"OTTAWA - The Conservative government is using its massive budget bill to update Canada's food regulations so new health claims, food additives and chemical contamination caps can be approved much more quickly."

"The new tools to speed up the food regulatory process once Health Canada scientists determine a product is safe are part of the government's Budget Implementation Act, tabled in the House of Commons Thursday.

"The current tools we use to regulate some food products are rigid and outdated," Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement. "Our new approach will allow more timely approvals of safe, innovative products, while still protecting the health and safety of Canadians."

Currently, it can take years for Health Canada to update regulations to allow the use of a new food additive, to set a limit for a chemical residue or to approve a new health claim on a food."

Sarah Schmidt reports for Postmedia News April 26, 2012. [2]