Propose Tougher Product-Safety

Submitted by Richard on Tue, 08/04/2008 - 4:41pm

Tories expected to propose tougher product-safety rules
The federal government is poised to propose legislation that could toughen the laws governing food and product safety in Canada after several high-profile recalls last year. CBC News Tuesday, April 8, 2008 | 10:07 AM ET

The federal government is poised to propose legislation that could toughen the laws governing food and product safety in Canada.

The Conservatives plan to table the bill in the House of Commons Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for Health Minister Tony Clement.

The legislation is expected to give Ottawa the power to impose mandatory recalls, the CBC's Rosemary Barton reported Tuesday, allowing the government to have items removed from store shelves to protect consumers.

The government is also expected to increase the size of fines it can levy, which now range from $5,000 to $250,000. In the United States, penalties can be as high as $1 million.

Hopefully the Government will get this bill passed quickly and that the legislation will be strong enough to do some good.

Some onus on the retailers has to be imposed as well. They are the force behind what is sold and the price it is sold at forcing the manufactures and importers to meet their demands in order to increase sales share of the market.

When it comes to food products, the most important requirement Health and Safety Canada can make is to make mandatory the source of all ingredients part of the labeling. Canadians have the right to know where their foods are actually coming from.

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