January 24, 2018

Canadian Produce Marketing Association launches food safety fund

Understanding that a food safety incident in one commodity group or segment could have devastating repercussions throughout the industry, the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) has launched the Canadian Food Safety Fund (CFSF).

The CFSF’s main goals are to support vital, 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. 

“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,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA president.

Lemaire said the group saw a unique opportunity to help support research projects that would typically be cost-prohibitive to many of the smaller companies of the association.

Members will be able to suggest or initiate commodity specific projects to address opportunities or challenges faced by their businesses and to contribute to the overall body of scientific knowledge.

As a part of this food safety focus, CPMA will host a series of information sessions on the upcoming Safe Food for Canadians Regulations and the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act that is now in force. These sessions are available free to CPMA members and will take place in January and February 2018 in select Canadian and U.S. locations. For more information on the CFSF and the ongoing initiatives to strengthen Canadian knowledge in food safety, visit www.cpma.ca/foodsafety.





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