Checklist for submitting fertilizer or supplement registration applications: Private label (me-too)

A complete submission package includes all the information requirements as indicated below and must be organized in the form of sections or tabs as per the Guide to submitting applications for registration under the Fertilizers Act.

The application must be submitted through My CFIA. The workflow in My CFIA will prompt upload of the material from each tab. All tabs required by product type and/or ingredient must be populated in their entirety.

The product currently registered should be referenced, but all supporting documentation must be provided.

Please note that requirements vary depending on the product type. Please consult appendix 2 of the guide (linked above) to determine which tabs are required for each product type. The Fertilizer Safety Section reserves the right to require additional information, data, fees, rationale or results of analysis to support the registration of any product regulated under the Fertilizers Act and regulations.

Private label (me-too) registrations are reserved for specific cases where an applicant wishes to register their own name/brand of a registered fertilizer or supplement product.

Required information

Tab 1: administrative forms and fees

• Cover letter stating that the company guarantees that the Private label (me-too) label and product are exactly the same as the currently registered product label apart from the following:
  • name or address of the registrant and/or manufacturer
  • colour or format of the label
  • product name and/or brand; and/or
  • declaration of net contents (weight)

    In My CFIA, there are data fields to collect all of the information required in a cover letter in lieu of an uploaded cover letter, but a cover letter is still strongly recommended.

• Name of Authorized Representative
• Name of Canadian Agent (required if the applicant/registrant does not reside in Canada)
• Registration fee (described in part 5 of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) Fees Notice)

Tab 2: marketplace label

• Proposed marketplace label in both official languages (English and French)

Tab 3: product specification

• Constituent Materials: Input materials (preferably in table-format; always include Name of the material, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number (if available), Manufacturer, Country of origin, Source, Manufacturing/purification processes, Concentration in the final product, Purpose, the registration number (if registered), and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs)).
• Constituent Materials: Microbial Inocula, when product contains viable microorganism (always include purpose of the microorganism, its taxonomic identification to the strain level if possible, analytical results, relationship to known pathogens strain bank accession number or environmental isolate's origin/proof of purity)
• Constituent Materials: composition of the final product (preferably in table-format; always include identity of the ingredient, relative proportion as weight/weight percentage of the final product, and safety data sheet)
• Other Qualities and Characteristics: Method of manufacture
• Other Qualities and Characteristics: Quality Assurance and Quality Control Procedures
• Other Qualities and Characteristics: Physical characteristics

Tab 4: results of analysis (required for level 2 and 3 safety assessment only)

• Total number of batches/lots produced within a 5 year period
• Sets of Metal Analyses as required (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn)
• Results of analysis for guaranteed micronutrients
• One (1) set of Dioxins and Furans (provide with new product application only)
• Four (4) sets of indicator organisms (Salmonella and Faecal coliforms)

Tab 5: safety rationale and supplemental data (required for level 3 safety assessment only)

• Toxicological risk profile (hazard, exposure, risk assessment)
• Microbial risk profile (hazard, exposure, risk assessment)
• References and supplemental documentation