Assessment of Food Safety Regulatory System

Letter From United States to Canada

February 4, 2016

The Honorable Chrystia Freeland
Minister of International Trade
Canada

Dear Minister Freeland:

I have the honor to confirm the following understanding reached between the representatives of the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America (individually a “Party” and collectively the “Parties”) during the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement:

• Building on previous work by the Parties’ regulatory authorities to the greatest extent possible, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shall conduct, in cooperation with the responsible Canadian regulatory authorities, an assessment of equivalency of the Canadian food-safety regulatory system and the U.S. food-safety regulatory system as those systems are applied to products defined as “Milk Products” in the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.
• Building on previous work by the Parties’ regulatory authorities to the greatest extent possible, the responsible Canadian regulatory authorities shall conduct, in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an assessment of equivalency of the U.S. food-safety regulatory system and the Canadian food-safety regulatory system as those systems are applied to products defined as “Milk Products” in the Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance^{Footnote 1}.
• Each assessment of equivalency is to assess the public health outcomes delivered by the food-safety regulatory system of the other Party, as applied to the relevant products.
• The Parties shall begin discussions on the planning of the assessments immediately, with a view to completing each respective assessment by the end of 2017.

I have the honor to propose that this letter and your letter in reply, equally valid in French and English, confirming that your government shares this understanding, constitutes an understanding between the United States and Canada, which shall enter into effect on the date of your letter in reply.

Sincerely,

Ambassador Michael B.G. Froman