CFIA expands salt recall – Food In CanadaFood In Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) amends a previous recall of the Sifto brand Hy·Grade Salt due to pieces of metal to include additional products. The affected products are salted butter sold under the Baxter and Saputo brands as well as Snow Cap Enterprises brand SNC96 – Batter Golden Mix. All of these products used the affected salt.

Since October 24, 2024, Compass Minerals, Goderich Plant, has been conducting food safety investigation and root cause analysis in response to a food safety incident implicating the presence of extraneous material (metal) in manufactured salt.

CFIA issued a notice to the industry with an update due to the large volume of salt being recalled.

Per the notice, CFIA highlighted the following two actions by the company response:

1. On October 25, 2024, the company initiated a recall, which CFIA classifies as a Class II recall to the manufacturer and warehouse level. The scope of this recall includes all salt manufactured between October 7 – October 11, 2024
2. On November 8, 2024, a company initiates a larger recall, which the CFIA has deemed as market withdrawal. The scope of this market withdrawal includes all salt manufactured between September 18 – October 6, 2024, and between October 12 – November 6, 2024.

Salt subject to the Class II recall

CFIA asks food manufacturers who have used the salt subject to the Class II recall to contact them to evaluate the risks of such foods. As part of this evaluation, CFIA will consider control measures for metal extraneous material and any other relevant information. It may also initial food recalls.

Salt subject to the market withdrawal
As mentioned earlier, CFIA is classifying the company-initiated product action as a market withdrawal.

“A market withdrawal is a regulated party’s removal or correction of a marketed product that is in contravention of legislation administered or enforced by the CFIA, but does not represent a level of health risk and/or conditions that meet the CFIA’s criteria for requesting a recall. It is not considered to be a recall,” explained CFIA.

Food manufacturers who have used the salt subject to market withdrawal while operating under regular preventive controls and without observing process control or product deviations are not expected to contact CFIA or take additional measures.