A Guide to Identifying Food Products Affected by the Proposed Imported Food Sector Product Regulations
Step B: Analysis by Food Commodity

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Fish/Seafood/Aquatic Products

Marine plant matter and products containing marine plant matter (in the absence of fish, shellfish, crustaceans or marine mammals) are Imported Food Sector (IFS) products.

Products containing any amount of fish, shellfish, crustaceans or marine mammals are under the Fish Inspection Act and are not IFS products.

Decision Tree 2: Fish, Seafood and Aquatic Products^Footnote 1

Description-Decision Tree 2. Description follows.

Animal and Meat Products

The following animal and meat products are Imported Food Sector (IFS) products:

Any product containing reptiles, amphibians and/or land invertebrates, such as alligators, frogs, land snails, turtles and snakes.
Products containing 2 per cent or less meat^Footnote 2, unless they are a processed egg or cheese that contains meat (and therefore fall under the Processed Egg Regulations or the Dairy Products Regulations).
Products containing only highly processed meat products, including gelatin, bone meal, collagen casing, hydrolysed animal protein, derivatives/components of animal fats/oils (i.e. monoglycerides, diglycerides or fatty acids). These are all exempt from the Meat Inspection Act, except for shortening from animals, edible tallow, lard and suet when used for human consumption.

Note: A letter of exemption from the Meat Inspection Act and Regulations is required for products that contain 2 per cent or less meat.

Decision Tree 3: Animal and Meat Products^Footnote 3

Description-Decision Tree 3. Description follows.

Egg and Egg Products

The following eggs and egg products are Imported Food Sector (IFS) products:

Whole eggs not produced by the domestic hen (Gallus domesticus), for example turkey eggs, quail eggs, salted duck eggs, preserved 100-year-old duck eggs, Cornish hen eggs
Processed egg products containing eggs produced by domestic hens or turkeys that are less than 50 per cent processed egg by weight (frozen eggs, frozen egg mixes, liquid egg mixes, dried eggs and dried egg mixes)
Processed egg products produced from any type of bird other than a domestic hen or turkey, regardless of the percentage of processed egg
Cooked eggs and/or products made from cooked eggs that do not contain fish and/or more than 2 per cent meat

Decision Tree 4: Eggs and Egg Products^Footnote 4

Description-Decision Tree 4. Description follows.

Dairy Products

The Dairy Products Regulations define dairy products as "milk or a product thereof, whether alone or combined with another agricultural product that contains no oil or fat other than that of milk." It is important to note that, in this context, 'milk' refers to the "normal lacteal secretions of the mammary gland of an animal" and, therefore, includes milk from any animal (except human beings). As such, it follows that the milk fat can also be derived from the milk of any animal (except human beings). Examples of dairy products include cheese, milk, chocolate milk, cream, sour cream, ice cream, yogourt and whey.

Given this definition, the following dairy products are Imported Food Sector (IFS) products:

Products that contain fat or oil other than milk fat, including:
- Non-dairy liquid or powdered coffee whiteners
- Margarine

Products that contain a high proportion of dairy ingredients but are not commonly recognized as a milk or milk product, including:
- Frozen novelties
- Cheesecake
- Cheese muffins
- Breaded cheese sticks
- Pudding (both powdered mix and pudding cups)

Small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids added to milk products are often an exception to the "no fat other than milk fat" rule. Dairy products that contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids for the purpose of making a "source of omega-3 fatty acids" claim on the label fall under the Dairy Products Regulations.

Decision Tree 5: Dairy Products^Footnote 5

Honey Products

Honey products that are not composed of 100 per cent honey are Imported Food Sector (IFS) products, such as:

Honey in the comb
Dried honey products
Flavoured honey products
Coloured honey products

Maple Products

Maple products that are not made from 100 per cent pure maple sap from the genus Acer are IFS products, including:

Maple candy
Maple-flavoured syrup
Table syrup that contains some maple syrup

Unconcentrated maple products (such as raw sap that has not been boiled, known informally as "maple water"), as well as products made from the sap of trees other than maple trees from the genus Acer (such as birch sap), are all IFS products.

In general, products made solely from concentrated maple sap are not IFS products. This includes maple sugar, maple butter and maple taffy.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Products

This section applies to fresh produce, which includes fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh nuts, fresh edible fungi, fresh sprouts, fresh herbs, and any fresh cut fruit and vegetables (ready-to-eat and non-ready-to-eat).

In general, fresh produce falls under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Regulations and are not Imported Food Sector (IFS) products.

Fresh produce is an IFS product when it is:

Mixed with other components (such as croutons or dressing packets in bagged salad)
Stored in juice or sweetening agents

Whole fruit or vegetables that are infused with flavouring agents are not IFS products.

The definition of 'fresh cut' includes fruit and vegetables that have been trimmed, chopped, peeled, shredded, or treated with approved food additives as listed in the Food and Drug Regulations.

Decision Tree 6: Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Products^Footnote 6

Processed Fruit and Vegetable Products

This section applies to fruit and vegetables that have been processed (frozen, dehydrated, hermetically sealed or cooked). In general, the following processed fruits and vegetables are Imported Food Sector (IFS) products:

Any products that are not covered by a grade, standard of identity or by standard container sizes within the Processed Products Regulations
Processed products containing 2 per cent or less meat (with exceptions, for example vegetable soup, beans with pork)
Processed products with a shelf-life of less than 90 days
Processed products that contain oilseeds, grains or nuts and their products (for example, tofu and products that contain coconut or pasta - with the exception of canned spaghetti in tomato sauce)
Nuts that have been dehydrated, roasted, blanched, salted, spiced, cured or otherwise prepared
Fried vegetables (potato chips, refried beans)
Spiced or battered french fried potatoes, potato patties
Fruit and vegetables that have been dehydrated, roasted or salted
Fruit and vegetables packed in alcohol, as well as the alcohol itself
Fruit and vegetable products packed in a non-hermetically sealed container that must be kept refrigerated (for example, unpasteurised apple juice).

The processing method determines if a processed fruit and vegetable product is an IFS product. If more than one processing method is used to make the product, consider only the last method used during the process.

a) Hermetic Sealing

Most hermetically sealed fruit and vegetables are covered by standards and requirements in the Processed Products Regulations.

Hermetically Sealed Vegetables

In general, the following hermetically sealed vegetables are IFS products:

All vegetable pastes and pasta sauces^Footnote 7 that are not tomato-based
All condiments except for tomato ketchup, relish, and chutneys
Vegetable-based jams, jellies, broths and spreads (for example, based on tomatoes, peppers, beets, carrots), purées (except tomato purée)
Hermetically-sealed vegetables packed in more than 15 per cent oil
Hermetically-sealed infant foods containing more than just vegetables, with the exception of infant foods containing any amount of fish or more than 2 per cent meat
Salsa (vegetable)
Veggie burgers, patties/sausages
Re-fried beans or fried beans
Pimento sauce/pepper sauce
Tomato sauce

Hermetically Sealed Fruit

In general, the following hermetically sealed fruit are IFS products:

Fruit purées and pulps except for those made from pumpkin and apples
Fruit spreads, butters and snacks, fruit salsas and fruit ketchups
Certain jams, jellies and marmalades, for example those made from coconut, figs or with wine
Pie fillings that do not contain fruit, or that are re-constituted from powders
Hermetically-sealed infant foods containing more than just fruit, with the exception of infant foods containing any amount of fish or more than 2 per cent meat

Hermetically Sealed Juices

In general, the following hermetically sealed juices are IFS products:

Ready-to-serve hermetically sealed drinks, cocktails and beverages that contain less than 100 per cent juice
Carbonated juices (except apple and grape)
Blends of carbonated juices
Concentrated juices (except apple and grape)
Juices from concentrate (except apple and grape)
Blends of concentrated juices
Fruit nectars other than those made from peaches, pears, prunes and apricots
Nectar blends

Note that any juice intended for consumption by infants falls under the Processed Products Regulations and therefore are not IFS products. Juices intended for infants could:

Have an image of a baby on the label
Be labelled as "baby juice"
Specify the age group the product is intended for on the label (infants are under one year of age)

b) Freezing

Most frozen fruit and vegetables fall under the Processed Products Regulations. The following sections on frozen vegetables, fruit and juices indicate which products are IFS products.

Frozen Vegetables

Frozen soups and frozen vegetables with nuts, sauces or pasta
Frozen infant foods
Frozen purées, pulps and jams
Most frozen fried vegetables (except french fried potatoes^Footnote 8)
Frozen battered vegetables (for example, onion rings)

Frozen Fruit

Frozen infant foods
Frozen purées, pulps and jams

Frozen Juices

All frozen concentrated juices, except for orange, sweetened orange, and apple juice
All frozen nectars and vegetable juices
All frozen vegetable juices

c) Dehydration

The following products are IFS products:

Dehydrated fruit and vegetables
Dehydrated edible fungi
Re-hydrated vegetables and edible fungi, including those in powder form.

Decision Tree 7 (Part 1): Processed Fruit and Vegetable Products^Footnote 9

Decision Tree 7 - Part 1. Description follows.

Decision Tree 7 (Part 2): Processed Fruit and Vegetable Products

Decision Tree 7 (Part 2). Description follows.

Decision Tree 7 (Part 3): Processed Fruit and Vegetable Products

Decision Tree 7 (Part 3). Description follows.

Footnotes

Footnote 7

Tomato-based pasta sauce with spaghetti falls under the Processed Products Regulations. Tomato-based pasta sauce containing all other types and shapes of pasta (for example, ravioli, macaroni) are IFS products.

Return to footnote 7 referrer

Footnote 8

Certain frozen french fried potatoes fall under the Processed Products Regulations. This includes those without batter/spice and certain cuts such as straight or regular cut, shoestring or julienne cut, crinkle cut, crinkle cut shoestring, and crinkle cut julienne. For more information, refer to Part XI, Schedule I, Table II, Section 31(1) of the Processed Product Regulations.

Return to footnote 8 referrer

Footnote 9

To ensure accuracy, Decision Tree 1 must be followed prior to using Decision Tree 7. For definitions of "processed" and "hermetically sealed" please refer to the Glossary of Terms.

Return to footnote 9 referrer

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Date modified:: 2014-05-20

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