Letter of Interest for Chemical Residue Testing in and on Food Products for CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is preparing to issue a Request for Proposal for laboratory services to conduct chemical residue and allergen testing on food products, with an anticipated release in summer 2025. This Letter of Interest serves to inform industry stakeholders of upcoming requirements so they may prepare for accreditation and method validation prior to the formal solicitation. The work will involve testing for a broad range of chemical residues including pesticides, metals, dioxins, and PCBs, as well as allergens, across matrices such as processed fruits and vegetables, imported and manufactured foods, and fish and seafood. Laboratories must already be accredited by the Standards Council of Canada in the Program Specialty Area for Agriculture and Food Products or by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation for food testing, and all analytical methods must be validated in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Minimum detection and quantification limits specified in the appendices are non-negotiable baseline criteria for technical compliance. Participation in Canada’s Net-Zero Challenge or an equivalent environmental initiative is mandatory for eligibility, requiring submission of official documentation such as a participant letter from Environment and Climate Change Canada, certification for the United Nations Race to Zero initiative, or evidence of participation in the Science-Based Targets Initiative or Carbon Disclosure Project, paired with a signed statement from the bidder’s CFO outlining GHG reduction commitments. Alternatively, compliance may be demonstrated through accredited third-party certification of ISO 14064-1:2018, ISO 14064-3:2019, ISO 14065:2020, or ISO 14066:2011. The proposed contract will have an initial term of three years starting April 1, 2026, with the possibility of two one-year extensions, and services will be delivered on an as-needed basis through task authorizations issued by CFIA. Testing must occur within Canada, and proposals must be submitted by July 15, 2026. This Letter of Interest is not a solicitation and does not obligate the Government of Canada to issue a contract, nor does it authorize any party to begin work or incur costs on behalf of the Government.