The federal government is assembling a plan to modernize its regulatory system to offer Canadians more protection from counterfeit and unsafe products, federal Health Minister Tony Clement said Monday evening in Vancouver.

'[Parents] have a right to know that the toys they are purchasing for their kids are safe and that the health of their kids are not affected by those toys.'— Tony Clement, federal health minister

Speaking at a meeting of the Canadian Medical Association, Clement acknowledged a recent spate of product safety concerns — including lead in toys and toothpaste contaminated with bacteria — has left parents anxious.

"Our government shares the concern of Canadian parents — they have a right to know that the toys they are purchasing for their kids are safe and that the health of their kids are not affected by those toys," he said.

"What I've directed from my officials is that we review our legislation, review our standards, review our regulations," he said. "As you know the Hazardous Products Act has not been amended for at least 10 years and possibly longer."

Clement says an action plan is expected to be delivered within weeks.

Last Tuesday, Mattel Inc. announced it was recalling 18.2 million magnetic toys and 436,000 toys with lead paint. The Mattel recall was the latest in a series of product safety alerts that has shaken consumer confidence.

In mid-March, a massive recall of more than 100 brands of pet food was issued after pet owners reported kidney failure in cats and dogs. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials later traced the contamination to tainted wheat gluten spiked with melamine — a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers — that was imported from China.

In June, Health Canada warned consumers against using certain brands of toothpaste imported from China that were found to contain diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze.
(Health Canada)

Health Canada also issued an alert regarding counterfeit Colgate toothpaste sold in dollar stores across the country in June. The toothpaste was labelled as being manufactured in South Africa. The federal agency also warned consumers not to use certain tubes of toothpaste imported from China that was found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a chemical used in antifreeze and as a solvent.

Clement said the global marketplace has helped make a broad range of products more affordable but he noted recent incidents have jeopardized consumer health and safety.

"Globalization has lifted millions up from poverty, providing … hope, tools and education to many Third World citizens," Clement said.

"It also means that Western citizens have access to a larger variety of more affordable products and services. But this is not the end of the story. We have recently seen the serious threats posed to health and safety by counterfeit and dangerous imported products, from bacteria in toothpaste to lead in toys," he said.