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Renewal of Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) Licences and Work Shift Documents
Renewal of SFC Licences
If not already renewed, many Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licences expire on January 15, 2023. Others will expire soon after.
Stakeholders are encouraged to renew their licences as soon as possible to ensure that they do not cause interrupted licensed business activities. Generic renewal messages are sent through My CFIA to each SFC-licensed party 60, 30 and 15 days prior to the expiry of their SFC licence.
To help ensure inspectors only issue export certificates to licensed businesses, the National Centre for Permissions (NCP) issues a weekly report to the areas, typically every Monday, that identifies businesses whose licences have expired or are close to expiry.
Key points for SFC licence renewals:
- If an SFC licence expires, the affected business:
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- Will have to re-apply for a licence and will be issued a new licence number, which may disrupt their business activities, including the ability to request export certification as export eligibility lists will need to be updated with the new licence number.
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- Will not be permitted to conduct activities that were previously permitted under their SFC licence, in accordance with the Safe Food for Canadians Act.
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- May be subject to enforcement actions and removal from export eligibility lists.
- There is no penalty for renewing early. The renewed licence will remain valid for two years as of the original expiry date.
- When renewing a licence, businesses should review their Party Profile to ensure all information is up-to-date and accurate. If any changes were made, businesses are to ensure that their Party Profile is validated.
For questions regarding My CFIA accounts, CFIA license, and navigating My CFIA, please contact CFIA directly at 1 (800) 442-2342.
For specific service requests or SFC licences, email [email protected].
Work Shift Documents
For licenced meat establishments that require a work shift document, a new work shift document must be completed and distributed, prior to the expiry date, as per section 6.2 of the Operational guideline: Work shift document (Form CFIA/ACIA 5712) (please note section 6.2.3 has been amended).
For additional information and assistance, please contact your local Delmar Representative.