Certain food commodities have specific requirements related to grades or standards. In some cases, it may be related to a health risk and additional permits or certificates are required that attests that the food is safe.
Before you import food into Canada, you should ensure the food will meet Canadian requirements.
Import requirements for specific foods
- Dairy products
- Egg and processed egg products
- Fish and seafood products
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Honey
- Manufactured food products (all other foods)
- Maple and maple products
- Meat products
- Processed fruit and vegetable products
General requirements
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) sets out general requirements for importing food into Canada, such as licensing, preventive controls and traceability that apply to most food product types and commodities.
Automated Import Reference System
The import requirements for all food products can be found in the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS). It is updated frequently, so prior to importing you should verify AIRS to ensure that the requirements have not changed.
Food safety
The food you import is required to meet general food safety requirements such as having been manufactured, prepared, stored, packaged and labelled under sanitary conditions. For more information, consult food safety for industry.
Labelling
In addition to the food safety requirements for imported food, you are required to become familiar with any applicable requirements related to standards, grades, net quantity and labelling. For more information, consult Food labelling for industry.
Organic products
Organic products imported into Canada must meet the certification requirements and have documentation attesting the product is organic as per Part 13 of the SFCR. For more information, consult the Canada Organic Regime import requirements.
Standards and grades
There are grades and standards referred to in the regulations for numerous food products. These standards of identity and grades have been combined into a collection of Documents incorporated by reference.
Ministerial exemptions
Ministerial Exemptions may be required for test market foods or alleviating food shortages in Canada. Under certain circumstances, regulatory requirements may be exempted and the import of non-compliant product may be permitted. The CFIA may exempt a product from the minimum grade (quality), labelling or packaging requirements or both, where we consider it necessary to prevent or alleviate a shortage of product in Canada.
Products of animal origin
Products of animal origin may also be subject to the Health of Animals Regulations. You are required to become familiar with all legislation that your food maybe subject to. For more information, consult Animal, animal product and by-product imports.
Products of plant origin
Products of plant origin may also be subject to the Plant Protection Regulations. You are required to become familiar with all legislation that your food maybe subject to. For more information, consult Plant and plant product imports.