Proposed federal amendments could shift Canada’s food safety priorities toward trade and affordability concerns.
Safe Food Matters is raising concerns over the federal government’s plan to amend key food safety legislation to include “food security and cost of food” as factors in regulatory decisions, warning the move could weaken longstanding health protections for Canadians.
The proposed changes, outlined in the federal government’s spring economic update and detailed in a recent Canadian Press report, would amend both the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act. While Ottawa says the amendments are intended to support affordability and food security, critics warn the language suggests a broader shift toward prioritizing trade and industry interests over public health protections.
A Department of Finance official stated that the government remains committed to safeguarding the environment and protecting the health and safety of Canadians, adding that further details will be provided once legislative amendments are introduced.
For Safe Food Matters president Mary Lou McDonald, however, the wording raises significant concerns about the future direction of pesticide regulation and food oversight in Canada.
“When the government says ‘consideration of food security,’ what it means is it wants to prioritize trade over the health of Canadians,” said McDonald.
McDonald said the current Pest Control Products Act places the protection of human health at the centre of regulatory decisions — a safeguard she believes industry groups have long pushed to weaken.
“The ‘primary mandate’ right now under the Pest Control Products Act is protecting the health of Canadians, and the agriculture industry doesn’t like it because it slows down approvals for pesticides and foods full of pesticides,” she said.
She warned that changes to the legislation could eventually open the door to higher allowable levels of glyphosate residues in imported foods, particularly from the United States — a move she argues Canadians have repeatedly opposed.
“Canada has to be careful,” said McDonald. “The evidence is Canadians and the world don’t want contaminated and genetically modified crops. World markets are rejecting foods with high pesticide levels, no matter how much we say they are ‘safe.’”
McDonald argues that weakening standards in the name of trade competitiveness could ultimately harm both Canadian consumers and Canadian agriculture.
“If Canada really wants to increase trade, we should increase production of and sell good quality food that Canadians and the world want,” she said. “We would out-compete our neighbours and not need amendments to the Pest Control Products Act to loosen the protection of health.”
Concerns are also being raised by labour organizations representing workers involved in food inspection and public safety oversight.
Milton Dyck, national president of the Agriculture Union, said the government has provided very little detail about what the proposed amendments would actually mean in practice.
“They may be weakening the protections on Canadians,” said Dyck.
He added that without draft legislation or clear consultation processes, many questions remain unanswered about how food safety oversight could be affected.
“I would hope that they would have a robust mechanism to discuss with partners, whether it’s farm groups or the public,” he said.
The Agriculture Union also pointed to recently announced plans to eliminate more than 500 jobs at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), raising concerns about inspection capacity at a time when oversight demands are increasing.
“We are so busy cutting people, I don’t know where we’re going to find time or inspectors to do more inspections on the food act,” said Dyck.
Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, echoed concerns about staffing shortages and the growing strain on Canada’s food inspection system.
“What concerns us is the current reality. Nearly one million hours of food safety expertise have been cut at CFIA, even as recalls are rising and thousands of facilities remain uninspected due to chronic staffing shortages,” said O’Reilly.
“Food safety is a critical public service. Families and exporters rely on a system they can trust. Efforts to improve affordability must not come at the expense of safety and oversight.”
For Safe Food Matters, the issue goes beyond affordability or trade policy. The organization says Canadians deserve transparency about how food safety decisions are made — and assurance that public health protections will not be weakened under economic pressure.
As Ottawa prepares to introduce legislative details, Safe Food Matters is calling for full public consultation and rigorous scientific oversight before any changes to Canada’s food safety laws move forward.
Read the full Canadian Press article HERE .
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