Canada to Strengthen Regulatory Framework for E-Commerce

The Canadian food regulatory authorities opened public consultations on guidance for e-commerce platforms on how to be compliant with relevant food labeling regulatory provisions. Interested stakeholders have until July 8, 2022, to provide comments on this initiative. Health Canada (HC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have noted that “the sale of foods through e-commerce has increased over recent years and the information provided to consumers is inconsistent and sometimes inadequate to inform food purchases”. To address these concerns, the two food regulators are seeking feedback from stakeholders on how to help e-commerce platforms be compliant with Canada’s food laws and regulations, all while making food information more consistently available and accessible to online shoppers.

This initiative is designed to protect consumers and offer consistent compliance with Canada’s food regulations as more consumers shop online for food products. The biggest concerns Canadian regulators hope to stem are misbranding and incorrect or inconsistent labeling. As the sale of food products via e-commerce increases, many more countries are expected to strengthen food regulations around e-commerce platforms and content much like the United States has done with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ensuring that e-platforms conform to FDA requirements.

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Picture Credit Susanne Kuehne

Posted on 23 June 2022