According to the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) Trading Standards and Good Inspection Guidelines, if your fresh produce arrives in a deteriorated condition, the buyer or receiver is responsible for requesting a government inspection to demonstrate the load is in poor condition. Generally, after the inspection, the applicant will receive the inspection report directly from the government agency and is required to share it with the shipper or seller in a timely manner.
In the United States, the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service offers electronic access to government inspection reports by entering the certificate number and password provided in the inspection report (https://fpbinspections.ams.usda.gov/). However, in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Destination Inspection Service (CFIA–DIS) does not offer similar access. To access these government inspection reports, you have to contact the appropriate DIS regional office by email or phone and provide the inspection’s serial number.
Recently, the DRC reported that a member was modifying CFIA inspection reports, which resulted in their expulsion from their DRC membership. Therefore, it is important for our members to be aware that access to a government inspection report is available to other principals in the transaction and not just the applicant.
To facilitate access to CFIA inspection reports, we are currently working with the CFIA to make inspection reports available, like the USDA. This expedited access to inspection reports can validate the information received and help decide if an appeal inspection is necessary.
For more information, contact:
Nicole MacDonald
Communications and Marketing Specialist
Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation
Email: [email protected]
Ph: +1-613-234-0982
