The Standards Council of Canada says it is developing national guidelines for the manufacture of barbecue brushes after a number of cases in which people accidentally ingested wire bristles.
The Council is currently seeking proposals to establish the new standard, aimed at protecting consumer health and safety, after Health Canada opted last year not to ban wire-bristle brushes outright.
The new standard will examine the construction, testing, sale and use of the cleaning tools, with Health Canada, the Retail Council of Canada and industry experts consulting on the process.
Bristles have been known to come loose from the brush and become stuck in or on food, which is then consumed.
At least nine incidents of bristle ingestion have been reported to Health Canada since 2011.
The federal health agency investigated the safety of metal brushes in 2017 but proposed no recommendations for further regulatory action.
