Since April 4, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has formally implemented a new Memorandum on the Acceptance and Inspection of Low-acid Vegetable Canned Food Exported from China to Canada. Meanwhile, CFIA accepts the list of 60 vegetable canned enterprises recommended by the Chinese side.

 

The formal implementation of the "Memorandum on Canned Vegetables for Import and Canada" marks the establishment of a new cooperation mechanism between the competent authorities of China and Canada, and reflects the recognition of the Canadian government to China's export health registration system. In this way, the frequency of sampling inspection of canned vegetables in China can be reduced to the greatest extent. While ensuring the safety and quality of canned vegetables, customs clearance speed can be accelerated and trade development can be promoted. On the other hand, this cooperation mechanism also strengthens the government's control over the export channels of canned vegetables to Canada. It plays a very positive role in cracking down on counterfeiting, maintaining normal economic order, and protecting the interests of legitimate enterprises and import and export trading companies to the maximum extent.

 

 

In September 2002, Wang Fengqing, director of the State Accreditation and Supervision Commission, on behalf of the State Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection (AQSIQ) and CFIA, signed the "Memorandum of Unloading and Canning Vegetables" in Ottawa, Canada. This memorandum was revised on the basis of the "Mushroom Canning Memorandum" signed by the two sides in 1997. The scope of the memorandum was extended from canned mushrooms to all canned vegetables with low acidity. The identification code of canned enterprises is based on the Chinese Health Registration Number. In the past two years, because CFIA has been using the code name of "Canned Light Industry Department" as stipulated in the old memorandum, the new memorandum has not actually been implemented. CFIA has not recognized the list of new canned vegetables enterprises reported by the National Accreditation and Supervision Commission, which has affected the export of canned vegetables to Canada.

 

 

In June 2004, the National Accreditation and Supervision Commission sent a member to Canada to attend the CFIA consultation with importers on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Canned Vegetables for Import and Export. The CFIA finally confirmed the "Health Registration Number" as the only official identification code for China and Canada.

 

 

In order to cooperate with the implementation of the MOU, in October 2004, the State Accreditation and Supervision Commission and the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine jointly organized a training course in Hefei, Anhui Province, which was attended by inspection and quarantine personnel and relevant enterprise personnel, and systematically trained the relevant regulations of Canada and the requirements for the implementation of the MOU.

 

 

It is understood that China exports about 30,000 tons of canned vegetables to Canada every year, including about 15,000 tons of canned mushrooms, accounting for 95% of the total Canadian mushroom imports. Practice has proved that Chinese food registered for hygiene is safe and reliable, and the quality of Chinese canned vegetables can be trusted by foreign consumers and importers.