CFIA creating centres of expertise across Canada

SASKATOON – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is creating 16 centres of expertise across Canada.

The move will better equip industry and CFIA inspectors with more consistent access to information and advice.

“These Centres of Expertise will pool expertise and make it available through a single window, making the CFIA more efficient and giving industry, CFIA inspectors and Canadians better, more consistent service,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in Saskatoon at the official announcement of the centres.

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Two centres will be located in Burnaby, B.C., two in Calgary, one in Saskatoon, three in Guelph, Ont., two in the capital region, three in Quebec, two in Moncton, N.B and one at Charlottetown, P.E.I.

“The locations will be near both academic and provincial experts in a particular field to leverage expertise and collaboration among organizations,” said Ritz.

Several factors went in to deciding where the centres would be located including concentration of related industries, proximity to organizations, provincial experts and academic experts along with the concentration of staff involved in the related activity.

The 16 centres will be implemented over the next few years and will help provide a stronger link between the people in the agency who design policy and programs and staff who deliver them.

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