Health committee  Unfortunately, as you have indicated, that's beyond the mandate of our directorate. We'll be happy to take that question and bring an update back to the committee.

Health committee  It's the natural health products directorate.

Health committee  I can try to answer that, Madam Chair. Thank you. You raise a very important point. I would like to give you some background on nutrition labelling, if I may. It did not come into full effect until 2007. Canada was the first country in the world to make nutrition labelling mandatory.

Health committee  But we are working on it. That is one of the elements we are trying to improve.

Health committee  Indeed, enhanced allergen labelling requirements continue to be a priority for the Government of Canada and for Health Canada specifically. This is an initiative that was announced as part of the food and consumer safety action plan in 2007. The regulations were published in the Canada Gazette part I in July 2008.

Health committee  Again, regulatory processes are complex processes. In this particular case, it's a Governor in Council process, so it's a Government of Canada initiative. I cannot commit on behalf of the department with regard to timelines, but the commitment is there.

Health committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I will try to give you an update on what was presented in May 2010. First, I would like to make one thing clear. I would not say that the program to reduce trans fat failed. In fact, the monitoring program has proven to be very successful in reducing Canadians' daily dietary intake of trans fat.

Health committee  You are right. As a regulatory agency, indeed a public health agency, our goal is not to be happy with what we have accomplished and call it a day. We know we need to do more. We need to consider every possible way of doing more. And that involves a number of steps. We need to begin by consolidating successful initiatives for prepackaged foods, and making sure that no ground has been lost and that solutions are available to food processors.

Health committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Bonjour, mesdames et messieurs. Honourable members, I'd like to thank you for allowing us the opportunity to appear before you today and to speak with you about some of the activities that Health Canada has undertaken to help Canadians make healthier food choices and therefore also have a healthier lifestyle.

Health committee  Clearly those types of applications, particularly when they require Health Canada's oversight in terms of pre-approval before they get used, have been identified and are identified very early on in the process. Actually, at the pre-submission level, in discussions with industry in applying those recommendations, we would identify the potential public health benefit from the application, and it gets triaged into a high priority for the safety and efficacy assessment.

Health committee  It also goes back to the example that oversight for approval of those interventions is at the federal level, so in this case it's an animal health intervention. CFIA is responsible for the approval, in collaboration with Health Canada and particularly, in this case, with our veterinary drugs directorate.

Health committee  Yes. The approval--

Health committee  Thank you for the question. Since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was established, in fact, protocols have been put in place to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each and to make sure that we work together under very precise conditions. Of course, we saw the tragedy as an opportunity to review all the protocols and to strengthen the communication protocols.

Health committee  To address that aspect specifically, I will say the policy on listeria monocytogenes, which was amended by Health Canada and which was made available in an initial version this spring, specifically sets safe production conditions and gives the industry the framework necessary to avoid any possibility of contamination at all stages of processing from the raw materials to the final product.

Health committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. In the food safety system, Health Canada's role is above all in prevention. That is the core of our mission. The department's responsibility is to define the standards that set production conditions that ensure that food products are safe and cause no harm.