Canadian Meat Business – The Government of Canada launched the Reference Database for Hazard Identification (RDHI), a searchable online database designed to help the food industry identify and address food safety hazards.
Industry can use RDHI to search for food and food-borne hazards in production and processing to help guide the development of their food safety plans.
“Through the Healthy and Safe Food for Canadians Framework, the Government of Canada continues to take action to strengthen Canada’s word-class food safety system,” Minister of Health Rona Ambrose said in a release. “The launch of the database demonstrates our commitment to help industry keep pace with the evolving food safety environment and implement the best approaches to protect consumers.”
Industry is responsible for producing safe food that meets Canada’s federal food safety rules and regulations, the release noted. For example, all federally-registered meat plants are required to have preventive plans in place that anticipate where contamination may occur and outline control measures to address specific risks.
“Food and consumer products manufacturers welcome the new online, RDHI,” added Susan Abel, vice-president of safety and compliance for Food & Consumer Products of Canada. “It is this kind of modernization and innovation at CFIA that directly supports the development of enhanced food safety programs for manufacturers here in Canada. There has been significant progress in recent years toward modernizing tools such as this, as well as the regulatory process. We look forward to continuing our work with the government to build on those accomplishments and uphold Canada’s world-renowned safety standards.”
The information and exercises included will benefit food processors and producers to develop more accurate, effective and uniform food safety procedures and preventive control plans, such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). However, the RDHI has no official sanction – it is only intended as a convenient reference guide to hazard identification.
For more information on the database, visit inspection.gc.ca.