Labelling requirements for processed fruit or vegetable products

On this page

• Overview
• Common name
• Net quantity
• Standard container sizes
• Standards of fill for processed fruit or vegetable products
• Other required markings
  • Descriptive words about the true nature of processed fruit or vegetable products
• Name and principal place of business
• Country of origin
  • Manner of declaring
• Grade name for processed fruit or vegetable products
  • Declaration of grades
• Size designation for processed fruit or vegetable products
• Nutrition labelling
  • Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition symbol
• Lot code
• Ministerial exemptions
• Voluntary claims and statements
  • Health claims
• Reference information
  • Regulated processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages
  • Regulated frozen processed fruit or vegetable products
  • Summary of labelling requirements for processed fruit or vegetable products
• Additional information
  • Information letters/policy updates
  • Decisions
• Definitions
  • Common name
  • Consumer prepackaged
  • Container
  • Conveyance
  • Foreign state
  • Grade name
  • Hermetically sealed package
  • Nutrition symbol
  • Person
  • Prepackaged
  • Processed fruit or vegetable product

Overview

This section summarizes the labelling requirements that apply to imported processed fruit or vegetable products, as well as those that are manufactured, processed, treated, preserved, graded, packaged or labelled in Canada for interprovincial trade and for export. In some cases, the labelling requirements would also apply when these products are intraprovincially traded.

Processed fruit or vegetable products are subject to the provisions of the:

• Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA)
• Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)
• Food and Drugs Act (FDA)
• Food and Drug Regulations (FDR)

When sold intraprovincially, processed fruit or vegetable products are subject to the labelling requirements under the FDA and FDR, as well as specific requirements of the SFCA and SFCR that apply to prepackaged foods sold in Canada, regardless of the level of trade. Provincial regulations may also have labelling requirements that apply when these products are sold within that province.

Examples of processed fruit or vegetable products include:

• processed fruit and vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages
• frozen processed fruit and vegetable products
• fruit and vegetable juices and nectars
• jam, jelly, marmalade and pie filling

The labelling requirements detailed in the following section are specific to processed fruit or vegetable products. Refer to the Industry Labelling Tool for additional core labelling and voluntary claims and statements requirements that apply to all prepackaged foods.

Common name

The common name must appear on the principal display panel of prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products [B.01.006(1), FDR; 218(1)(a), SFCR].

Common names for processed fruit or vegetable products are shown in boldface type, but not in italics, in the Canadian Standards of Identity, Volume 4 – Processed Fruit or Vegetable Products, which is incorporated by reference into the SFCR, or in volume 10 of the Canadian Food Compositional Standards (CFCS) document, incorporated by reference into the FDR. As with all foods with a standard of identity, only those foods that meet all the provisions set out in the standard can use the prescribed common name [1, 201, SFCR; B.01.001(1), FDR].

Examples:

"Frozen Concentrated Apple Juice" is specifically listed in section 63 of the Canadian Standards of Identity, Volume 4 – Processed Fruit or Vegetable Products. For products that meet the standard of section 63, they must be named "Frozen Concentrated Apple Juice".

"Strawberry Jam" falls under the generic standard of identity in section 74 of Volume 4 of the Canadian Standards of Identity, which is "(Naming the fruit or fruits) Jam". "Strawberry Jam" is also a standardized product under the generic standard 10.4.1 of the CFCS document which is "(Naming the fruit or fruits) Jam". The common name of the food is therefore "Strawberry Jam".

Canned "Hearts of Palm" fall under the generic standard of identity in section 12 of Volume 4 of the Canadian Standards of Identity, which is (Naming the vegetable or vegetables), under the category of processed vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages. Canned "Hearts of Palm" is also standardized product under the generic standard 10.2.2 of the CFCS document, which is "Canned (Naming the vegetable or vegetables)". The common name of the food is therefore "Hearts of Palm".

When a processed fruit or vegetable product does not have a prescribed common name, the appropriate common name is the name by which the food is generally known, or if there is no such name, a name that is not generic and that describes the food [B.01.001(1), FDR; 1, SFCR].

Prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products can undergo various treatments that significantly alter their true nature. Examples of such treatments include carbonation, concentration and reconstitution. In these cases, when there is no prescribed common name for a processed fruit or vegetable product, a descriptive term that indicates the condition of the product resulting from the treatment must be included in its common name (for example "carbonated", "concentrated", "reconstituted") in order to distinguish it from other foods for which it could be mistaken [B.01.006.1(c), FDR].

For more information, refer to the Common name and True nature pages.

Net quantity

The net quantity must be declared on the principal display panel of prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products. It must be shown in metric units, by volume, weight or numerical count, as set out in the document Units of Measurement for the Net Quantity Declaration of Certain Foods, which is incorporated by reference into the SFCR [221, 231(a), 232, 243, 244, 244.1(e), 244.2, 244.4(c), SFCR].

Certain products are sold in containers that already indicate a declaration of capacity (for example, letters molded into glass containers). In most cases this is not clearly displayed, and therefore the net quantity of the product must still be shown on the product label.

When a product offers an extra quantity as a bonus within the same container, the net quantity of product shown on the label must be the total quantity of the product. Example: 500 mL + 250 mL bonus, the net quantity declared on the label must be 750 mL

Refer to the Net quantity page for more information, including minimum type size requirements.

Standard container sizes

Some processed fruit or vegetable products that are interprovincially traded or imported are subject to standard container sizes prescribed in the document titled Standard Container Sizes, which is incorporated by reference into the SFCR [187, 188(1), SFCR].

Frozen processed fruit or vegetable products are not subject to standard container sizes.

Information from the Standard Container Sizes document is summarized in the table titled Regulated processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages. The "Standard container sizes" column specifies which table and item of the Standard Container Sizes document outline the standard container sizes for each product, if any.

When a product is subject to standard container sizes, the net quantity declared on the label must correspond to one of the sizes in the Standard Container Sizes document. If the processed fruit or vegetable product is packaged in a hermetically sealed metal container, the dimensions of the metal container must be those specified in the document for the corresponding net quantity [188(1), SFCR].

If a prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable product in a standard container size is placed inside of a second container and the resulting product is prepackaged food, other than consumer prepackaged food, the second container is not required to be packaged in accordance with the standard container size requirements.

When a product is not subject to standard container sizes, it can be marketed in any container size.

Standards of fill for processed fruit or vegetable products

For a frozen processed fruit or vegetable product, at least 90% of the volume capacity of the package must be filled with the product [195, SFCR]. For a processed fruit or vegetable product that is not frozen, the package must be filled with as much of the product as its preparation allows and must not contain more syrup, brine, water or other liquid packaging medium than required for processing of the product [196, SFCR].

A processed fruit or vegetable product that is in a hermetically sealed package must meet the requirements for minimum drained weight and average drained weight that are set out in the incorporated by reference document entitled Minimum Drained Weights and Average Drained Weights for Processed Fruit or Vegetable Products in a Hermetically Sealed Package [197, SFCR].

A column with information on minimum and average drained weights is included in the table Regulated processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages for ease of reference.

Note that these standards of fill requirements apply to products that are interprovincially traded, imported or exported [194, SFCR].

Other required markings

The other required markings summarized in the following table apply to prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products that are interprovincially traded, imported or exported. Note that the requirements for "Keep Refrigerated" / "garder réfrigéré" and "Keep Frozen" / "garder congelé", as applicable, also apply to products sold intraprovincially.

If a prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable product that is labelled with information required by sections 272 and 273 of the SFCR is placed inside of a second container and the resulting product is prepackaged food, other than consumer prepackaged food, the second container is not required to be labelled with those items of information.

Descriptive words about the true nature of processed fruit or vegetable products

Additional descriptive words that tell about the true nature of prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products must be shown on the principal display panel when their omission will likely result in the food being mistaken for another food. This includes, but is not limited to, description of the various forms or styles of the food (such as whole, diced or crushed in the case of canned tomatoes), its condition (such as carbonated to indicate addition of carbon dioxide to fruit juices) or its packaging medium (such as packed in water or brine) [B.01.006.1, FDR].

Please note that for processed fruit products, as well as processed sweet potatoes, that are packaged in syrup or fruit juice, the identification names listed in Table 5 of the Descriptive Words, Expressions and Identification Names for Specific Foods document are the mandatory expressions that must be used to describe the packaging medium. Refer to Other required markings for more information.

Here are some examples where additional wording is needed to describe the true nature of the product:

• frozen sweet cherries may be sold in the pitted or unpitted form. Descriptive terms to indicate the presence or absence of pits or pit fragments must be shown on the principal display panel
• frozen blueberries may be made from wild or cultivated blueberries. Descriptive terms reflecting the type of blueberries within the package must therefore be included on the label
• most orange marmalades are made from regular sweet oranges although some are made from bitter varieties of orange, such as the Seville orange. When bitter varieties are used, the word "bitter" or other words must be shown on the principal display panel so that consumers do not mistake them for the regular orange marmalade

For detailed information on this requirement, including exceptions, refer to True nature.

Name and principal place of business

The label of a prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable product must include the name and principal place of business of the person by or for whom the food was manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, packaged or labelled. This information must appear on any part of the label other than solely on the bottom of the container [B.01.005, B.01.007(1.1)(a), FDR; 218(1)(b) and (2), SFCR].

For more details, including manner of declaring, please refer to the Name and principal place of business page.

Country of origin

The label of an imported prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable product must bear the name of the country of origin. For an imported prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable product, country of origin refers to the country where the product was packaged [274(1), SFCR]. The country of origin can be declared as part of the name and principal place of business of the foreign packer (processor) or as a separate declaration, for example:

• as part of the name and principal place of business of the foreign packer:
  • "ABC Cannery, Cleveland, Ohio, USA"
  • Packaged by: Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp., Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA
• as a separate declaration indicating the country of origin:
  • "Product of USA"

All country names must be written out in full, except for the United States which may be abbreviated to USA as it is recognized worldwide.

Note: in the SFCR, country is referred to as foreign state.

A Canadian packer who wishes to declare its product as being of Canadian origin must be careful to avoid giving misleading information to consumers. For information on "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" declarations, refer to the Guidelines for "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims.

Manner of declaring

The country of origin must be declared in both official languages for consumer prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products, when not declared as part of the name and principal place of business, and at least 1 official language for prepackaged other than consumer prepackaged products. It must be located on any part of the label other than solely on the bottom of the container. The words must be clearly and prominently shown on the label and readily discernible, in characters that are at least 1.6 mm in height [B.01.012, FDR; 205(1), 206(1), 208, 245(2) and (3), 274(2), SFCR].

When an imported prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable product is packaged for a Canadian importer under the importer's private label, the country of origin must be shown in characters that are [274(3), SFCR]:

• at least 6.4 mm (1/4 inch) in height, if the net quantity is more than 283.5 g
• at least 3.2 mm (1/8 inch) in height, if the net quantity is 283.5 g or less

Grade name for processed fruit or vegetable products

Please note that all references to the "Compendium" in this section refer to the Canadian Grade Compendium. Volume 3 of the Compendium specifies the grade names and grade requirements for processed fruit or vegetable products and Volume 9 specifies import grade requirements.

All processed fruit or vegetable products for which grades are prescribed by the SFCR and that are interprovincially traded, imported or exported must be graded, must meet the grade requirements set out in the Compendium and must be labelled with the applicable grade name [306(1), SFCR].

Grading is optional for mixed vegetables (macédoine), stewed tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato pulp, tomato paste, tomato ketchup and tomato chili sauce, if these are in a hermetically sealed package [306(2)(d), SFCR]. However when graded and labelled with the applicable grade name, the grade requirements must be adhered to [307(a), SFCR].

Processed fruit or vegetable products subject to grades are also listed in the tables below titled Regulated processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages and Regulated frozen processed fruit or vegetable products. For ease of reference, the "grade" column in each table indicates which section of Volume 3 of the Compendium provides grade information for each product, as applicable.

Any processed fruit or vegetable product that does not meet the requirements of the regulations with respect to grade and that is interprovincially traded does not need to meet the requirements set out in the Compendium or be labelled in accordance with the Compendium, if it is labelled "Substandard" or "sous-régulier" [306(3)(a), SFCR].

Licence holders can apply a grade name to and use a grade name in connection with a processed fruit or vegetable product that is identified in their licence if the product has been graded by a licence holder and, in addition to meeting the grade requirements, the product complies with any standards that are set out in the document Canadian Standards of Identity, Volume 4 – Processed Fruit or Vegetable Products [308(1)(b), (c) and (d), SFCR].

Declaration of grades

Canadian grade names for processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages are amongst the following:

• Canada Fancy
• Canada Choice
• Canada Standard

Canadian grade names for frozen processed fruit or vegetable products are amongst the following:

• Canada A
• Canada B
• Canada C

Refer to Volume 3 of the Compendium for the specific grade names applicable to each product, where a grade name is prescribed. Please note that Canadian grade names may be shown in upper case letters (for example, CANADA FANCY, CANADA A).

Volume 9 of the Canadian Grade Compendium outlines the import grade requirements. Items 34 and 35 of the Table of Import Grade Names for Imported Food specify the Canadian and import grade names for processed fruit or vegetable products, whether in hermetically sealed packages or frozen. If products meet the requirements of the Compendium for the applicable Canadian grade name in column 2 of the table, they must be labelled with the corresponding import grade name in column 3 [1(1), Compendium, Volume 9 – Import Grade Requirements].

The corresponding import grade names for processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages are:

• FANCY GRADE
• CHOICE GRADE
• STANDARD GRADE

The corresponding import grade names for frozen processed fruit or vegetable products:

• GRADE A
• GRADE B
• GRADE C

Please note however that when imported processed fruit or vegetable products are graded by a licence holder, a Canadian grade name must be used rather than an import grade name [1(2), Compendium, Volume 9 – Import Grade Requirements].

Grades names on the labels of prepackaged processed fruit or vegetable products must be clearly and prominently shown and readily discernible to the purchaser under customary conditions of purchase and use. On consumer prepackaged products, grade names must be shown on the principal display panel in a minimum type size specified in Schedule 6 of the SFCR and in both English and French. For prepackaged other than consumer prepackaged products, grade names must be shown in at least 1 official language [205(1), 206 (1), 208, 312, Schedule 6, SFCR].

For additional information on grades, including manner of declaring and additional conditions that need to be met in order for a grade name to be applied to a food, please refer to Grades.

Size designation for processed fruit or vegetable products

Please note that all references to the "Compendium" in this section refer to the Canadian Grade Compendium.

Processed fruit or vegetable products that are interprovincially traded, imported or exported must be labelled with any applicable size designation that is set out in Volume 3 of the Compendium. The size designation must be in close proximity to the grade name in characters at least 1.6 mm in height. The size designation must be shown in:

• both official languages for consumer prepackaged products, or
• at least 1 official language (English or French) for prepackaged other than consumer prepackaged products [205(1), 206(1), 322, SFCR]

The following processed vegetable products have a size designation set out in Volume 3 of the Compendium [89, Compendium, Volume 3]:

• green beans or wax beans in a hermetically sealed package
• peas in a hermetically sealed package
• Lima beans in a hermetically sealed package
• asparagus (tips or spears) in a hermetically sealed package
• whole white potatoes in a hermetically sealed package
• frozen carrots (cut carrots-baby whole style, cut carrots-whole style, whole baby carrots, whole carrots)
• frozen Brussels sprouts

For the above products in a hermetically sealed package, as well as whole carrots or cut carrots-whole style, that have not been size graded or are not all of the same size, they can be labelled as applicable with "Ungraded as to Size" / "non calibré" or "Assorted Sizes" / "grosseurs assorties" or "Mixed Sizes" / "grosseurs mixtes" [322(2), SFCR].

Nutrition labelling

Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol

Most prepackaged foods sold in Canada are required to be labelled with a nutrition symbol when the amount of saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium is equal to or higher than the specified nutrient thresholds [B.01.350, FDR].

Some processed fruits or vegetables, such as frozen and canned products, are conditionally exempt from the nutrition symbol requirements [B.01.350(6), FDR].

See Foods exempt from the front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol requirements for details on the exemptions and the loss of the exemption.

Lot code

For information on the requirement for a lot code or other unique identifier for traceability purposes, consult Traceability-specific labelling requirements.

Lot numbers or lot codes are mandatory for low-acid foods packaged in hermetically sealed containers (for example, canned vegetables) [B.27.005, FDR].

Please note that recommendations have been made regarding the use of potentially misleading lot codes. For additional information, please refer to the Lot code section on the Date markings and storage instructions page.

As well, refer to Legibility requirements for other specific labelling topics for information on the legibility requirements that are applicable to lot codes.

Ministerial exemptions

The SFCR provide for 2 types of ministerial exemptions from the application of a provision of the act or the regulations. The 2 types of ministerial exemptions are [174(1), SFCR]:

• for the purpose of selling a test market food (known as test market authorizations), and
• for the purpose of alleviating a shortage in Canada in the available supply of a food that is manufactured, processed, or produced in Canada

For more information, refer to the Ministerial exemptions page.

Voluntary claims and statements

Health claims

Some processed products with fruits and/or vegetables carry the following disease risk reduction claim: "A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruits may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer". See Acceptable disease risk reduction claims and therapeutic claims for more information, including eligible foods.

Reference information

Regulated processed fruit or vegetable products in hermetically sealed packages

Regulated frozen processed fruit or vegetable products

Summary of labelling requirements for processed fruit or vegetable products

Additional information

Information letters / policy updates

Composition and labelling of pomegranate juice to ensure compliance with Canadian requirements

Decisions

Juice and juice products

Definitions

Common name

Common name, in respect of a food, means:

• (a) the name of the food printed in boldface type, but not in italics, in a section of the Canadian Food Compositional Standards document;
• (b) the name of the food printed in boldface type, but not in italics, in a section of the Canadian Standards of Identity, Volume 4 – Processed Fruit or Vegetable Products, as defined in section 1 of the SFCR, or
• (c) in any other case, the name by which it is generally known or a name that is not generic and that describes the food;
• [B.01.001(1), FDR; 1, SFCR]

Consumer prepackaged

Consumer prepackaged, in respect of a food, means packaged in a container in the manner in which the food is ordinarily sold to or used or purchased by an individual — or in which the food may reasonably be expected to be obtained by an individual — without being repackaged, to be used for non-commercial purposes [1, SFCR].

Container

Container means an outer receptacle or covering that is used or to be used in connection with a food. It includes a wrapper and a confining band but does not include a conveyance or any container that is an integral part of a conveyance [1, SFCR].

Conveyance

Conveyance means a vessel, aircraft, train, motor vehicle, trailer or other means of transportation, including a cargo container [2, SFCA].

Foreign state

Foreign state includes a World Trade Organization (WTO) Member as defined in subsection 2(1) of the World Trade Organization Agreement Implementation Act [1, SFCR].

Grade name

A prescribed name, mark or designation of a food commodity [2, SFCA].

Hermetically sealed package

A package that, due to its design, is secure against the entry of micro-organisms, including spores [1, SFCR].

Nutrition symbol

Nutrition symbol means a symbol that is carried on the principal display panel of a prepackaged product under subsection B.01.350(1) [B.01.001(1), FDR].

Person

Person means an individual or an organization as defined in section 2 of the Criminal Code [2, FDA; 2, SFCA].

A person may therefore be an individual or an organization, and may include a consumer, a manufacturer, a retailer, an importer, a restaurant, any other commercial or industrial enterprise, an institution such as a school or hospital, and anyone else who sells, uses, or buys a food.

Prepackaged

Prepackaged, in respect of a food, means packaged in a container in the manner in which the food is ordinarily sold to or used or purchased by a person, and includes consumer prepackaged [1, SFCR].

Processed fruit or vegetable product

Processed fruit or vegetable product means a fruit or vegetable that is in a hermetically sealed package and is commercially sterile or that has been cooked, frozen, concentrated, pickled or otherwise prepared to assure its preservation and

• for which a standard is set out in Volume 4 of the Canadian Standards of Identity
• for which a grade is set out in Volume 3 of the Canadian Grade Compendium, or
• that is identified as a processed fruit or vegetable product in the Standard Container Sizes document [1, SFCR]