News from AAFC’s Market Access Secretariat

Canada and South Korea have reached an arrangement to support market access of organic products. The organic equivalency arrangement entered into effect on November 1, 2023, and will apply to processed organic products whose final processing and handling occurs within South Korea or Canada.

Canadian organic products exported to South Korea under the arrangement must be accompanied by a valid organic certificate issued by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) accredited Certification body and a National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service (NAQS) electronic import certificate.

The organic equivalency arrangement delivers predictable market access for traders and will benefit producers and consumers in Canada and South Korea by providing access to a wider range of high-quality organic food products. In 2022, Canada exported over $6.6 million worth of certified organic products to South Korea. The top organic processed food exports include organic maple syrup, worth $1.2 million.

For additional information, please refer to the following webpage: Overview: Canada-South Korea Organic Equivalence Arrangement – Canadian Food Inspection Agency

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a Food import notice to inform importers that on February 12, 2024, the CFIA will activate the automatic verification of Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licences for imports of manufactured foods. Food import transactions will be automatically rejected unless a valid SFC licence is declared.

The CFIA has also updated its guidance on Importing food with a valid Safe Food for Canadians licence. If you import food into Canada, refer to this guidance for more information on automatic licence verification and the steps you can take to make sure your SFC licence is valid. Holding a valid SFC licence before you submit your import declaration will help to prevent your food shipment from being delayed at the border.

If you have questions about applying for or amending an SFC licence, visit the CFIA’s Food licences page. Refer to Food imports for more information on food import requirements.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to revoke the regulation authorizing the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. This action is part of our regulatory authority over ingredients added to food, which includes reassessing previously evaluated food ingredients and addressing safety concerns. Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine. As authorized, it is used in small amounts to keep the citrus flavoring from floating to the top in some beverages.

The FDA is issuing a proposed rule now because the agency has recent data from studies it conducted that demonstrate adverse health effects in animals at levels more closely approximating real-world human exposure. Based on these data and remaining unresolved safety questions, the FDA can no longer conclude that the use of BVO in food is safe. Results from these studies show bioaccumulation of bromine and toxic effects on the thyroid – a gland that produces hormones that play a key role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and the reaction of the body to other hormones.

The studies were conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Division of Translational Toxicology (formerly the Division of the National Toxicology Program), to assess unresolved toxicological questions.

The FDA has regulated BVO as a food additive since the agency removed it from the codified list of Generally Recognized As Safe or “GRAS” substances in 1970.

Over the years, many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient. Today, few beverages in the US contain BVO. Consumers who wish to avoid products that contain brominated vegetable oil may do so by looking for it by name in the ingredients list.

Reassessing the safety of food ingredients as new, relevant data become available, is a priority for the FDA and a key part of our food safety mission.

Submit Comments

Comments about the proposed rule should be submitted by January 17, 2024. Submit comments electronically on Regulations.gov to docket number FDA-2023-N-0937.

News from AAFC’s Market Access Secretariat

This message is to inform you that Jordan has notified a new measure to the World Trade Organization on October 20, 2023, regarding poultry meat. As per the notification, imports of poultry meat and edible offal will be required to come from poultry raised on feed free from animal powders of ruminant origin. The Canadian Embassy in Jordan has been in contact with Jordanian government officials who have advised that the text of the measure is not yet available, but that the new requirements are expected to come into effect early next year.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two guidance documents that outline recommendations for how sprout operations may comply with the Produce Safety Rule.

The first is a guidance (2023 Final Guidance) that updates and finalizes the following sections of the January 2017 Draft Guidance entitled Compliance with and Recommendations for Implementation of the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption for Sprout Operations:

• Cleaning and Sanitizing
• Agricultural Water in Sprout Operations
• Seeds for Sprouting
• Environmental Monitoring
• Recordkeeping

The second guidance (2023 Draft Guidance) re-issues certain sections of the January 2017 Draft Guidance and issues one new section for sprout operations as revised draft guidance. The following updated and new sections in the revised draft guidance are now available for comment:

• Equipment, Tools, and Buildings
• Sampling and Testing of Spent Sprout Irrigation Water (or In-Process Sprouts)
• Personnel Qualifications, Training, and Hygienic Practices

These sections have been revised to align with information in other relevant guidance documents, incorporate additional information and comments received by the agency, and better consolidate and organize information within the guidance. The revised draft guidance is available for comment, and we are particularly interested in receiving information about testing of spent sprout irrigation water or in-process sprouts that sprout operations are currently conducting for non-O157:H7 pathogenic E. coli, including test kit names (as applicable).

To Submit Comments

Comments can be submitted at any time at Regulations.gov or to the Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852. All written comments should be identified with the docket number FDA-2017-D-0175 and with the title of the guidance document. Comments on the revised draft guidance should be submitted to the Federal Register within 180 days to ensure they are considered during development of the final guidance.

For More information

2023 Final Sprout Guidance

2023 Draft Sprout Guidance

Federal Register Notice

FSMA Final Produce Safety Rule