THE CUMULATIVE & COSTLY REGULATORY BURDEN

   The food manufacturing sector faces a severe challenge to being internationally competitive because of the rising cost of doing business in this country, says Carla Ventin, Vice-President of Government Relations for Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC).
   The operating environment for food companies is already not competitive with their rivals in the United States, she told the Senate agriculture study on the state of the country’s food value-added sector.
   Food processing is the largest employer in manufacturing in Canada and its more than 6,000 manufacturing facilities employ more workers than the auto and aerospace sectors combined.
    “Our member companies are increasingly concerned with the cumulative and costly regulatory burden,” she said. “Costs relating to energy, labour, taxes and inputs are adding additional pressure on Canadian food manufacturers.