The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning Canada’s milling, baking and food retail sectors against selling products made with unenriched white flour.
The agency says the warning was necessary because of an influx of imported products that use unfortified flour.
“The mandatory enrichment of white flour with B vitamins, iron and folic acid is a cornerstone of Canada’s fortification program aimed at helping to prevent nutrient deficiencies and maintain or improve the nutritional quality of the food supply,” CFIA senior managers Johanne Beaulieu and Mary L’Abbé from Health Canada said in a letter sent to industry in the summer and revised Sept. 2.
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“Flour enrichment is used as a public health tool because of its widespread use in foods consumed regularly by a large majority of the population.”
However, there was concern in the milling industry that the CFIA warning misrepresented what Canadian legislation actually requires and what regulatory enforcement has been.
There are questions about whether legislation actually prohibits the sale of unenriched flour.
And there are concerns that the warning was issued without proper industry consultation.
At the Canadian National Millers’ Association, president Gordon Harrison would not comment on the specific issues raised in the CFIA letter to industry, saying he preferred to deal directly with government officials.
However, he said in a Sept. 3 interview that the notice to the industry came as a surprise.
“In light of the existence of the standard for enriched flour for many years and the CFIA’s historical interpretation of regulations that apply, this letter to industry came as a surprise to the CNMA and without prior consultation,” he said.
“Our advice to CFIA and to Health Canada has been to prepare some more detailed clarification of policy and regulation and circulate that to affected parties for comment and discussion.”
The CFIA said the requirement to fortify flour is part of the Food and Drugs Act.
In an e-mail explanation of the notice to industry, agency media relations officer Jenn Gearey said any products found to contain unenriched flour could lead to CFIA action against the company involved.
“It is the responsibility of all manufacturers, importers and distributors of foods to ensure that their products comply with Canadian legislation and other relevant guidelines and policies,” she wrote.
The exceptions to the rule are white flour sold for production or gluten or starch and food products made for export to countries that do not require flour fortification.
