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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes further steps to reduce red tape by repealing outdated regulations

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Wednesday at 11:55am AST · December 3, 2025 3 min read

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 3, 2025 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is committed to reducing red tape while maintaining strong safeguards to protect Canada’s plant and animal resources. Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is fulfilling this commitment by repealing a number of outdated and unnecessary regulations. The CFIA is also advancing other regulatory changes to enhance flexibility and responsiveness in support of plant protection.

Removing outdated and unnecessary regulations addresses one of the planned actions in the CFIA’s Progress Report on Red Tape Reduction, published in September 2025. As part of its red tape review, the Agency identified several regulations that are no longer applicable or no longer required. They include:

  • Repealing regulations that were time-limited and are no longer applicable, including those that once set the parameters for compensation of:
    • Birds depopulated during a 2004 avian influenza outbreak in British Columbia
    • Stone fruit trees disposed due to Plum Pox Virus between 2004 and 2011
    • Trees removed to control the Asian Long-horned Beetle between 2013 and 2019
  • Repealing two regulations and one Ministerial Order related to the Golden Nematode pest in Central Saanich, British Columbia, which are no longer required to mitigate risk, and narrowing restrictions to only the small area still affected.

In addition, the Government of Canada has updated the Plant Protection Regulations to make the regulations more agile and remove unnecessary requirements. Notably, previous domestic movement controls have been incorporated by reference, allowing the CFIA to respond more quickly to new scientific information and international requirements. The amendments also remove unnecessary requirements and pave the way for future adoption of electronic certification systems. These updates strengthen the protection of Canada’s environment, natural resources, and plant-based industries from the spread of harmful pests, safeguarding our forests, farms, and gardens healthy for generations to come.

Quotes

“These regulatory updates reaffirm our government’s commitment to cutting red tape and removing unnecessary rules that govern our industries. By eliminating outdated requirements, we are empowering producers to focus on what they do best, driving growth, innovation, and prosperity across Canada.

— The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“This initiative reflects our government’s continued commitment to eliminating red tape and modernizing regulations. By reviewing regulations and removing unnecessary rules, we’re making it easier for businesses to grow, support plant and animal health, and strengthen Canada’s economy.”

— The Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board

Associated links

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Facebook: CFIACanada

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YouTube: @CFIA

Instagram: @CFIA_Canada

LinkedIn: Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Each day, hard-working Canadian Food Inspection Agency employees–including inspectors, veterinarians, and scientists–inspect food for safety risks, work to protect plants from pests and invasive species, and respond to animal diseases that could threaten Canada’s animal resource base and human health. Guided by science-based decision-making and modern regulations, the Agency verifies that food sold in Canada is safe while supporting access to international markets for our high-quality agricultural products. To learn more, visit inspection.canada.ca 

SOURCE Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

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