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CFIA requirements for exporting food to Canada

Let's start with the basics: what is the CFIA? The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the most important filter for your food products to enter Canada. It is the agency that protects Canadians from foodborne illness and regulates what enters the country and how.

Among other things, the CFIA requires labels to be truthful, in both official languages, and to show allergens and country of origin. We cover this in detail in our guide on food labelling in Canada.

The minimum the CFIA expects from you as an exporter

A preventive control plan

This is a document you must provide to the importer. It states that the food was produced to the same safety and hygiene standards required in Canada.

Traceability (a recent, mandatory requirement)

The producer must be able to show:

Who produces it and where.
Who the processor is.
Who the customer or distributor in Canada is.

An emergency response plan

Importer and exporter need a procedure to recall goods and handle complaints in an emergency. For example, in a salmonella case, the importer must be able to trace the affected lot and quickly pull it from the shelves.

This is the minimum, but it isn't everything

There are additional requirements depending on the product: each food category has its own rules. Don't assume the basics are enough; before you ship, confirm what applies to your specific product.

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Guides to exporting to Canada

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