Non-Ruminants Feed, Pet Food and Fertilizer

Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Relating to Harmonization of the Enhanced Feed Ban (Available in English and French, 36 and 41 pages)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing amendments to various regulations to introduce targeted flexibility to Canada's enhanced feed ban (EFB). Canada's EFB regulations were developed almost 20 years ago and do not reflect the current epidemiological situation and the country's negligible bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk status, as recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) since 2021.

The proposed amendments would allow a subset of lower risk specified risk material (SRM) defined as eligible specified risk material (ESRM) for use in non-ruminant livestock feed, fertilizer, and pet food under defined conditions. All SRM would continue to be prohibited in food and ruminant feed to ensure the safety and integrity of Canada's food supply.

Updated scientific assessments indicate that allowing ESRM in non-ruminant feed, fertilizer, and pet food does not increase risks to human or animal health when existing safeguards remain in place. To enable these changes, the proposal seeks to amend the Health of Animals Regulations, the Fertilizers Regulations and the Feeds Regulations, 2024. Additional amendments to the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) are also proposed as part of the measures to ensure consistency and clarity across regulatory frameworks.