July 18, 2012, Canada – Canadians are confident in Canada's food safety system, according to
results from a recent study commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency.
July 18, 2012, Canada – Canadians are confident in Canada's food safety system, according to
results from a recent study commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA). Ninety-three per cent of Canadians surveyed expressed a
degree of confidence in Canada's food safety system, and 68 per
cent gave the system a favourable to strong confidence rating, remaining
steady from last year. That is up from 60 per cent in 2008.
Results also indicate that Canadians hold a favourable opinion of the work done by the CFIA.
"Canadians trust this government to protect the safety of
Canada's food supply and rightly so," said Gerry
Ritz, agriculture minister. "We have experienced, highly-trained personnel at the front lines
verifying that industry is following the rules and making safe food."
The Harper government committed $51.2 million over two years to
strengthening the food safety system in their Economic Action Plan 2012.
Furthermore, the new Safe Food for Canadians Act, tabled in June, will simplify, modernize and strengthen food legislation to better protect Canadian families.
The study also found that a growing number of Canadians are
recognizing that food recalls are an indication that the food safety
system is working. Furthermore, Canadians acknowledge that everyone has a
role to play in food safety, including farmers, industry, government,
consumers, grocery stores and provincial governments.
Results from the study also show that Canadians have an increased appetite for more information
on food safety, particularly food recalls. Consumers are encouraged to
sign-up to receive email or Twitter notifications of food recall and
allergy alerts at www.inspection.gc.ca. In addition, smartphone users can download the Recalls and Safety Alerts Mobile Application. Details on how to download this app can be found at www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.
The final study Food Safety: Canadians' Awareness, Attitudes and Behaviours (POR 029-11) can be found on the Library and Archives Canada's website here.
The results from this study will be used to help the CFIA maximize the effectiveness of its communications and better meet the information needs of consumers.
Print this page
