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Food labelling in Canada: 8 requirements your label must meet

Correct food labelling in Canada is one of the requirements that most determines whether your products are accepted or rejected. The good news: the CFIA offers the Food Labelling Tool for Industry, an official, interactive tool to check that your label complies. Using it can save you unnecessary costs.

We can split the requirements into two groups: the mandatory basics and the technical ones.

Mandatory basic requirements

Bilingualism: English and French

It is mandatory on all labels of products sold in Canada.

Common name of the product

It must be clear and visible, for example: Avocado Oil in English and Huile d’avocat in French. It must also follow a regulated typeface and minimum size (1.6 mm letter height).

Net quantity

It must be expressed in metric units: grams, kilograms, millilitres, etc.

List of ingredients and allergens

Ingredients must be listed by weight and allergens must be clearly identified. Priority allergens in Canada include: peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and crustaceans, soy, wheat, gluten, mustard and sulphites.

Identification of the manufacturer, distributor or importer

If you are a producer or exporter, the place of origin must be clearly stated.

Best-before and expiry date

You must also state whether the product requires special storage, such as refrigeration.

Technical requirements

Nutrition information

Calories, protein, sugars and fats must be declared per serving size, so consumers can compare products.

Front-of-package nutrition symbol

If the product exceeds the thresholds set by Health Canada, the main panel of the label must carry the black magnifying glass symbol, indicating which nutrient exceeds the limit.

Labelling is only one part of what the CFIA checks. Also learn about the CFIA requirements for exporting food: preventive control plan, traceability and recall plan.

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