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Health Products and Food : The Health Products and Food Branch(HPFB)'s mandate is to take an integrated approach to the management of the risks and benefits to health related to health products and food by:
In Quebec, the Health Products and Food employs around 90 people and is equipped to provide the technical expertise and analytical capabilities required to fulfill its mandate. For the Quebec Region, HPF is divided in two major scientific programmes and an Office of Consumer and Public Involvement. The Food Programme: The Food Directorate is the federal health authority responsible for establishing policies, setting standards and providing advice and information on the safety and nutritional value of food. In Quebec, we contribute to this statement by conducting chemical research and analyses on selected food products and by providing a regional focal point for policy development and program liaison with other government departments, stakeholders and the general public. The food laboratory focuses on two areas: the microbiology and the chemistry analysis. The food laboratory works under an ISO Guide 17025 quality system to analyze food commodities and detect the pathogenic microorganisms, toxic chemicals, some contaminants like veterinary drug residues and environmental pollutants. Analytical services of food composition such as Vitamin D and other nutrients are also provided to meet the needs of the Canadian Nutrient File. The microbiology laboratory has specialized facilities in order to manipulate risk group II microorganisms and includes automated equipments for microbial analysis and identification. It is interesting to note that this food microbiology laboratory is the only one available in the region within Health Canada. The Inspectorate: The Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate (HPFBI) is responsible for branch-wide compliance and enforcement activities, enabling consistency of approach across the spectrum of regulated products. The Inspectorate core functions are compliance monitoring, and compliance verification and investigation, supported by establishment licensing of drugs and medical devices, and laboratory analysis. In Quebec, the Inspectorate comprises two areas: the operational centre and the laboratory. The operational centre of the Inspectorate carries out an inspection and audit program at both manufacturing and importing sites in Canada and abroad. It investigates consumer and trade complaints and monitors the safety and effectiveness of marketed health products. The laboratory mandate is to provide analytical and technical support to the inspection, investigation and surveillance activities for the HPFBI. The functions which support the regulation programs are chemical, physical and microbial analysis concerning samples of drugs, natural health products and medical devices. Analyses made in the laboratory carry on the following parameters: sterility of injectable drugs, microbial contaminations, bacterial endotoxins, particulate matters, dosage, identity, content uniformity, the identification and the quantification of the impurities, the disintegration, the dissolution, etc. The laboratory is accredited ISO 17025 since 2002. The Analyses made in the laboratory are based on numerous specialized and complex techniques requiring the knowledge, the understanding and the use of modern instruments of laboratory and the interpretation of the obtained results. The Longueuil laboratory is the national centre of the Inspectorate for the analysis of antineoplasic drugs (for the cancer treatment) as well as the analysis of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury). Procedures, techniques and especially the expertise of the analysts were developed for the analysis of these highly toxic products. The laboratory has numerous international partners: THE OMCL (European Network of Official Medicine Control Laboratories), counts close to 80 laboratories in the network: European Community (EC), European Economic Space (EES), Switzerland, most of the countries of central Europe and the Eastern Europe, Australia and Canada. The lab collaborates with the USP (United States Pharmacopea) and with the FDA (Food and Drug Agency). Office of Consumer and Public Involvement: The Office of Consumer and Public Involvement provides information and opportunities for Canadians - and especially consumers of the products we regulate - to become meaningfully involved in the decision-making processes of the Health Products and Food (HPF) regarding priorities, policies and programs. Laboratories Visit Policies: The Food Programme and Inspectorate laboratories described above can be visited under reservation by student groups from a college or a university. Those groups must be accompanied by a teacher. For any questions please contact Madam Marie-Josée Bolduc, Food Regional Liaison Officer, Health Canada, at (450) 928-4227
Health Canada
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Last Updated: 2007-05-29 | Important Notices |
