I will not make comments on that, Mr. Chair.
However, with pet food, the agency has a responsibility for import as it relates to ingredients and whether the ingredients can cause disease in livestock. If Canada is importing, for example, beef from a given country to be made into pet food, we issue an import permit that will be on the basis that the country of origin does not have major animal diseases that can be transmitted to livestock in Canada.
That's what it means; that's what our role is. We're looking at the ingredients as they come in to make sure we're not bringing foreign animal diseases into the country. That's what we do on imports.
On exports, there are countries that demand certification for export purposes that the ingredients have such and such characteristics, or that Canada is free of certain animal diseases. We will provide that certification on a cost-recovery basis.
For safety and security standards for pet food, the agency is not involved. There is no regulatory framework that frames the quality and wholesomeness of pet food. There is none.