Public Opinion Research with Food Businesses to Support Compliance with Food Safety Regulations - Executive Summary

Prepared for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Supplier name: Earnscliffe Strategy Group

Contract number: 39903-200798/001/CY

Contract value: $112,951.22
Award date: January 7, 2020

Delivery date: March 31, 2020

Registration number: POR 059-19

For more information on this report, please contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at:

cfia.enquiries-demandederenseignements.acia@canada.ca

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Public Opinion Research with Food Businesses to Support Compliance with Food Safety Regulations

Prepared for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Supplier name: Earnscliffe Strategy Group
March 2020

This public opinion research report presents the results of focus groups and a telephone survey conducted by Earnscliffe Strategy Group on behalf of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The quantitative research was conducted from January 27 to February 12, 2020 and the qualitative from February 18 to 20, 2020.

Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Recherche sur l'opinion publique auprès des entreprises du secteur alimentaire pour soutenir le respect de la réglementation en matière de salubrité des aliments.

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. For more information on this report, please contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at:

cfia.enquiries-demandederenseignements.acia@canada.ca

or at:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency
1400 Merivale Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9

Catalogue Number: A104-201/2020E-PDF

International Standard Book Number (ISBN): 978-0-660-34453-9

Related publications (registration number): POR 059-19

A104-201/2020F-PDF (Final Report, French)
978-0-660-34454-6

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2020

Executive summary

In January 2017, the CFIA published the proposed Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) in the Canada Gazette Part I for consultation. The Regulations were revised based on feedback from stakeholders and published in Canada Gazette II in June 2018 and had a graduated coming into force schedule that started in January 2019. The 2020 milestone dates for coming into force were January 15, 2020, when Fresh Fruit or Vegetables businesses were required to comply with SFCR, and July 15, 2020, when requirements come into force for businesses in the manufactured food sector. Small and micro businesses in the manufactured food sector may have unique challenges in meeting their regulatory obligations.

As part of the CFIA's commitment to delivering timely information and guidance to regulated parties, the Agency has developed a suite of compliance promotion tools and services to help industry in meeting food safety regulations. The new regulations are expected to affect a large number of companies in the manufactured food sector that previously had minimal exposure to the CFIA. Therefore, they are also likely to be unaware of the services and tools the Agency makes available to industry to help them comply with their regulatory obligations. Consequently, the CFIA conducted research to gain insight into food businesses' views about food safety regulations to inform effective implementation of, and compliance with, the SFCR.

Previous CFIA research with food businesses has identified topics about which food businesses are reasonably knowledgeable when it comes to food safety regulations and noted gaps in awareness and understanding. This research sought to explore some of those gaps - for example, small businesses' confidence in their ability to meet food safety regulations compared to larger industry members (the latter is typically more familiar with requirements). Awareness of the name of the Act, Safe Food for Canadians, is on the rise, but past research shows that knowledge is still limited. Respondents know more about the specific food safety requirements within the SFCR than they do about the Act and Regulations themselves. Many businesses already follow food safety practices comparable to the requirements of SFCR through third-party food safety certifications (e.g., Global Food Safety Initiative, or GFSI). However, small businesses were less likely to report having a written preventive control plan.

Previous research indicates that while the majority of businesses go to the CFIA website for regulatory guidance or use third-party organizations, like their industry associations, there remains demand for easier and quicker means of getting answers. Past studies also point to concern around getting answers to specific food safety questions businesses may have.

The objective of the research was to gain insight into the Canadian food industry's views on food safety and food safety regulations. Feedback was required from the food industry – with a focus on small food businesses, food and food importers – to determine their awareness and use of products as well as services available to them to support their understanding and compliance. Additionally, the investigation aimed to discover whether or not the CFIA's products and services are effective, clear and meet their needs. This research will be used to inform effective implementation, communications and compliance with the SFCR by supporting the refinement of current products and services as well as the development and promotion of new communications products, services, guidance and tools for regulated parties.

This project included both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The contract value for this project was $112,951.22 including HST.

The specific objectives of the research were designed to gain a better understanding of industry's awareness, motivations, perceptions and attitudes towards:

• The various roles and responsibilities within the food safety system, in particular to measure the level of awareness of their own responsibilities in the system;
• Resource needs and barriers to complying with regulatory requirements, to identify root causes of non-compliance and support development as well as implementation of compliance promotion, communications, and support service activities;
• Current services and expectations on future services and programs; and,
• Gather feedback on specific messaging, as well as compliance promotion tools and communications products.

To meet these objectives, Earnscliffe conducted a two-phased research program: quantitative and qualitative.

The first phase was quantitative and involved a telephone survey of 400 individuals who own a food business or work at one in a role such as food safety manager or quality control. Surveys were conducted between January 27 and February 12, 2020 in English and French. The survey took an average of 17 minutes to complete.

Our fieldwork subcontractor for the quantitative portion was Léger. The survey was conducted via telephone from Léger's centralized call-centre using their state of the art Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system. Léger relied on sample provided by InfoCanada, pre-screened by NAICS codes provided by the CFIA. The following quotas for business size were set:

The wave of qualitative research that followed the quantitative portion consisted of a series of six focus groups with food business owners or individuals who hold a food safety manager or quality control related position in their company. For each group, 6 individuals were recruited as participants. In total, 29 people participated in the focus group discussions. Two sessions were conducted in each of the following cities: Vancouver (February 18, 2020); Mississauga (February 19, 2020); and Montreal (February 20, 2020). The groups in Montreal were conducted in French, while the groups in the other two locations were conducted in English. Please refer to the Recruitment Screener in the Appendix of this report for all relevant screening and qualifications criteria.

In each city, the first group began at 5:30 pm and the second at 7:00 pm. The sessions were approximately 1.5 hours in length. Focus group participants were given an honorarium of $250 in appreciation of their participation. Appendix B provides greater detail on how the groups were recruited, while Appendix C provides the discussion guide used for the focus groups and Appendix D provides the screener used for recruiting the focus groups.

It is important to note that qualitative research is a form of scientific, social, policy and public opinion research. Focus group research is not designed to help a group reach a consensus or to make decisions, but rather to elicit the full range of ideas, attitudes, experiences and opinions of a selected sample of participants on a defined topic. As a result of the small numbers involved, the participants cannot be expected to be thoroughly representative in a statistical sense of the larger population from which they are drawn, and findings cannot reliably be generalized beyond their number.

The key findings from the research are presented below.

Quantitative findings

• Half (53%) are very familiar with the CFIA, while another third (32%) are somewhat familiar. When it comes to businesses not exclusively in retail, the proportion who are very familiar may have rebounded slightly from the declining measure from March 2019 (51%), but still is slightly lower than the measure from November 2018 (58%).
• Two-thirds of businesses surveyed (66%) are aware of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). Awareness of SFCR has risen wave-to-wave since January 2017, when just 39% of businesses had heard of the regulations. Among businesses not exclusively in retail, the previously "registered sector", awareness has risen too. In November 2018, 52% had heard of the SFCR, compared to 77% this wave.
  • Among those who know of the SFCR, 78% believe the regulations apply to their business.
  • Over half of businesses seem familiar with the SCFR requirements for a preventive control plan and a CFIA licence (61%).
  • Almost three-quarters (72%) claim they know of the requirement to have product traceability processes.
• When it comes to their opinion of the biggest challenges posed by SFCR, businesses are divided. Roughly a quarter say either traceability (28%) or written preventive controls (25%), or do not feel any of the requirements listed are particularly challenging (28%). One in five (19%) say licensing.
• Overall, the businesses surveyed report to understanding the food safety regulations that apply to them. More than three-quarters (79%) say they understand them very clearly. They are also very confident (81%) that their business would pass a CFIA inspection.
• When it comes to existing food safety measures, two-thirds or more of businesses have an internal training program (80%), documented standard food safety procedures (78%), a traceability program (72%) and regularly send staff on food safety training (66%). More than half (59%) have preventive controls in place outlined in a written plan. Forty-seven percent have controls in place, but they are not documented in writing. Over a third (38%) use a food certification or quality control system, while one-in-five use technology such as blockchain (22%).
  • Processors/manufacturers (79%) and wholesalers/distributors (81%) are more likely to have established traceability programs. Processors/manufacturers are also more likely to have written preventive control programs in place (71%). Retailers more frequently send their staff on training courses (71%) compared to other business sectors.
• Overall, attitudes towards the CFIA are generally positive. CFIA inspections are viewed as fair (58% strongly agree) and half strongly agree (50%) that they follow "rigorous logic". Over half agree (45% strongly, 21% somewhat) they are conducted in a consistent manner. Almost three-quarters agree that guidance is easy to understand (44% strongly agree, 27% somewhat agree).
• The most common ways businesses have come in contact with the CFIA are when looking for information on the CFIA website (43%) or as a result of inspections (41%). Roughly a quarter have contacted the CFIA directly for information or technical advice or initiated a product recall (both 26%). One-in-five have requested a licence, permission, registration or certificate (22%) or contacted the CFIA for general information about these things (21%).
  • Processors and manufacturers seem to have the most frequent interactions with the CFIA, particularly compared to retailers. For example, almost half (47%) of processors and manufacturers have contacted the CFIA for advice compared to just 11% of retailers. More processors and manufacturers also report having been inspected in the last 12 months (48%) compared to retailers (36%).
  • Those who have contacted the CFIA are most likely to do so via the website (51%), followed by over the phone (39%) and via email (37%).
• Knowledge and use of My CFIA varies by industry. A third (30%) of processors and manufacturers say they have used My CFIA while 11% have heard of it but have not used it. In contrast, just 1% of retailers have used it, while 10% are aware, but have not used it.
  • Those who have used the My CFIA portal are generally satisfied with it – 40% are very satisfied and 47% are somewhat satisfied.
• Two-thirds agree that the CFIA takes the needs of businesses into account when developing new regulatory information products (40% strongly agree).
• Over half agree (38% strongly) that over the last 12 months, they have spent less time searching for food safety information.
• The greatest challenge to finding food safety information is that the CFIA website is not clear or difficult to navigate, however just 10% raise this concern, while a quarter claim they have no challenges.

Qualitative findings

Earnscliffe conducted two focus groups in Vancouver, Mississauga and Montreal with individuals who have primary responsibility for the food safety of the food products their business sells or produces. All the participants either worked for or owned a small business (99 employees or less).

• Overall impressions of the CFIA were generally favourable. Those who had interacted with CFIA representatives described them as professional, responsive (as best they could); and, helpful, although, on this point there were some differences of opinion. According to participants, some inspectors are more understanding/collaborative than others.
• Detailed knowledge of SFCR was quite low. When provided with a description of the regulations and asked for their overall impressions, participants understood and agreed with the spirit of the regulations to ensure the safety of Canada's food system, but raised a few concerns in practice, namely:
  • The burden (both in terms of cost and time) the regulations may impose on small businesses with fewer resources to implement new traceability measures, for example.
  • That they may be redundant for larger businesses.
  • That finding information about licensing (both whether they require one and how to obtain one quickly) has proved difficult in the past.
• When it came to non-compliance and penalties, while specific knowledge was limited, most had the sense that the CFIA relied on a number of enforcement activities ranging from warnings, fines, penalties, closures, etc.
  • Most felt the severity of the infraction should dictate the enforcement activity. The majority agreed that businesses and specific circumstances needed to be treated on a case-by-case basis and within reason.
  • The overwhelming majority were comfortable with publishing the names of businesses that were found guilty of a very serious infraction that put the health and safety of Canadians at risk. However, most did not believe it would be fair to publish the names of businesses that were non-compliant on something less serious (i.e., not having a poster hung up on the wall, not using the right jar sizes, etc.).
• While the research specifically explored perceptions of the CFIA's website, it is worth noting that participants often spontaneously raised the topic at the outset of the groups when explaining their interactions with the CFIA and described it in an unfavourable light because they have had difficulty accessing the information they are looking for.
  • Many participants have relied on Google searches or bookmarks to find what they are looking for on the CFIA's website, rather than navigating from the main page.
  • When prompted to review the main page, participants tended to agree that most of the information they would be looking for (i.e., information about imports and exports; labelling; recalls; etc.) appeared to be included, but that because of the way it was organized, what they would be looking for was not immediately apparent.
  • Suggestions to improve the website included separating information for consumers and for industry, on the industry page, categorizing the information either by industry sector or food product type, a live chat or dedicated support phone line, and significant improvements to the search function.
• The focus group discussions explored reactions to a variety of draft advertising concepts. Participants were shown three concepts that were designed for distribution via social media – We're Ready (1 concept) and New Rules for Food Businesses (2 concepts).
• Reactions to the We're Ready concept were mostly negative.  Most were generally confused about the main message and purpose of the ad. Most interpreted the main message as, "We're ready for an inspection".  However, the image did not imply the people in it were ready, and participants did not feel the message was directed at them.
• Reactions to the New Rules for Food Businesses concept were generally much more favourable. Participants felt the main message was very clear in both executions: that there were new rules in place and that food businesses should learn more about whether they meet the requirements.
  • Reactions to the tone of the first execution of this concept depicting an inspector's jacket tended to be polarized. Some appreciated the gravity that was implied, while others found it menacing and in contradiction with either their experience with inspectors.
  • The second execution was described as more inviting, welcoming and friendlier.

Research Firm:

Earnscliffe Strategy Group Inc. (Earnscliffe)
Contract Number: 39903-200798/001/CY
Contract award date: January 7, 2020

I hereby certify as a Representative of Earnscliffe Strategy Group that the final deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Signed:

Doug Anderson
Principal, Earnscliffe

Date: March 31, 2020

Appendix A: Survey methodology report

Survey methodology

Earnscliffe Strategy Group's overall approach for this study was to conduct a telephone survey of 400 individuals own a food business or work at one in a role such as food safety manager or quality control. A detailed discussion of the approach used to complete this research is presented below.

Questionnaire design

The questionnaire for this study was designed by the CFIA in collaboration with Earnscliffe and provided for fielding to Leger. The survey was offered to respondents in both English and French and completed based on their preferences.

Sample design and selection

The sampling plan for the study was designed by Earnscliffe in collaboration with the CFIA. Leger used sample provided by InfoCanada, which has been used in the past for CFIA projects.

The final data were weighted to the proportion of businesses that fall into each NAICS code and province as per InfoCanada information.

Data collection

The survey was conducted in English and in French, based on the respondent's preference, from January 27 to February 12, 2020. The survey was undertaken by Leger's telephone data collection operation headquartered in Montréal, Québec.

Targets/weighting

Business size was defined as follows:

• Micro: 1 to 4 employees
• Small: 5-99 employees
• Medium: 100-499 employees
• Large: 500+ employees

The final data were weighted to the proportion of businesses that fall into each NAICS code and province as per InfoCanada information.

Quality controls

Leger's data collection quality control process is concretely based on the following elements:

• Assigning every project a project leader who is ultimately responsible for the quality of the final product, thereby strengthening the sense of internal responsibility;
• Ensuring that the client's objectives precisely correlate with the final questionnaire, strictly ensuring that all targeted dimensions are unequivocally included in the guide;
• Individually examining the formulation of every question beforehand to ensure simplicity of expression, clear syntax and a precise notion of the field covered;
• Looking for contamination effects beforehand, that is ensuring that the location of a question in the questionnaire does not have an undue effect on the following answers (this is generally done by providing information indirectly to the participants, thereby rendering the sampling unrepresentative);
• A strict comparison of the computerised version of the questionnaire with the reference questionnaire approved by the client;
• Checking the programmed jumps in the computerised system before the pre-test;
• Holding a pre-test to ensure the questions are easily understood, to check the concepts, and to look for any possible ambiguities or logical jumps in the questions, etc. The pre-test is preferably held in the presence of the client (audio monitoring) and interviewers are debriefed afterwards so all dimensions can be explored;
• Using the best interviewers, from our Elite network, for the pre-test, since their thousands of hours of field experience enable them to quickly discern any questions that are badly written, ambiguous, unclear or too general. No one is better suited to detect anomalies at this stage where they can still be easily corrected;
• In-depth training of interviewers so they understand the context of every study and the meaning of every question;
• Insistence on open or semi-open questions, in order to specify the type of answer expected and to avoid vague and general answers as much as possible;
• Heavy monitoring by the supervisors to facilitate the detection of any problematic questions. This involves being attentive to the interviewers' thoughts and concerns and encouraging them to voice them, even after the pre-test;
• Constant audio monitoring of the survey, along with simultaneous monitoring of the information entered into the computer. This allows the supervisor to control the quality of the interview and the correct correlation between the information supplied and the codes entered;
• Using software that does not allow input errors or unexpected jumps, etc. The logical validation is therefore carried out beforehand and not after the fact;
• Constant rigour throughout the process, but particularly at the beginning insofar as the comprehensibility of the questions is concerned. Even if the pre-test has already taken place, the complexity and length of the questionnaires means that some questions might have to be modified to ensure they are more easily understood (without modifying the sense). These modifications are always carried out in complete agreement with the client;
• Open questions are coded according to an initial sampling of answers in the file and by the creation of codes that are submitted to the client for approval;
• The interviewers' performance is monitored on a daily basis using the Command Center software which enables corrections to be carried out quickly.

Results

Final dispositions

Non-response

Any survey that is conducted is potentially subject to bias or error. The possibility of non-response bias exists within the current sample. In particular, this survey would not include members of the population who do not have access to a telephone or who are not capable of responding to a survey in either English or French.

Sample profile

Statistical significance testing

Bolded results presented in this report indicate that the difference between some business sectors (agriculture, processor/manufacturer, wholesaler/distributor and retailer) analysed are significantly higher than results found for other businesses. Unless otherwise noted, differences highlighted are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The statistical test used to determine the significance of the results was the Z-test. Due to rounding, results may not add to 100%.

Margin of error

The margin of error for this sample of 400 Canadian food businesses is +/-4.81%

Survey duration

The online survey took an average of 17 minutes to complete.

Appendix B: Focus group methodology report

Methodology

The research program included a series of six (6) qualitative discussions in three urban centres where the food industry is predominantly located across Canada: Vancouver (February 18); Mississauga (February 19); and Montreal (February 20). In each location, focus groups were conducted with a mix of senior decision makers in micro (1 to 4 employees) and small (5 to 99 employees) food businesses, food importers and exporters. The sessions were approximately 1.5 hours in length.

Schedule and composition of the focus groups

Recruitment

Participants were recruited using a screening questionnaire (included in Appendix D).

The screener contained a series of screening questions to ensure participants qualified based on their company size, role in their company, and that all groups contained at least two importers and no more than one retail-only participant.

Our fieldwork subcontractor, Quality Response, relied on panels and databases of Canadians. This is the approach employed most often. Quality Response reaches out to members of their database first via email and follows-up with telephone calls to pre-qualify respondents. We also included a re-screening service in which focus group participants were re-screened onsite upon arrival at the focus group facility to ensure the utmost quality of participants.

Quality Response's database includes approximately 35,000 Canadians with profiling on a range of attributes including standard personal demographics, household composition, medical background, technology usage, financial services, health and wellness, business profiles, and other relevant criteria. Their database is constantly being updated and replenished and operates out of their own, onsite telephone room in Toronto, Ontario. Potential group participants are recruited to their database via mixed-mode: following a proprietary telephone survey, online, referral, social media and print advertising. Initial contact is often made via email or online pre-screening for speed and economies, followed up by personal telephone recruitment and pre-group attendance confirmation.

Quality Response understands the nuances of qualitative recruiting and the importance of locating qualified, interested respondents. Their recruiting is undertaken in strict accordance with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research – Qualitative Research.

Reminder calls were made prior to the groups to confirm participants' intention to attend and to encourage higher rates of participation. As well, all participants received a cash honorarium of $250 at the end of the group discussion. This amount is consistent with honorariums for groups of this duration being conducted in major urban centres and is in line with the amount proposed to the federal government for this contract.

A total of 6 participants were recruited for each group. Upon arrival at the focus group facility, all participants were required to provide photo identification to ensure they were the individual who had been recruited for that particular focus group. As mentioned earlier, every participant was re-screened upon arrival to ensure they met the screening qualifications, were capable of communicating in the appropriate language of the group, and capable of contributing to the discussion in constructive ways. We have found that this added verification ensures better quality discussions.

All participants signed a document, prior to conducting the groups, acknowledging their consent to be recorded, for the purposes of review and analysis in preparation of this report. All groups were digitally recorded, and live online webstreaming was made available for observers to view the groups remotely.

Moderation

We relied on one qualified moderator. Our moderator is fully bilingual and was able to conduct the groups in both French and English, ensuring continuity across all cities.

A note about interpreting qualitative research results

It is important to note that qualitative research is a form of scientific, social, policy and public opinion research. Focus group research is not designed to help a group reach a consensus or to make decisions, but rather to elicit the full range of ideas, attitudes, experiences and opinions of a selected sample of participants on a defined topic. Because of the small numbers involved the participants cannot be expected to be thoroughly representative in a statistical sense of the larger population from which they are drawn, and findings cannot reliably be generalized beyond their number.

Appendix C: Discussion guide

Introduction

10 min (10 min)

Moderator introduces herself/himself and her/his role: role of moderator is to ask questions, make sure everyone has a chance to express themselves, keep track of the time, be objective/no special interest.

• The name of the firm the moderator works for, and the type of firm that employs them (i.e. an independent marketing research firm)
• Role of participants: speak openly and frankly about opinions, remember that there are no right or wrong answers and no need to agree with each other.
• Results are confidential and reported all together/individuals are not identified.
• Your participation is voluntary; you can leave the discussion at any point. We have not shared with our client any information that would identify you personally or your company.
• The presence and purpose (reporting) of any recording being made of the session.
• The presence of any observers, their role and purpose, and the means of observation (one-way mirror, teleconference/webstreaming; colleagues viewing in the back room and listening in remotely).
• The length of the session (1.5 hours).
• Turn off cell phones for the duration of the discussion.

• Moderator to explain the research purpose and disclose the research sponsor, described, at a minimum. These groups are being conducted on behalf of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, commonly referred to as CFIA. We are exploring your awareness and use of CFIA's products and services and whether CFIA's products and services meet your needs.

Moderator will go around the table and ask participants to introduce themselves. Please tell us a bit about who you are and the type of business you manage.

Awareness

20 min [30 min]

To start off, I would like to understand your level of awareness of and interaction with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA.

• What do you know about the CFIA?
• How much interaction have you had with the CFIA?
  For those who have had interactions with CFIA:
  • What were your overall impressions of your dealings with the CFIA?
  • Were they professional? Responsive? Thorough? Why or why not?

• [Hands up] Has anyone read, heard or seen anything about the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, which came into effect on January 15, 2019?
• To the best of your knowledge, what is the aim of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations?
• How have/do these regulations impacted/impact your business? Why do you say that?

If some participants unaware of regulations:

So that we are all on the same page, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations aim to make the Canadian food system safer by focusing on prevention and allowing for faster removal of unsafe food from the marketplace. The regulations also require imported food to be prepared with the same level of food safety controls as food prepared in Canada.

• Based on this description, what is your overall impression of these regulations? Why do you say that?
• Do these regulations give you more confidence in the safety of Canada's food system? Why or why not?

The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations have three key elements for food businesses. They are: 1. Traceability; 2. Preventive Control Plans; and, 3. Licensing.

• How familiar are you with these elements?
• Which elements are the most challenging to you as a food business? Why?
• What else would you see as significant challenges to implementing food safety controls? Why?
• Which of the following would you consider to be the major challenge to implementing food safety controls?
  • Cost
  • Finding information on regulatory requirements
  • Understanding the regulations
  • Access to training materials/courses
  • Something else entirely

When a company is not compliant with the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations there is a continuum of enforcement activities available to CFIA.

• What do you think happens to companies that do not follow the regulations? Why do you think that?
  • Do you feel this treatment is appropriate or not? Probe: Too lenient, too harsh?
• Do you think the names of companies that do not follow the rules should be published on a public website? Why or why not?
• Do you have any other thoughts on things that could help ensure or support your compliance with food safety regulations?

Website Usability

25 min [55 min]

I would like to spend the next little bit looking at the CFIA's website. To do so, I would like to have everyone look at the screen and we will navigate through their site together.

• Starting from the main page, inspection.gc.ca, where would you go to find information for your food business? Why?
• Is this what you were expecting to find?
• Would anyone go anywhere else?

[Once on the food safety for industry page]

• What do you think of this page? Why?
• Does it seem to have the information you would be looking for?
• Is it well organized? Does it seem easy to use? Why or why not?
• What would you be most interested in or likely to click on this page? Why?
• Does anything appear to be missing?

Moderator to then go to the toolkit for business link:

• What are your overall impressions of this page? Why?
• Thinking about your business…
  • If you needed a licence, where would you go to apply for one? Why?
  • Where would you go to find out when the new requirements apply to your business sector? Why?
  • Where would you go to find information on developing a preventive control plan for importers, or for domestics only? Why?
  • Where would you go to find information on inspection and enforcement? Why?
  • What if you had a question for the CFIA, where would you go? Why?
    • Would you use phone or email to contact the CFIA? Why?
• Now that you are more familiar with this page, was it well organized? Easy to use? Intuitive? Why or why not?
• Do you have any suggestions for how this page could be improved? Why?

Advertising Testing

30 min [85 min]

For the remainder of our discussion I would like to look at some advertisements that the CFIA has developed and I would like to get your feedback on them. We will be reviewing ads that you might see in social media.

[Moderator to show are you ready ad first, followed by new rules for food businesses ads. Ads will be displayed on screen and participants will also receive paper copies of each. The order of the two new rules for food businesses ads will be rotated.]

Moderator to probe for each ad:

• Overall, what did you think of this concept? Why do you say that?
• What did this concept say to you? What was the key message(s) or idea(s) conveyed by the concept? Why do you say that?
• Was it credible/believable? Why or why not?
• Would you notice these ads in your social media feed? Would they capture your attention? Why or why not?
  • What stands out most? Why do you say that?
  • If you did receive one of these in your social media feed, would you share it with your contacts? Why or why not?
• If you saw one of these ads, would it motivate you to take action? Why or why not?
  • What type of actions? Probe: talk to someone, look for more information, share it, etc.?
• What did you think of the approach (intent) taken in this ad? Was it appropriate? Why or why not?
• Which of the four did you prefer? Why?
• What, if anything, would you change to improve this concept? Why do you say that?
• What did you take away about the federal requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations?
  • What did you think of the specific messaging that was introduced?
  • Was this information new to you?
  • Was it of interest to you? Why or why not?
  • Does the message fit with each of the graphics? Why or why not?
    • Are some better than others? If yes, which ones? Why?

Conclusion

5 min [90 min]

Moderator to check in the back room and probe on any additional areas of interest.

• This concludes what we needed to cover tonight. Does anybody have any final comments on the issues we discussed?
• We really appreciate you taking the time to come down here to share your views. Your input is very important.
• Reminder to those in the first/second group about reserving comments so as not to influence those waiting at reception for the next group.

Appendix D: Recruitment screener

Focus group summary

• Recruit 6 for 5 to 6 to show
• A minimum of 2 participants in each group must be food importers (S5)
• All are micro (1-4 employees) or small (5-99 employees) businesses (S6)
• No medium (100-499 employees) or large (500+ employees) businesses in any groups (S6)

Hello/Bonjour, my name is _______________. I am calling on behalf of the Earnscliffe Strategy Group, a national public opinion research firm. Would you prefer to continue in English or French? / Préférez-vous continuer en anglais ou en français?

From time to time, we solicit opinions by talking with people. We are preparing to conduct a series of focus groups on behalf of the Government of Canada, more specifically the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and I would like to speak with the person in your company who is most responsible for food safety of the food products that your business sells or produces. This could be the owner of the company or a manager who oversees the sale of food products, food safety manager, or quality assurance manager. Please note this is not a sales call, this important research will help the Government understand industry's views on food safety practices and regulations. Are you the right person to speak with?

We are reaching out today to ask you to participate in a discussion to share your views about food safety and food safety regulation. Participation is voluntary. We are interested in hearing your opinions; no attempt will be made to sell you anything or change your point of view. The format is a 'round table' discussion led by a research professional. All opinions expressed will remain anonymous and views will be grouped together to ensure no particular individual can be identified. Participants will receive an honorarium for their participation. But before we invite you to attend, we need to ask you a few questions to ensure that we get a good mix and variety of people. May I ask you a few questions?

Interviewer note: If a participant asks for information on this research project they can be told: Earnscliffe Strategy Group is located at 46 Elgin Street, Suite 400, Ottawa, ON K1P 5K6. Stephanie Constable, Principal, is leading this project and can be reached at [613.563.4455].

If a participant asks for information on the Government of Canada sponsor, they can be told: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, located at 1400 Merivale Rd, Ottawa, ON K1A 0Y9. Ric Hobbs, Corporate Communications Officer, can be reached at 613.773.6212.

Read to all: "This call may be monitored, or audio taped for quality control and evaluation purposes."

Additional clarification if needed:

• To ensure that I (the interviewer) am reading the questions correctly and collecting your answers accurately;
• To assess my (the interviewer) work for performance evaluation;
• To ensure that the questionnaire is accurate/correct (i.e. evaluation of CATI programming and methodology – we're asking the right questions to meet our clients' research requirements – kind of like pre-testing)
• If the call is audio taped, it is only for the purposes of playback to the interviewer for a performance evaluation immediately after the interview is conducted or it can be used by the Project Manager/client to evaluate the questionnaire if they are unavailable at the time of the interview – all audio tapes are destroyed after the evaluation.

S1. Can you please provide me with your job title? [Record]

S2. Are you the owner or manager of this company?

S3. Do you have primary responsibility for the food safety of the food products that your business sells or produces?

S4. Which of the following categories best describes your business? [Read list, ensure good mix]

S4A. Please specify the predominant food category(ies) your business specializes in. [Record]

S5. Which of the following activities apply to your business? [Read list, note all that apply]

Ensure good mix with the following quotas:

• Minimum of 2 importers (S5 = 1) per group.
• No more than one retail only (S5 = only 7) per group.

If "none of the above" (S5 = 9), Thank and terminate.

S6. Which of the following best represents the number of people, including yourself, your company employs in Canada? If you are a franchisee, please only consider your location. [Read List]

S7. And which of the following reflects the approximate size of your business by gross annual revenue for your Canadian operations? Again, if you are a franchisee, please only consider your location.

S8. What is your gender? [Please Record]

S9. Have you participated in a discussion or focus group before? A discussion group brings together a few people in order to know their opinion about a given subject.

S10. When was the last time you attended a discussion or focus group?

S11. How many of these sessions have you attended in the last five years?

S12. And what was/were the main topic(s) of discussion in those groups?

If related to food regulations or food safety, Thank and terminate.

S13. Participants in discussion groups are asked to voice their opinions and thoughts. How comfortable are you in voicing your opinions in front of others? Are you… [Read list]

S14. Sometimes participants are asked to read text and/or review images during the discussion. Is there any reason why you could not participate?

S15. The discussion group will take place on [insert date @ time] for up to 90 minutes and participants will receive $250 for their time. Would you be willing to attend?

Privacy questions

Now I have a few questions that relate to privacy, your personal information and the research process. We will need your consent on a few issues that enable us to conduct our research. As I run through these questions, please feel free to ask me any questions you would like clarified.

P1) First, we will be providing the hosting facility and session moderator with a list of respondents' names and profiles (screener responses) so that they can sign you into the group. This information will not be shared with the Government of Canada department organizing this research. Do we have your permission to do this? I assure you it will be kept strictly confidential.

We need to provide the facility hosting the session and the moderator with the names and background of the people attending the focus group because only the individuals invited are allowed in the session and the facility and moderator must have this information for verification purposes. Please be assured that this information will be kept strictly confidential. Go to P1A.

P1a) Now that I've explained this, do I have your permission to provide your name and profile to the facility?

P2) A digital recording of the group session will be produced for research purposes. This recording will be used only by the research professional to assist in preparing a report on the research findings and will be destroyed once the report is completed.

Do you agree to be digitally recorded for research purposes only?

It is necessary for the research process for us to record the session as the researcher needs this material to complete the report.

P2a) Now that I've explained this, do I have your permission for digital recording?

P3) Employees from the CFIA and/or the Government of Canada may be onsite to observe the groups in-person from behind a one-way mirror. These would be employees in Communications; no employees from policy, operations or inspections would be in attendance.

Do you agree to be observed by Government of Canada employees?

P3a) It is standard qualitative procedure to invite clients, in this case, Government of Canada employees, to observe the groups in person and/or online. They will be seated in a separate room and observe from behind a one-way mirror or will stream the session live online. They will be there simply to hear your opinions first hand although they may take their own notes and confer with the moderator on occasion to discuss whether there are any additional questions to ask the group.

Do you agree to be observed by Government of Canada employees?

Invitation:

Wonderful, you qualify to participate in one of our discussion sessions. As I mentioned earlier, the group discussion will take place on [insert date and time] for up to 90 minutes.

Do you have a pen handy so that I can give you the address where the group will be held? It will be held at: [provide facility name and address].

We ask that you arrive fifteen minutes early to be sure you find parking, locate the facility and have time to check-in with the hosts. The hosts may be checking respondents' identification prior to the group, so please be sure to bring some personal identification with you (for example, a health card, a student card, or a driver's licence). If you require glasses for reading, make sure you bring them with you as well.

As we are only inviting a small number of people, your participation is very important to us. If for some reason you are unable to attend, please call us so that we may get someone to replace you. You can reach us at [insert phone number] at our office. Please ask for [name]. Someone will call you in the days leading up to the discussion to remind you.

So that we can call you to remind you about the discussion group or contact you should there be any changes, can you please confirm your name and contact information for me?

If the respondent refuses to give his/her first or last name or phone number please assure them that this information will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with the privacy law and that it is used strictly to contact them to confirm their attendance and to inform them of any changes to the discussion group. If they still refuse thank and terminate.

Appendix E: Survey instrument

[Programing instructions are bolded and in square brackets]

[Interviewer instructions are not bolded and in square brackets. These are not read]

Introduction

Hello/Bonjour [pause… In Quebec Bonjour/Hello], the Government of Canada is conducting a research survey with businesses in Canada. I am hoping to speak with the person in your company who is most responsible for food safety of the food products that your business sells or produces.  Please note this is not a sales call, this important research will help the Government understand Industry's views on food safety practices and regulations.

This could be the owner of the company or a manager who oversees the sale of food products, food safety manager or quality assurance manager. Are you the right person to speak with? [IF NO: Can you please direct me to the correct person?]

[Repeat from beginning if transferred]

[Once correct person identified]

Would you prefer that I continue in English or French? Préférez-vous continuer en français ou en anglais?

[Note: if at this point the respondent prefers to respond in French then the interviewer must be able to either proceed with the interview in French or read the following statement: "Je vous remercie. Quelqu'un vous rappellera bientôt pour mener le sondage en français."]

My name is _____ calling from Earnscliffe Strategy Group [Leger Marketing in Quebec], the company hired to do the survey.

The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please note that your participation is voluntary, confidential and anonymous and we can call back at a better time if you prefer.

To begin, I would like to confirm some information about your business...

S1. [Record from sample - not asked] Province/territory

S1A. [Record from sample - not asked] Full 8-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code

S1B. [Record from sample - not asked] Language of interview

S1C. [Record Gender]

S2. Which of the following categories best describes your business? [read list]

S3. Which of the following activities apply to your business [read list - select all that apply]?

S3A1. Do you prepare, process, treat, manufacture or preserve food to be sold only within your province or territory?

S3A2. [If none of the above in s3: ask] what would you say is your company's main business activity? [open end]

[If business is related to food business recode s3 and continue, otherwise thank and terminate – keep data for quality control]

[Flag as "retail only" if only selected "7" at s3]

S3B. [If S2 = 2] Does the main product of your business include confectionary items, snack foods, beverages, oils, dried herbs and spices, nuts and seeds, coffee and tea, or processed grain-based foods such as baked goods, cereals and pasta.

S4. Do you have a process in place that will allow you to trace back your food to the company that supplied it?

S4A. Have you seen, read or heard anything about the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations?

B2A. [If s4a=yes] Where did you hear, see or read about the regulations? [Open end]

B3. As far as you know, do you think the new Safe Food for Canadians Regulations apply to your business?

S4C. [If FFV, S3=5] Did you know that new requirements of the Safe Food for Canada Regulations come [came] into force for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable sector on January 15?

Interviewer note if asked [You can learn more at inspection.gc.ca]

S4D1. [If manufactured food sector, S3B=Yes, 1] Do you think that Manufactured Food Sector is a good description for the sector your businesses is in?

S4D. Did you know that new requirements for this sector come into force on July 15, 2020?

[Interviewer note if asked: (You can learn more at inspection.gc.ca)]

S5. Which of the following best represents the number of people including yourself your company employs in Canada? If you are a franchisee, please only consider your location. [read list] [Just total number of employees is acceptable including part-time and casual]

S6. And which of the following reflects the approximate size of your business by gross annual revenue for your Canadian operations? Again, if you are a franchisee, please only consider your location. [read list] [If refuse: Just as a reminder, please understand that we use this information for classification purposes only and do not record or share the identity of any company participating in the study.]

S7. Would you classify your company as Indigenous owned or operated?

[Review idea of quota for Retail Only]

Food Safety Activities

A2. On a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means not at all and 7 means very clearly, how well do you feel that you understand the food safety regulations that apply to your foods?

A3. Which of the following activities, if any, applies at your company: [read list - select all that apply] - [randomize]

A31. Whether or not you participate in a private certification scheme, do you support their role in achieving compliance with food safety regulations?

Awareness of CFIA and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations

B1. On a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means not at all familiar and 7 means very familiar, how familiar would you say that you are with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, also known as the CFIA?

Were you aware that the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations require most businesses regulated by CFIA to:

B4. Have a licence from the CFIA

B5. Have a written preventive control plan

B6. Have product traceability processes

B7. From your perspective which of the following three key food safety elements of the SFCR would be your biggest challenge? Is it…

[Randomize 1-3] [Read 1-3]

G5. If your business was subject to a CFIA inspection today, how confident are you that you would meet food safety regulations and requirements? Please rate your view on a scale of 1 to 7 where 1 means not at all confident and 7 means very confident.

G6. [If provided a score from 1 to 7] Please expand on why you provided that answer. [open end]

B1A. As you may know the CFIA assesses risk to help determine which types of companies need to be inspected. This is often referred to as Establishment-based Risk Assessment. How much have you read or heard about Establishment Risk Analysis.

C2. On a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means "do not agree at all" and 7 means "strongly agree", based on your general impressions of the CFIA, how would you rate the following statements about the CFIA? [Rotate statements]

Contact with CFIA

I'm now going to ask you about any contact you have had with the CFIA in the last year.

C1A. I will read several statements. Please tell me which activities apply to you or your business over the last 12 months. [Select all that apply, remind respondent of time frame as necessary]

C1. [Ask C1 if any interaction with CFIA at C1A (1-4)] You stated that you contacted the CFIA for information or a service. How did you access or request the service or information from the CFIA? Was it… [Read list - select all that apply]

G2. [Ask if any interaction with CFIA at C1A (1-4)] Thinking about the overall service received from the CFIA in the last 12 months, rate your overall satisfaction. Use a scale from 1-7 where 1 is not at all satisfied and 7 is very satisfied.

G3. [If provided a score from 1 to 7] Please expand on why you provided that score. [open end]

My CFIA

F1. Have you ever heard, seen or read anything about CFIA's online portal called "My CFIA?"

F1A. [Ask if f1= yes, used it] Have you ever used the portal for a… [read list - select all that apply]

F1B. [Ask if f1 = no or yes, but never used it] To the best of your knowledge which of the following licences or permissions does your company have from the CFIA? [Select all that apply]

F2. [Ask if f1= yes, used it] Please rate your overall level of satisfaction with "My CFIA" on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means not at all satisfied and 7 means very satisfied.

F2A. [Ask if f1= yes, used it] Please expand on why you provide that rating. [open end]

With respect to your business, please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements. Please use a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 means "do not agree at all" and 7 means "strongly agree".

G1A. Over the past 12 months, I've needed to spend less time searching for food safety information I require.

G1B. The CFIA takes the needs of businesses into account when developing new regulatory information products.

G4. In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge in finding information on food safety regulations or requirements? [Probe for how they get information, - the type of information is asked next at G4A.] [open end]

G4A. What were some of the food safety topics you felt were difficult to get clear information on? [open end]

G4B. Where do you look, when looking for regulatory information? [open end]

QSoc. Do you follow CFIA on any of the following social media platforms? [Check all that apply]

QSoc.2 What kind of content do you prefer to see on CFIA social media channels? [open end]

That concludes the interview. On behalf of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, thank you very much for your participation in this research. If you are interested in learning more about the CFIA and food safety, please consult inspection.gc.ca/SafeFood. The CFIA Toolkit for Businesses has informative digital tools that can answer whether or not you need a licence and the required timelines, whether or not you need a written preventive control plan, and it outlines any traceability requirements that may apply to your business.

Pre-test only questions

Appendix F: Concepts

Description of Figure A – We're Ready

An image with a smiling man and a women in chef uniforms standing in the kitchen of a bakery. The man has his arm around the woman and a word bubble next to him that says, "we're ready." The woman has a word bubble next to her that reads, "are you ready?" The text at the bottom left of the image says, "inspection.gc.ca/MyCFIA." The official Canada wordmark is on bottom right of the image.

Description of Figure B – New Food Rules for Businesses

An image of the back of a food inspector wearing a navy blue jacket that says "Canada Inspection". The inspector has their backed turned to the viewer and is looking at laboratory equipment. There is text to the left of the inspector that says "New rules for food businesses". The official Canada wordmark is on bottom right of the image. Above the image is a header with the words "Canadian Food Inspection Agency" with "20 533 followers" written below it, and "17h Edited" below that. To the left of this text is a picture of the Canadian flag with the official Canada wordmark below it. On the far right side of the header are 3 dots placed horizontally. Underneath this header, but still above the main picture for the image is text that says, "Most food businesses in Canada need to meet federal requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. Are you one of them?" and the text indicates there a link to the Toolkit for Food Businesses. Below the image is text that says, "Your business may need a federal license, traceability records and a preventive control plan. Learn More."

Description of Figure C – New Food Rules for Businesses, Version A

An image of a smiling worker in a food manufacturing facility with a white lab coat and hairnet holding two jars of food products with one in each hand. Behind the workers there are shelves of more jars similar to the ones that she has in each hand. There is text to the left of the food worker that says "New rules for food businesses". The official Canada wordmark is on bottom right of the image. Above the image is a header with the words "Canadian Food Inspection Agency" with "20 533 followers" written below it, and "17h Edited" below that. To the left of this text is a picture of the Canadian flag with the official Canada wordmark below it. On the far right side of the header are 3 dots placed horizontally. Underneath this header, but still above the main image for the poster is text that says, "Most food businesses in Canada need to meet federal requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. Are you one of them?" and then the text indicates a link to the Toolkit for Food Businesses. Below the image is text that says, "Your business may need a federal license, traceability records and a preventive control plan. Learn More."

Description of Figure C – New Food Rules for Businesses, Version B

An image of a smiling worker in an outdoor garden environment holding a brown box of fresh vegetables, including red and yellow peppers and a head of lettuce. The worker has a with a brown t-shirt with a blue and white striped apron. The background of the image has a lot of green plants visible. There is text to the left of the food worker that says "New rules for food businesses". The official Canada wordmark is on bottom right of the poster. Above the image is a header with the words "Canadian Food Inspection Agency" with "20 533 followers" written below it, and "17h Edited" below that. To the left of this text is a picture of the Canadian flag with the official Canada wordmark below it. On the far right side of the header are 3 dots placed horizontally. Underneath this header, but still above the main image is text that says, "Most food businesses in Canada need to meet federal requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. Are you one of them?" and then indicates there a link to the Toolkit for Food Businesses. Below the image is text that says, "Your business may need a federal license, traceability records and a preventive control plan. Learn More."

Description of Figure C – New Food Rules for Businesses, Version C

An image of a smiling bakery worker in a bakery kitchen. The worker is wearing a white baker's coat and a white hat. The bakery worker has her arms folded and is facing the camera, while in the background there is another baker holding a bowl full of ingredients for bread products on a table next to rolling racks used to store baking products. There is text to the left of the food worker that says "New rules for food businesses". The official Canada wordmark is on bottom right of the image. Above the picture is a header with the words "Canadian Food Inspection Agency" with "20 533 followers" written below it, and "17h Edited" below that. To the left of this text is a picture of the Canadian flag with the official Canada wordmark below it. On the far right side of the header are 3 dots placed horizontally. Underneath this header, but still above the main image for the poster is text that says, "Most food businesses in Canada need to meet federal requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. Are you one of them?" and then indicates there a link to the Toolkit for Food Businesses. Below the image is text that says, "Your business may need a federal license, traceability records and a preventive control plan. Learn More."