September 3, 2012

Canadian Food Inspection Agency to streamline fertilisers' registration process

The registration process for fertilisers and supplements will be streamlined by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

In an effort to focus its resources on verifying the safety of fertilisers and supplements, the CFIA will no longer be regulating product efficacy as of 2013. The streamlined registration process is an interim measure that will remain in place until the Agency amends the Fertilisers Regulations to eliminate efficacy requirements.

The CFIA noted that all regulated fertiliser and supplement products must continue to be safe for humans, plants, animals, and the environment. They must also be properly labelled.

However, under the streamlined registration process, foreign trial data or scientific literature will be accepted as evidence of efficacy. Fertilisers and supplements registered through the streamlined process must clearly identify on their label the limited extent of the evidence used to assess product efficacy.