Understanding Canadian food labelling rules

It’s important to note that food labelling is subject to specific rules that differ from those that apply to other product categories. While certain general laws—including the Food and Drugs Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations—also apply to cosmetics and natural health products, each of these product types is governed by distinct regulations that define specific requirements concerning information, claims, and presentation.

What follows is an overview of the main food labelling requirements you need to know to avoid unpleasant surprises and bring your products to market in full compliance.

What laws and regulations govern food labelling in Canada?

In Canada, food labelling is governed by a set of laws and regulations. The most important ones to be aware of are the following:

• Food and Drugs Act
  Enacted in 1920 and regularly revised since, the Food and Drugs Act governs the production, import, export, interprovincial transport and sale of food and drugs, among other products. Its purpose is to ensure that these products are safe and that their ingredients are listed. The Food and Drug Regulations stem from the Act and, among other things, set out requirements for nutrition labelling and the labelling of pressurized food containers.
• Safe Food for Canadians Act
  In force since 2019, the Safe Food for Canadians Act has consolidated 14 sets of regulations covering different product categories in order to simplify the regulatory framework and make it easier to navigate. The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations stem from this Act and govern elements such as the use of official languages and legibility.

Food labelling is subject to other legislation as well, explains Solange Adéchian, Director of Labelling and Regulation at Group Export, the largest association of agri-food exporters in Canada. “It includes the Competition Act, the Trademarks Act, and the Weights and Measures Regulations, which address very specific aspects of labelling.”

In Canada, food labelling responsibilities are shared between two main authorities:

• Health Canada
  Under the Food and Drugs Act, Health Canada is responsible for administering laws and regulations concerning the health, safety and nutritional quality of food sold in Canada.
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
  The CFIA is responsible for enforcing certain regulations under the Food and Drugs Act as well as establishing and administering regulations stemming from the Safe Food for Canadians Act.

What are food labelling rules designed to do?

Food labelling rules serve several purposes:

1. Fraud prevention
   Labelling rules ensure that information is clear and accurate, helping to prevent misleading claims or misrepresentations about food products, their composition or their properties.
2. Public health protection
   They govern the disclosure of essential information that may affect food safety.
3. Consumer protection
   These rules enable consumers to make informed choices, particularly with respect to ingredients, allergens and nutritional value.
4. Market consistency
   They establish common standards for all businesses, supporting fair competition.

Key elements required on food labelling in Canada

Food labelling in Canada is intended to clearly inform consumers and ensure regulatory compliance. Some of the key elements that must be included are the following:

• Common name
  The name by which the product is generally known, such as “chocolate cake,” “yogurt” or “orange juice,” or a name that isn’t generic but describes the food, such as “bacon-wrapped stuffed chicken breast.” When a food is subject to a standard of composition, the name must comply with the applicable standard, for example “orange juice” or “cheddar cheese.”
• Net quantity
  Expressed in metric units, this indicates the amount of product in the package.
• List of ingredients
  All prepackaged products containing more than one ingredient or component must include a list of ingredients, unless exempt. Presented in descending order of weight, it shows what the product is made of.
• Priority allergens
  Food allergens and gluten sources must be clearly declared to protect consumers.
• Nutrition facts table and nutrition symbol
  The nutrition facts table provides information on calories and key nutrients in a standardized format. Since January 1, 2026, businesses must also display a nutrition symbol (a small magnifying glass) on the front of the package when foods are high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium.
  
  This symbol must appear on the principal display panel when the amount of any of these nutrients meets or exceeds the thresholds established by Health Canada. These thresholds indicate when a product is considered high in one of these nutrients. They are based on the percentage of the daily value for each nutrient.
• Name and address of the manufacturer or importer
  This information identifies who is responsible for the product and ensures traceability. It also allows consumers to contact the company responsible for the food product.
• Additional mandatory information
  Certain types of products are subject to additional requirements. For example, meat, maple syrup and dairy products must comply with specific rules regarding their composition, origin and certain production practices.

Note that the list above only provides an overview of food labelling requirements. “All of these elements are strictly regulated, from font size to the format of the nutrition facts table,” explains Adéchian.

It is therefore important to review every detail on the label before bringing a product to market, as even a minor issue can result in a notice of non-compliance.

Where to find support and more information on food labelling

The Health Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) websites provide detailed information on labelling requirements. Technical guides and regulatory updates are also available.

For more personalized support, you can also call on experts who specialize in regulatory compliance. Group Export, for example, offers this type of support to businesses.

What you should know about food labelling for imports and exports

The labelling requirements for imported food products are relatively straightforward: the product must comply with Canadian regulations.

“To avoid any issues, make sure your product is compliant before you put it on the market, because the importer, not the foreign producer, is legally responsible for it,” warns Adéchian.

Be sure to clearly indicate the name and address of the importer in Canada. If possible, also include the address and country of the foreign manufacturer.

For exported food products, labelling must comply with the requirements of the destination country. “We’ve seen a frozen meat distributor forced to go to the border to relabel an entire truckload of goods that had been held up due to non-compliant labelling,” says Adéchian. To avoid significant delays and added costs, make sure your product is compliant from the outset.

What are the rules governing geographic claims?

In Canada, the country of origin must appear on the label for certain products, such as fruits and vegetables. For other products, this information is optional. The list of products concerned is long and varies depending on the type of food, so it’s important to check the applicable regulations to determine whether your product is affected.

That said, even when origin labelling is optional, if your product is made in Canada, you may wish to highlight the fact.

“However, if you put ‘Product of Canada’ or ‘Made in Canada’ on your packaging, you must follow specific guidelines,” says Adéchian. “Once again, it’s essential to carefully review the rules.”

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