Bill C-224 (45th Parliament, 1st Session): An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (natural health products)

Bill C-224 (formerly Bill C368) was introduced by sponsor, MP Blaine Calkins for first reading on September 18, 2025. Details regarding current status and latest activity are available online here: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/c-224

When parliament was prorogued in spring 2025, all committee work, including the agenda of the Standing Committee on Health, and the debate on Bill C368 was halted. 

Bill C-224 was introduced in September with second reading taking place on November 17, 2025. However due to time limitations was dropped to the bottom of the Order of Precedence.

For background, private members’ hour occurs for one hour each sitting day, and items are considered in the order listed in the 'Order of Precedence'. When the time provided for the consideration of Private Members' Business expires, the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper. This means the bill is not lost—it remains on the Order Paper but moves to the end of the list. It will only come up again when its new position reaches the top during a future Private Members’ Hour. The challenge with advocacy at a federal level is sometimes the time is takes for a private members' bill to be heard and have the necessary changes adopted.

Next Steps:

1. Completion of second reading, to which we anticipate it would then be referred to Standing Committee on Health for study and possible amendments.
2. It would then move to the committee reporting, then back for Third Reading, then if passed, Senate consideration.
3. If passed by both chambers, it will receive Royal Assent and become law. 

Our goal is that our recommendations in our policy 'Improving the Regulatory Environment for Natural Health Products' will be adopted. 

Bill C-224 seeks to amend the Food and Drugs Act to address regulatory treatment of Natural Health Products (NHPs), differentiating them from conventional drugs and reduce regulatory burdens.

Our policy, Improving the Regulatory Environment for Natural Health Products, advocates for:

1. Reducing regulatory burdens and costs for NHP businesses.
2. Avoiding inequitable treatment compared to pharmaceuticals.
3. Preventing negative impacts on small producers 
4. Ensuring recommendations from previous Standing Committee on Health are implemented
5. Ensuring consultation with the NHP industry

Bill C-224 directly supports this position by proposing legislative changes to the Food and Drugs Act that could:

• Counterbalance Health Canada’s recent fee proposals (effective April 2025).
• Provide a clearer, more business-friendly framework for NHPs.

Next Steps for Advocacy

1. Monitor Committee Referral: After second reading, the bill will go to the Standing Committee on Health. This is the critical stage for amendments and stakeholder input.
2. Engage with MPs & Committee Members by submitting our policy position in support of C-224.
3. Leverage our Chamber network for unified advocacy.