Changes to the Safe Food for Canadians License
Changes to the Safe Food for Canadians License
Overview
To safeguard the health of Canadians, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) mandates that companies importing foods into Canada must possess a Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) License. The CFIA has disclosed the upcoming changes to the entry regulations for shipments containing all types of foods, which will take effect on February 12, 2024.
Changes to the SFC License
Presently, companies importing food into Canada are obligated to by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to hold a valid Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) License. Historically, the CFIA manually verified the SFC License, creating limitations in their ability to check the SFC License credentials for each shipment.
This is set to change as the CFIA has issued a notice regarding food imports, notifying that as of February 12, 2024, the CFIA will activate the automatic verification of the Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) License for imported foods via IID. Effective on this date, food import transactions that lack a valid SFC license will be rejected at the border.
To learn more about the changes, please see the Canadian Food Inspection Agencies Website, Heading 2.2. Click Here
Important Notes for Importers
It is essential to contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) prior to dispatching food products to Canada to confirm that all necessary documentation is in order and that the Safe for Canadians (SFC) License can be obtained. Failure to comply may result in the rejection of the shipment at the border.
If your shipment is declined at the border for the reasons mentioned above, you will have to wait to obtain your SFC License if it is attainable. This process may take up to 15 days and result in additional storage fees. Alternatively, you may need to cover the expense of re-exporting the container if the SFC License cannot be acquired.
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