PROGRAM UPDATE: COVID-19 FUNDING NOW AVAILABLE FOR BC Food and Beverage Manufacturers 

In response to the COVID-19 situation and the increased need for safety precautions for the BC food and beverage processing sector, the Post-Farm Food Safety Program is offering COVID-19 funding for the April 2020 – March 2021 funding year. Eligible companies can seek funding to acquire Personal Protective Equipment and other approved safety supplies for use at their facilities, in order to maintain a safe workplace and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

Program Eligibility

As per the standard program guidelines, eligible participants must be either federally or provincially registered businesses with an active GST number and must be based and operating out of British Columbia. The applicant must operate a food processing facility that handles food for human consumption and can be located on or off a farm premise.

This list includes:

• Food and beverage manufacturers
• Processors, Transporters, Warehouses, Distributors, Packagers, Importers and Exporters
• Abattoirs (must be registered in the BC Premises Identification (1) * Registration and can
• occur simultaneously with the Post-Farm Food Safety Program’s application)
• Processing facilities (beyond basic washing, grading and packaging) located on or off a
• farm premise and not covered by a certified On-Farm Food Safety Program.

Funding Structure

Using the existing program funding structure, the Post-Farm Food Safety Program will reimburse 70% of the cost of funding up to $15,000 for approved activities under Food Safety Improvement –COVID.

Eligible Activities

Under the terms of the program, the regular or incremental “cost-of-doing-business” are not supported while “one-time” costs to support the initiation of new ‘good practice’ or processes are eligible. Considering the heightened urgency of the situation, the program will extend funding for critical supplies that relates to mitigating COVID-19 in their operation to meet Health Canada and/or Canadian Food Inspection Agency policies or guidelines on COVID-19 expectations for the food and beverage processing sector. Applications for PPE funding only, will have the mandatory Gap Assessment waived. Eligible expenses may include and are not limited to: Disposable gloves, Face masks/shields, Lab coats (re-usable), Body temperature remote sensors, thermometers and cameras, etc.

The request for supplies must be accompanied by a suitable justification and meet Health Canada and/or Canadian Food Inspection Agency policies or guidelines related to COVID-19. Applicants must also declare any other support received to ensure there is no duplication of funding. The COVID-19 related expenses are only eligible for the 2020- 2021 funding year. Applicants must disclose any other funding programs they are participating in.

How to get started

For new applicants – Complete the Part A Application, and select ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Is this application for special PPE funding to address COVID related food safety standards?’

Apply Now!

For existing participants in the program, log into your www.mypostfarmprofile.com and request an amendment to your existing workplan.

******* le français suit ********

New expectations for operators have been posted on the CFIA website about preventing and responding to COVID-19 in establishments regulated by CFIA.

The document outlines steps that the CFIA expects operators to take to address exposure risks for both the establishment and CFIA employees.

This document is not intended for meat slaughter and processing establishments. Separate CFIA guidance about preventing and responding to COVID-19 in meat slaughter and processing establishments exists.

De nouvelles attentes à l’intention des exploitants en matière de prévention et d’intervention pour la COVID‑19 dans les établissements réglementés par l’ACIA ont été affichées sur le site Web de l’ACIA.

Le document décrit les étapes qui, selon l’ACIA, doivent être effectuées pour aborder les risques d’exposition pour l’établissement et les employés de l’ACIA.

Ce document n’est pas destiné aux établissements d’abattage et de transformation de la viande. Un guide distinct de l’ACIA portant sur la prévention et sur l’intervention reliées à la COVID‑19 dans ces établissements a été élaboré.

(Le français suit)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is working diligently to respond to challenges raised by industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic while remaining committed to preserving Canada’s food safety system and its animal and plant resource base.

At the same time, we recognize that industry is prioritizing the health and safety of its employees while working hard to ensure Canada’s food supply remains reliable and safe for Canadians.

Given these extraordinary circumstances, until further notice the CFIA will not prioritize compliance activities associated with the July 15, 2020 coming into force of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) for the manufactured food sector.

Any changes to the CFIA’s prioritization of these compliance activities will be announced with adequate lead time once the situation allows.

Despite the above, affected businesses are encouraged to apply for a licence under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA). However, importers of manufactured food will generally not encounter delays or disruptions in their imports simply because of not having a Safe Food for Canadians licence yet. Domestic manufacturers can continue to operate while they apply for a licence.

Industry is responsible for ensuring the safety of their food products at all times. The CFIA will continue to support businesses in their efforts to comply with relevant legislation, including the SFCA and the SFCR.

In the event of a food safety issue, the CFIA will take action to protect consumers. This may include recalling, seizing or detaining food products and using other enforcement and control measures.

We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and may adjust our compliance activities as it evolves.

Please continue to check our website regularly for updates on the CFIA’s response to COVID-19.

For information on the SFCR, please see our Toolkit for food businesses.

L’Agence canadienne d’inspection des aliments (ACIA) s’emploie avec diligence à répondre aux défis dont l’industrie fait part dans le cadre de la pandémie de COVID-19, tout en demeurant déterminée à préserver le système canadien de salubrité des aliments et sa base de ressources animales et végétales.

En parallèle, nous reconnaissons que l’industrie accorde la priorité à la santé et à la sécurité de ses employés tout en travaillant fort pour veiller à ce que l’approvisionnement alimentaire du Canada demeure fiable et sécuritaire pour les Canadiens.

Compte tenu de ces circonstances extraordinaires, jusqu’à nouvel ordre, l’ACIA ne donnera pas la priorité aux activités de conformité liées à l’entrée en vigueur, le 15 juillet 2020, du Règlement sur la salubrité des aliments pour les Canadiens (RSAC) pour le secteur des aliments manufacturés.

Toute modification apportée à l’établissement des priorités de l’ACIA relativement à ces activités de conformité sera annoncée avec un délai suffisant lorsque la situation le permettra.

Malgré ce qui précède, les entreprises concernées sont encouragées à demander une licence en vertu de la Loi sur la sécurité alimentaire pour les Canadiens (LSA). Toutefois, les importateurs d’aliments manufacturés ne subiront généralement pas de retards ou de perturbations dans leurs importations simplement parce qu’ils ne disposent pas encore d’une licence pour la salubrité des aliments au Canada. Les fabricants nationaux peuvent continuer à exercer leurs activités pendant qu’ils demandent une licence.

L’industrie est responsable d’assurer la sécurité de ses produits alimentaires en tout temps. L’ACIA continuera d’appuyer les entreprises dans leurs efforts pour se conformer aux lois pertinentes, y compris la LSAC et le RSAC.

Si un problème de salubrité des aliments se présente, l’ACIA prendra des mesures pour protéger les consommateurs. Cela peut comprendre le rappel, la saisie ou la détention de produits alimentaires et la mise en œuvre d’autres mesures de contrôle et d’application de la loi.

Nous continuerons de surveiller la situation entourant la COVID-19 et nous pourrions ajuster nos activités de conformité au fur et à mesure que cette situation évolue.

Nous vous invitons à consulter régulièrement notre site pour obtenir les mises à jour concernant les mesures prises par l’ACIA à l’égard de la COVID-19.

Pour obtenir de renseignements sur le RSAC, veuillez consulter notre Trousse d’outils pour les entreprises alimentaires.

B.C. Business COVID-19 Support Service

For various COVID-19 resources:

Companies can contact advisors either by phone, email or live chat. Contact info is: 1-833-254-4357 (Monday-Friday: 8:00AM-6:00PM, and Saturday 10:00AM – 4:00PM) or covid@smallbusinessbc.ca<mailto:covid@smallbusinessbc.ca. Companies can live chat via the service’s website – https://covid.smallbusinessbc.ca/hc/en-us

Downloadable Resources

• Covid-19 Funding Statement and Application