Mr. Chair, I can answer on behalf of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
More modern and effective approaches to mitigating the risks related to harmful substances, such as fertilizers and feeds, potentially focus more on prevention and systems approaches of managing the risks.
Right now, currently under the Feeds Act and Fertilizers Act, only the feeds and the fertilizers themselves are registered, not the facilities or operators that are manufacturing them.
The proposed enhancements going forward through the regulation-making authority provide for the ability to license registered operators or facilities that manufacture or sell these products intended for trade and commerce.
The current regulatory environment for feeds applies national standards for composition, safety, and effectiveness on the end product. Our experience in end-product oversight and regulation monitoring is not the most effective way to mitigate risks.
More and more we are seeing countries developing and modernizing the regulatory systems for feeds and fertilizers moving toward a more preventive approach and systems approaches which include hazard analysis, preventive control plans, and licensing as well as incorporating international standards where that can help.
We also see right now some of our trading partners incorporating import licensing regimes regarding feed. The United States has recently released its rules for animal feed production and import under its new Food Safety Modernization Act in which they will be requiring licensed facilities.