Food allergen labelling

Did you know there are about 350 food recalls in Canada every year and undeclared food allergens continue to be one of the most common reasons for these recalls? For a business, food recalls can be costly and affect your reputation. For someone with a food allergy, undeclared allergens on a food label could cause life-threatening or severe allergic reactions. The food industry plays a vital role in protecting Canadians who have food allergies by making sure their packaged products are labelled properly so consumers can make safe food choices.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has easy-to-use resources to help food businesses understand food allergen labelling and comply with regulations…

Our Industry Labelling Tool includes:

• Allergen labelling tips to help both food manufacturers and importers ensure their products are labelled properly.
• An interactive food allergen labelling infographic for any business selling or making packaged food that contains priority food allergens, gluten sources, or added sulphites. The infographic is also available for PDF download, in English, French and six other languages.
• The labelling requirements checklist which is a self-assessment tool to help food businesses and industry stakeholders understand labelling requirements.

When it comes to allergen labelling, it is important that food businesses ensure that:

• they comply with regulatory requirements including producing compliant labels;
• they have effective food safety systems in place to control allergens; and
• they have effective systems in place to manage undeclared allergens, when they occur, including a recall plan.

"Notifying the CFIA as early as possible when a potential allergen concern is identified is important so the CFIA can rapidly initiate a food safety investigation and determine whether a recall is required"

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