MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Safe Food Canada – The Learning Partnership (SFC) has been given $850,000 in federal funding. On June 30th, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Streetsville Brad Butt announced this support on behalf of Health Minister Rona Ambrose, from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Federal Assistance Program (FAP). The move reinforces the Canadian government’s stance that food protection is a top priority.
SFC, a not-for-profit organization made up of leaders from the Canadian food industry, government regulatory bodies and academia, aims to develop and deliver a competency-based food protection learning framework so that all food businesses and regulatory authorities can ensure that learning and training that pertain to food protection will be consistent and certified.
Dr. Michael Trevan, Chair of Safe Food Canada and Head of Department of Food Science at the University of Manitoba, confirms that common competency-based learning system has been discussed for years now and that the support from federal funding will pave the way for the food industry to step up and do the same.
Brian Sterling, current managing director of the Global Food Traceability Center, will assume the position as president and CEO for Safe Food Canada effective Aug. 1, 2015.
“For years, industry and regulators in Canada have been expending significant time and money on a wide range of disparate learning programs and events,” says Sterling. “This has led to duplication and increased costs for both public and private organizations. Safe Food Canada will be a public-private partnership with the vision and means to become the focal point for creating a comprehensive, competency-based food protection learning system that will benefit all Canadians.”
