New Requirements for Basic Licenses for Seafood Importing

The new requirements issued by the CFIA include:

1. Importers must take affirmative action to obtain confidence that products being imported meet Canadian requirements.




For example:

• Verify the Mandatory Inspection List (MIL), formerly named the Import Alert List.
• Source from HACCP facilities.
• Select processors regulated by a foreign country competent authority and eligible for exporting fish.
• Provide processors with a written description of all applicable Canadian standards.


2. Basic Importers must understand the product hazards and standards, and ensure that their suppliers are able to supply products that consistently meet Canadian regulatory requirements.

The CFIA has also advised that 3rd party testing services (such as those offered by CANTEST) will be available to Basic Importers to facilitate the rush import of products under import alert.

Visit the CFIA webpage for a full list of requirements or contact Peter Taylor at ptaylor@cantest.com for more information.

The Issue of Salt and Sodium

Salt or Sodium: What is the difference?
Sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt, is an ionic compound made of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions. Since salt contains sodium, our clients often ask us whether the salt content in a food represents its sodium content, or vice versa. The answer varies, depending on the other ingredients in the food.

Technically speaking
Method 937.09 by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists measures salt by mixing chloride in a food sample with silver nitrate, converting it to silver chloride. The amount of silver chloride is measured by titration with ammonium thiocyanate in the presence of an indicator ferric ammonium sulfate. Since sodium binds with chloride at a 1:1 ratio, the concentration of measured salt can be used to calculate the concentration of sodium in the sample. However, this is only accurate if salt is the only ingredient in the food containing sodium.

In today’s food products, many ingredients other than salt might contain sodium. Pre-packaged foods might contain a variety of additives such as monosodium glutamate, sodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium benzoate and sodium bicarbonate, all of which contribute sodium to the food. In these cases, the salt content does not represent the total sodium content of a food. An elemental analysis of sodium by ICP (inductive coupled plasma) or AA (atomic absorption) can provide the total sodium content in a food product. The same is true the other way around: the concentration of sodium might not always represent the salt concentration of a food product. Salt content of food has to be determined by specific salt analysis methods.

How much is too much?
In a 2007 study, Statistics Canada found that

• 85% of men and 60% of women consume more than the daily recommended amount of sodium
• Canadians consume an average of 3092mg sodium per day, one third more than the daily recommendation.
• Canadians consume 9g to 10g of salt per day, despite Health Canada’s recommendation of 6g (which equals 1 teaspoon, containing approximately 2400mg of sodium).

The US based Institute of Medicine indicates 1500mg of sodium is sufficient for daily maintenance, and consuming more than 2400mg can lead to health problems including hypertension in people over the age of 14. Too much salt is also linked to high blood pressure, which increases the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Where does Health Canada stand?
In December 2008, Health Canada initiated a multi-stakeholder “Sodium Working Group” on dietary sodium reduction. The group includes food manufacturers; health focused non-governmental organizations, the scientific community, food service industry groups and consumer advocacy groups. The FDA conducted a public hearing on November 29, 2007 on the petition submitted by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) of “Salt and Sodium: Petition to revise the regulatory status and establish food labeling requirements regarding salt and sodium. Docket No. 2005P-0450”. The petition requests FDA to revoke the GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status of salt and reduce the amount of salt added to packaged and processed foods.

To get to know more information about sodium and salt analysis in food, please contact foodsafety@cantest.com

Laboratory Expansion

In the fall of 2007, CANTEST began a substantial expansion project at its head office in Burnaby, BC. The project was completed in 2008 and resulted in an expansion of laboratory and administrative space to over 100,000sqf, accommodating much needed additional workspace for many of CANTEST’s laboratories, including the Food Safety group, Specialty Chemistry and Ecotoxicology.

Since occupying the new space, we’ve been taking advantage of its many benefits. CANTEST’s scientists and laboratory staff are enjoying the state-of-the-art, efficient work areas, which allow for smoothly run laboratory operations. The Food group is able to offer Environmental Contaminant Analysis and GLP residue tests for crop trials in the new space. Our Ecotoxicology group is successfully providing a wide range of services for the evaluation and monitoring of chemicals, contaminants, industrial effluents and environmental effects running fish toxicity studies. The Specialty Chemistry group has been working with many of our Food clients on non-routine projects, such as stability testing, water determination or dissolution testing.

For a tour of the new and expanded facilities, please contact Peter Taylor at ptaylor@cantest.com.

We were here – where were you?

• ANAC (Animal Nutritionists Association of Canada). Update on Feed Regulations – Abbotsford, BC. February 4, 2009
• National Seafood Council AGM – Vancouver, B.C. February 19, 2009
• Nutritional Labeling Seminar – CANTEST Burnaby – February 24, 2009
• British Columbia Food Technologists (BCFT) Supplier’s Night – Langley BC – February 25, 2009.
• CFIA Information Session on Revised Fish Import Program, Vancouver, BC – March 12, 2009.
• Seafood Products Association Annual Seafood Processors Workshop, Seattle Washington,
  March 24, 2009

Where we are next – Will you join us?

• CIFST National Symposium Series! – The Future of Food. May 4, 2009. Executive Inn Richmond BC.
  For more information - secure.cifst.ca
• BCFT Annual Banquet – May 29, 2009 – Coyote Creek Golf Course, Surrey BC.
  For more information – www.bcft.ca