring
Employees who cannot explain why a control is important
These issues may indicate weaknesses in training, supervision, procedures, or food safety culture.
A professional review can determine whether the problem is related to training, procedures, resources, supervision, or management commitment.
3. Your monitoring records contain frequent errors
Records are important evidence that food safety controls are being implemented.
Frequent problems may include:
Missing signatures or initials
Missing dates or times