As a member of the produce industry in Canada, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) has identified food safety as a top priority to ensure the ongoing viability and growth of the fresh produce sector in Canada. Understanding that a food safety incident in one commodity group or segment could have devastating repercussions throughout the industry, CPMA is launching the Canadian Food Safety Fund (CFSF).
“We actively recognized the need for ongoing Canadian-focused research and education in the areas of pathogens, regulatory changes and best practices so members can stay at the forefront of food safety in Canada,” states Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. “We saw a unique opportunity to help support research projects that would typically be cost-prohibitive to many of the smaller companies that make up our membership. The Fund will therefore facilitate and disseminate the important work, current and future, occurring in the produce industry.”
According to the CPMA, the fund's main goals are to support Canadian-focused, food safety research; to develop educational programs and key information for CPMA members on existing and emerging food safety challenges; and to increase government outreach, including in the U.S. and Mexico, to address food safety issues for CPMA members.
Through the CFSF, CPMA said their members can be confident that the organization is committed to continuous improvement within the Canadian food safety system. Members will be able to suggest or initiate commodity specific projects to address opportunities or challenges faced by their businesses; contribute to the overall body of scientific knowledge which, according to them, will result in the development of new, more efficient, more economical practices within the industry; and seek out the advice of CPMA’s new food safety expert, Jeff Hall.
“CPMA is already working with academia, governments, and other associations to move these goals forward,” adds Hall. “A part of our mandate is to provide members with information, through education, research or other projects, on food safety and related issues. We’re committed to partnering with a broad base to ensure that we create a body of research that will contribute to the long term sustainability of the industry.”
As a part of this renewed food safety focus, CPMA will be hosting a series of information sessions on the upcoming Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) which is now in force. These sessions are available free to CPMA members and media and will take place in January and February 2018 in select Canadian and US locations. For more information on the CFSF and the ongoing initiatives to strengthen Canadian knowledge in food safety, please visit www.cpma.ca/foodsafety.
For more information:
Vanessa Schwarz
Canadian Produce Marketing Association
+1 (613) 226-4187