You are responsible for the safety of your food products and for meeting requirements under federal food regulations.
Your role
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) apply to all food businesses that import food into Canada or prepare food that will be exported from Canada or traded from one province or territory to another.
If you operate within one province or territory, some SFCR requirements may still apply to you. If you don't meet these requirements, you could be subject to control measures (for example, seizure or recall of your products) and/or enforcement actions like:
- administrative monetary penalties
- licence suspension or cancellation
- prosecution
Steps to take
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Find out if you need a Safe Food for Canadians licence
Answer a few questions using the licensing interactive tool to find out if your business needs a licence.
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If you need a licence, here's what to know before applying.
- Make sure you meet food safety preventive control requirements. Most businesses also need a written preventive control plan (PCP)
- Read CFIA's guidance on preventive controls and preventive control plans to learn more about these requirements.
- Answer a few questions using the preventive control interactive tool to find out if you need a written plan
- Verify that you meet traceability requirements
- Answer a few questions using the traceability interactive tool to find out if you need to have traceability records.
- Make sure you meet other requirements that apply to your business – including those related to:
- specific food commodities
- packaging and labelling – including Product of Canada and Made in Canada claims
- importing
- exporting
The toolkit for food businesses will help you understand the requirements for your business.
You may need to meet preventive control, traceability, and other requirements - even if you do not need a licence.
- Make sure you meet food safety preventive control requirements. Most businesses also need a written preventive control plan (PCP)
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Create a My CFIA account and apply for a licence
Your My CFIA account will allow you to not only apply for a licence but also request, manage and track service requests (for example, licences, permits, registrations and certificates) online for yourself or on behalf of a business.
More information
- Making or trading food in Canada
- Food safety investigations and recalls
- Understanding the SFCR
- Administrative monetary penalties
- Videos on Canada's federal food regulations
- Guidelines for "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims
- Food notices for industry
- Sign up for email subscriptions
- Checklist for preventing and controlling Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods
- Preventive Controls Plan (PCP) Checklist
- Keep your customers safe and comply with federal food regulations