Program in Food Safety, Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs (PFSNRA)
Mission
To address the scientific basis of current issues of food, nutrition, health and regulatory activities through collaboration with scientists and health professionals from universities, the food industry, government and non-governmental organisations, to achieve the goal of a healthier Canadian population.
Objectives
Administrative Structure
The PFSNRA functions under the guidance of its Director, Dr. G. Harvey Anderson, Professor, Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Physiology, U of T. The Associate Director is Dr. Ian C. Munro, President, CANTOX Health Sciences International and Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, U of T.
The PFSNRA is divided into two components:
1. The NSERC-Industry Research Chair in Nutrition Toxicology, which began in 1994, was established to conduct pioneering research on the biological effects of food components. The Chair was held by Dr. Michael C. Archer from July 1994 - July 2004.
2. The University-Industry Program Office, which opened in 1992, provides the following services:
- assistance to the food industry in relation to science-based food, nutrition and health issues.
- examination of the scientific basis for regulatory positions and public health statements
- access to accurate information on the safety of our food supply and the role of nutrition in health
- facilitating communication among representatives of the food industry, academia, government and health professional groups.
The Scientific-Technical Committee (STC):
The programmatic activities of the PFSNRA are guided by the Scientific-Technical Committee (STC) which comprises its Directors, the Manager of the Program Office, the Chair and faculty members, Department of Nutritional Sciences, U of T, representatives from the member food companies, the University of Guelph and Ryerson University. The STC meets monthly to proactively address and identify nutrition, food safety and regulatory issues. The PFSNRA industry members are also informed about the Department's research activities, programmes and initiatives, and are encouraged to form research partnerships with interested faculty members.
PFSNRA Industry Members
The PFSNRA is currently supported by the following industry members:
Canada Bread Company Limited
Canadian Sugar Institute
Cargill, Incorporated
Casco Inc.
Coca Cola Ltd.
Dairy Farmers of Canada
General Mills Canada Corporation
H.J. Heinz Co. of Canada Ltd.
Kellogg Canada Inc.
Kraft Canada Inc.
Mead Johnson Nutritionals
Monsanto Canada Inc.
Nestlé Canada Inc.
Pepsi Quaker Tropicana Gatorade Canada
Unilever Canada
Collaborators
Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition
Canadian Society for Clinical Nutrition
CANTOX Health Sciences International
Dietitians of Canada (DC)
International Life Sciences Institute, North America (ILSI NA)
Ryerson University, Toronto
University of Guelph
PFSNRA Activities and Publications
PFSNRA-sponsored Symposia and Government Submissions
These activities are designed to educate, increase awareness of topical issues, assist in the preparation
of responses to government proposals and produce publications. Symposia are attended by university
and government scientists, public health nutritionists, dietitians and other health professionals, graduate
students and nutrition scientists from the food industry - in Canada, the USA, Europe and other countries.
Activities are outlined by topic.
Calcium Requirements and Tolerable Upper Level
Symposium and workshops to review the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board's report on Dietary Reference Intakes
as well as Health Canada's recommendations of its calcium risk assessment. The implications of these reports on calcium fortification practices in Canada were discussed. October 30, 1997.
Dietary Guidelines
"Dietary Guidelines - Past Experience and New Approaches". Symposium and workshops to evaluate the goals and effectiveness of dietary guidelines; to examine the merits of evidence-based decision-making in developing guidelines; to explore the differences and similarities of dietary guidelines in different countries. [In collaboration with ILSI NA, Dietitians of Canada, NIN and the American Dietetic Association]. April 30 - May 1, 2002.
Dietary Fibre
"Scientific Workshop on Dietary Fibre". Closed workshop to discuss the support for Canada's novel fibre labeling policy, under which novel fibre sources are required to demonstrate one or more physiological effects, versus basing dietary fibre labeling on compositional criteria alone; to seek greater scientific clarity as to which other physiological effects are appropriately attributable to dietary fibres beyond the three currently approved physiological effects (attenuation of blood glucose, normalization of blood lipids, and laxation) and could therefore potentially be used to support the declaration of a novel fibre as dietary fibre. November 15, 2006.
Food Fortification and Dietary Reference Intakes
(i) Addition of Vitamins and Minerals Policy Review and Implementation. Response to Health Canada's
Consultation Document - submitted on January 24, 2003.
(ii) Tolerable Upper Intake Levels. Symposium on "Interpreting the Dietary Reference Intakes Upper Levels:
How much is too much?" [Annual Meeting, National Institute of Nutrition, Canada, in collaboration with the
PFSNRA and Ryerson University]. April 28, 2003.
(iii) "Guiding Principles for Nutrition Labelling and Fortification: Focus on Discretionary Fortification".
Symposium on the Dietary Reference Intakes Report - to facilitate an understanding of the report by
PFSNRA members and to plan a future activity that would involve Health Canada, health professionals
and other Canadian scientists. February 19, 2004.
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
(i) "Food and Food Components: Their roles in health". Symposium to increase awareness and knowledge of
the role of functional components in foods; to educate health professionals on the health benefits of
functional foods; to examine the scientific basis for the health benefits of these products. May 26, 2000.
(ii) Symposium: "Communicating Benefits of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals". [As part of the Canadian
Society for Clinical Nutrition's Annual Meeting]. April 23, 2004.
Health Claims on Foods in Canada
(i) "Evaluation of Health Canada's Consultation Document, 'Standards of Evidence for Evaluating Foods with Health Claims: A Proposed Framework'". Symposium and workshops to provide feedback to Health Canada on their proposal. July 24-25, 2000.
(ii) "Nutrition and Health Claims for Foods". Public lecture by Dr. Margaret Cheney, Chief, Nutrition
Evaluation Division, Health Canada. December 7, 2001.
(iii) Product-Specific Authorisation of Health Claims for Foods". Closed symposium and workshops to
enhance understanding and clarity of Health Canada's proposed regulatory framework for product-specific
authorisation of health claims for foods to facilitate preparation of an informed response to the
government's pre-Canada Gazette, Part I, publication. February 18, 2002.
(iv) "Understanding the Regulatory Requirements for Product-Specific Health Claims".
Closed symposium and workshops to, (a) provide a scientific forum to discuss appropriate endpoints or biomarkers associated with health benefit and/or risk reduction for product-specific health claims, their scientific limitations, and a process for the identification and validation of suitable endpoints; (b) identify knowledge gaps and research initiatives that would support innovative product development and help position Canada as a world leader of safe, high quality and efficacious functional food and nutraceutical products and ingredients and, (c) develop a common understanding of the submission requirements for product-specific health claims. [In collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Health Canada; co-sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]. October 20, 2003.
(v) "Scientific Substantiating Health Claims".
Response to Canada Gazette Part I proposed regulatory amendment to exempt non-prescription drugs and natural health products, which meet pre-market approval, from Section 3 and Schedule A of the Food and Drugs Act.
December 19, 2005.
Responses to Health Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate's proposed regulatory framework for Natural Health Products were submitted in March, 2001 and, after publication in Canada Gazette Part I, another commentary was submitted in March 2003.
Novel Foods
Symposium and workshop: "Novel Foods and Novel Food Processes". Health and Welfare Canada proposed new regulations for novel foods and novel food processes because it was felt that the existing regulations did not adequately provide a means for assessing the safety of the increasing number of non-traditional foods and food processes being introduced into the Canadian food supply. This symposium/workshop addressed the question, "Do these proposed regulations provide the best means for addressing the safety issues of non-traditional foods and food processes?" November 23, 1992.
Nutritional Health of School Age Children in Canada
Think Tank On School Nutrition and Activity. [In conjunction with the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition.]
June 16, 2006.
Symposium and workshop to examine the nutritional health of school age children in Canada. [In conjunction with Ryerson Polytechnic University]. December 3, 1996.
Nutrition Labelling
The document entitled, "Nutrition Labelling in Canada: Scientific evaluation of the proposed core nutrient list", comprised the Program's response to Health Canada's proposed nutrient label that was published in Canada Gazette, Part I. June 20, 2001.
Obesity
"Solutions to the Obesity Epidemic: A Role for the Food Industry". Symposium and workshops to determine how the strengths of the Food Industry can be used to contribute science-based solutions to the obesity epidemic. September 11, 2003.
"Obesity: Seeking Solutions through Research Partnerships". Open symposium and workshops to bring together members of the food industry, academics, public health practitioners and policymakers to promote research partnerships aimed at addressing the problem of obesity. [In collaboration with the Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the National Institute of Nutrition]. Co-sponsored by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society. June 14-15, 2004.
Role of Folic Acid in the Primary Prevention of Neural Tube Defects
Round table discussion to review the scientific evidence linking folic acid deficiency to neural tube defects and to discuss the safety, efficacy and effectiveness of strategies for prevention, such as food fortification, folic acid supplementation and education. January 20, 1994.
Trans Fatty Acids in Foods
Comment to Trans Fat Task Force and other government officials on the reduction/elimination of processed trans fats in the Canadian food supply. June 3, 2005.
Symposium and workshop to discuss issues related to trans fatty acids in foods and to list potential priority areas. October 10, 1991.
Publications / Documents produced
Critical analysis of the "Science on Oats/Psyllium and Cholesterol-lowering". Submitted to Health Canada,
September 2006.
Critical analysis of the "Draft Nutrition Recommendations for Canadians". Submitted to Health Canada,
September 2004.
Symposium on Obesity: Seeking solutions through partnerships. Symposium and workshops: Summary.
Author: Loretta DiFrancesco, PhD (Source! Nutrition). PFSNRA/University of Toronto. July 2004.
PFSNRA-U of T Obesity Symposium - Summary. Note: This form is available in .pdf format. 
Anderson GH, Black R, Harris S, eds. Proceedings of a symposium and workshop entitled, "Dietary Guidelines: Past experience and new approaches". J Am Diet Assoc, 2003;103[Suppl. 2]. Dietary Guidelines in Canada, the USA and Australia are discussed in this supplement.
Schneeman BO, Mendelson, R. Dietary Guidelines: Past experience and new approaches. J Am Diet Assoc, 2002;102:1498-1500.
Stephen AM, Liston AJ, Anthony SP, Munro IC, Anderson GH. Regulation of foods with health claims: A proposal. Can J Public Health 2002;93(5):328-31.
Health claims for foods in Canada: Report of a symposium and workshops to consider product-specific authorisation of health claims for foods and standards of evidence required. March 2002.
Nutrition Labelling in Canada: Scientific evaluation of the proposed core nutrient list.
Author: Marco Di Buono, PhD Candidate, University of Toronto 2001.
A Proposal for the Regulation of Foods with Health Claims.
Authors: A (Bert) Liston, PhD, Alison M. Stephen, PhD, G. Harvey Anderson, PhD and Ian C. Munro, PhD. 2001.
An evaluation of Health Canada's Consultation Document, Standards of evidence for evaluating foods with health claims: A proposed framework. Symposium and workshops, July 24-25, 2000. Final reports. G. Harvey Anderson and Alison M. Stephen, Editors. ISBN 0-7727-8716-6 2000.
Aluminum - Its presence in food and impact on human health.
Author: Cyril W.C. Kendall, PhD 1997.
Nutrient addition to foods in Canada: An evaluation of Micronutrient safety. Literature review and proposed risk classification. 1996.
Proceedings of the roundtable discussion entitled, "The role of folic acid in the primary prevention of neural tube defects". 1994.
Proceedings of a workshop entitled: "Novel foods and novel food processes". 1992.
Ongoing Activities
Future Activities
For further information, please contact:
Ms Christina Wong, Post Graduate Fellow
PFSNRA, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto, 150 College Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. M5S 3E2
Email: program.foodsafety@utoronto.ca
Tel: (416) 978-0799
Fax: (416) 978-5882