Ottawa, ON - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

As part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) annual testing of various food products, a study released today found that more than 98 per cent of a wide variety of food samples tested met Health Canada's standards for chemical residues and metals.

The CFIA's National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program (NCRMP) tests foods of animal and plant origin for multiple chemical hazards, including pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues and environmental contaminants. Information obtained through this program allows the CFIA to identify violations and trends, and develop strategic plans to minimize potential health risks to Canadians.

When elevated levels of chemical residues or metals are detected, they are assessed to determine the appropriate follow-up action. These actions may include notifying the producer or importer, additional inspections, or further directed sampling. If Health Canada determines that a product poses an unacceptable health risk to consumers, a product recall is initiated. None of the chemical residue or metal levels detected were found to pose a health risk to Canadians and no recalls were necessary.

This and other CFIA studies are part of an ongoing testing regimen to help keep the food safety system strong for Canadian families.

Quick Facts

• The consistently high compliance rates across all commodities tested in the 2010-2012 NCRMP, whether imported or domestic, are similar to previous years' results.
• Approximately 190,000 tests were performed between October 2010 and March 2012 on more than 30,000 samples, producing over five million results.
• Samples included domestic and imported dairy products, eggs, honey, meat and poultry, fresh fruit and vegetables, processed products, and maple products.