Enhancing Food Safety Partnerships

The system that protects food in Nova Scotia will become more effective as a result of a memorandum of understanding that was signed today, Nov. 28, by the government of Canada and the province of Nova Scotia.

The memorandum of understanding establishes a framework which will see the two levels of government working more closely to improve inspection coverage and information sharing with respect to food safety, animal and plant health activities in Nova Scotia.

The agreement was signed by Ernest Fage, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Health Minister Jamie Muir and Richard Fadden, president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, on behalf of Lyle Vanclief, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

"This MOU sets the stage for enhanced co-operation and developing more effective working partnerships for key operations such as surveillance, emergency response planning and inspection services," said Mr. Fage

The agreement is part of an ongoing effort by federal, provincial and territorial governments to enhance the effectiveness of Canada's food safety partnerships. Consumers and industry will benefit by minimizing duplication of services, bridging potential gaps, and building on the strengths of each of the parties.

"By building on past collaborative successes and working more closely together, we can improve existing services such as food product recall mechanisms, and further strengthen food safety for Nova Scotians," said Mr. Muir.

"The agreement reinforces the work already completed on the development of the Agricultural Policy Framework, which will assist us to build on Canada's reputation as a producer of safe, high-quality food," said Mr. Vanclief.

Similar partnerships have already been signed with Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan.