Finance committee  Okay. Done.

Finance committee  It's definitely partly a lack of funding, but it's also part—

Finance committee  That's what we talked about at the end. That's what I said at the end: it is not fair and predictable at all.

Finance committee  No, not at all.

Finance committee  The majority of the application refusals were not based on safety. They were based on the evidence that was provided. We've been told by Health Canada that they are aware that sometimes they are asking for information that is not available. It makes you wonder why they are asking

Finance committee  No. They have told us that 99.5% of the application refusals are not based on safety at all. The safety is confirmed. From what we understand, some of it is information that they know is not available, but they continue to ask for it. If it is not available, why are we being as

Finance committee  We're doing both, in actual fact. If Health Canada is the regulator, they must be provided with permanent funding to be a proper regulator so that they're as fair and predictable--

Finance committee  In the 2008 budget, the federal government provided $33 million over two years. That ends March 31, 2010. The transition to the regulations will be over by then, and we don't know what's going to happen. We can't afford to have a regulator trying to cobble together from the branc

Finance committee  Out of 41,000 applications? That's—

Finance committee  Bonjour and thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I thank the members of the committee for inviting the Canadian Health Food Association here today. My name is Penelope Marrett and I am President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Health Food Association. The Canadian Healt

Health committee  At the same time, I think we need to make it clear that in the legislation that exists today, there is no separate category for natural health products. There was a recommendation in the 1998 report, but in the current Food and Drugs Act, there is no separate category.

Health committee  Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Malo. The Canadian Health Food Association was involved when the regulations came into force. Our members said, and continue to say, that with a separate category we believe the regulations could be seen and interpreted in an appropriate manner for low-

Health committee  Thank you very much. I'll respond to a couple of things, and then perhaps my colleague can further expand. We believe it is important right now that there is a separate category for natural health products so that the lens for the interpretation of the regulations is appropriat

Health committee  Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. The Canadian Health Food Association, or CHFA, is Canada's largest national trade association dedicated to the natural products industry. CHFA is Canada’s largest national trade association dedicated to the natural health and organic p

Finance committee  Thank you. My name is Penelope Marrett. I am the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Health Food Association, the CHFA. The CHFA is Canada's largest trade association representing the natural and organic products industry. The Canadian Health Food Association