Traceability — Canada's One Food Safety Weakness

By Sam Lewis

In an otherwise strong food safety and regulatory system, a new report from the Conference Board of Canada reveals traceability might be the Achilles’ heel of Canadian food safety

Titled, 2014 World Ranking Food Safety Performance, the report places Canada number one among 17 countries in food safety performance. The report ranks countries in 10 categories of food safety with a score of three being a superior mark. Canada’s average score was 2.6, tied with Ireland. Following closely behind were the U.K., Norway, and the U.S.

Risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication were key areas where the study measured food safety was measured by the report. Risk assessment included topics such as, use of pesticides and rates of foodborne illness. Risk management criteria included each nation’s ability to respond to food safety events, recalls, and traceability capabilities. Risk communication scored hinged upon public trust and food-related allergens.

According to Jean-Charles Le Vallée, lead author and senior-research associate for the report, “Canada’s excellent grades in most food safety performance metrics were due to its consistently low number of foodborne illness cases and reported recalls, Canada’s new policy on allergen labeling and a greater focus on transparency.”

Despite Canada’s excellent grades, the report ranks Canada’s — as well as the U.S.’ — traceability efforts as average. According to the report, EU nations are leading the globe in traceability efforts. “To improve food traceability-system performance globally, nations and markets should work toward uniform requirements for electronic identification, database programs, recognized identification standards, and auditing schemes,” reads the report.

The Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) is a voluntary program from the United Fresh Produce Association, the Produce Marketing Association, and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) seeking to trace produce down to the case level. As of last fall, anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of all fresh produce sent to retail establishments was estimated to be labeled in accordance to PTI standards. Furthering the issue of traceability in Canada is Jane Proctor, VP of policy and issue management for CPMA, “In Canada, we are looking forward to a common approach to traceability via the new food-safety regulations which we understand is a key consideration when determining these national rankings.”