November 7, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) — Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP), the leading voice of the Canadian food, health, and consumer products industry, announced today its strong support for the proposed Canadian Biocides Regulations. This endorsement follows statements provided to Canada's Parliamentary Standing Committee on International Trade (CIIT) by FHCP's Senior Vice President, Consumer Health, Gerry Harrington, last week.
The proposed regulations will unify the current legislative framework that governs surface sanitizers and disinfectants, consolidating them under a single regulator. This move promises to streamline the authorization process for these essential products, offering significant benefits to consumers, taxpayers, and industry participants.
During the CIIT meeting, Mr. Harrington highlighted the importance of the modernized regulations: "A single framework and regulator, as proposed under these regulations, is an important step forward for all, especially consumers and taxpayers." He underscored that the streamlined process would leverage decisions from trusted foreign regulators, thus fostering competition, innovation, and potentially easing inflationary pressures on essential cleaning and disinfecting products.
"The COVID pandemic underlined the importance of sanitizers and disinfectants to all Canadians, as well as the vulnerability of our supply of these products." The proposed Biocides Regulations address these issues by establishing a permanent pathway that utilizes foreign regulatory decisions, enhancing the domestic supply of these critical health products,” Harrington said.
He further noted that the Use of Foreign Decisions (UFD) provisions within the new regulations do not compromise safety, stating, "The ambulatory list of trusted regulators, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are those whose approval criteria align with those applied by Health Canada." He emphasized that approved products will undergo the same rigorous post market oversight as all other Canadian-licensed products.
"Regulatory modernization can have a dramatic impact on international competitiveness," Harrington explained. Drawing parallels to the Natural Health Product Regulations of 2004, which spurred growth in Canadian exports, he is optimistic about the potential economic impact of the Biocides Regulations.
In closing his testimony, Mr. Harrington remarked, "Making the marketplace for these products more competitive is not something we should fear."
FHCP is committed to working with the government and stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Biocides Regulations, ensuring the continued delivery of safe and high-quality products to Canadian homes and communities.
About Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP):
Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) is a leading industry association representing the food, health, and consumer products sector. FHCP members include a diverse range of companies, from large multinational corporations to small and medium-sized businesses, all of which play a vital role in supplying essential goods to Canadians. FHCP is dedicated to supporting the industry's growth, innovation, and sustainability while advocating for the well-being of Canadian consumers. For more information about FHCP and its initiatives, please visit: fhcp.ca.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Anthony Fuchs
VP, Communications
Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada
anthony.fuchs@fhcp.ca
416.648.8808