The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published in Canada Gazette Part II, Volume 153, “Regulations Amending the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations” which introduce the application of Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPS) for offenses against provisions of the Safe Food for Canadians Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.
The application of Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPS) for food came into force April 9, 2019.
Amendments to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations (AAAMPs Regulations) expands the use of administrative monetary penalties to all food commodities. AMPS are one of many enforcement measures available to address non-compliance with provisions of the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). The regulations classify violations as minor, serious or very serious and sets base penalty amounts. These apply to both businesses and individuals.
AMPS penalties are issued in the form of a notice of violation (NOV) with warning or penalty where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed a violation. A person commits a violation when they do not comply with a designated provision or refuse or neglect to perform a designated duty.
The issuance of a notice of violation with penalty results in a base monetary penalty ranging from $500 to $10,000. Details on compliance management is found within the CFIA Compliance Continuum.
Additional information on AMPS penalties, including the posting of names of companies that have been issued penalties can be found here.
Contact information:
Program Policy Integration Division
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
1400 Merivale Road
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0Y9
Email: [email protected]