Canada to revamp food safety regulations.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has outlined radical plans to improve the safety of imported and exported foods after admitting the country had fallen behind when it came to regulation. FoodNavigator.com reports that Harper last month said the country was a decade behind others when it came to product recall legislation. The premier said there was a need to improve legislation because of growing concern over safety. Harper said in a statement: "The truth is product safety regulation in Canada is not as rigorous as it should be. In the past decade and a half we have fallen behind other industrialized countries, including some of our trading partners."

Work on the legislation will begin in the New Year and will include a host of new measures, including:

* Mandatory product recalls when companies fail to act on legitimate safety concerns;

* Making importers responsible for the safety of goods they bring into Canada;

* Increasing maximum fines under the Food and Drug Act from $5,000 up to current international standards. The EU can fine up to $1 million; and

* Improve safety information for consumers.

It is also hoped the legislation will lead to more inspections and stricter licensing of goods.

Canada has to get tough on safety issues and Harper hopes the Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan will keep Canadians safer by legislating tougher federal government regulation of food, health, and consumer products.