Environmental Assessment Unit

The Environmental Assessment Unit of the New Substances Assessment and Control Bureau has been established to conduct pre-manufacture and pre-import assessments of the potential environmental and health risk to the general population associated with environmental exposure to new substances in  Food and Drugs Act (F&DA) products such as human drugs, biologics, veterinary drugs, cosmetics, novel foods, food additives, natural health products and medical devices. The environmental assessments are undertaken through the  New Substances Notification Regulations (NSNR) under the   Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). Environmental regulations specific to substances in F&DA products are currently under development, however, until these regulations are complete, these substances are subject to the current NSNR.

For more information, please refer to the following documents:

• Guide to New Substances Notification for Products Regulated under the Food and Drugs Act
•  Guidelines for the Notification and Testing of New Substances: Chemicals and Polymers
  http://www.ec.gc.ca/substances/nsb/cpguide/eng/cpguide_e.html
•  Guidelines for the Notification and Testing of New Substances: Organisms
  http://www.ec.gc.ca/substances/nsb/bioguide/eng/Bioguide_e.htm