Operational procedure: Issuing an export certificate for dairy products

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspection staff on issuing export certificates for dairy products intended for human consumption.

The guidance outlined below should be used when inspection staff receives a request for an export certificate at the issuing CFIA office from an exporter through the Digital Service Delivery Platform (DSDP) or the offline process when DSDP is down, offline or until such time the certificate is available in DSDP. The guidance for using TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) for export to the European Union (EU) is also included.

This document is intended to be used in conjunction with other guidance documents as referenced in section 3.0.

2.0 Authorities

Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA), 48
Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), 17

The inspection powers, control actions and enforcement actions authorized by the above legislation are identified and explained in the Operational guideline – Food regulatory response guidelines.

3.0 Reference documents

4.0 Definitions

Unless specified below, definitions are located in either the:

Manufacturer's declaration: A document provided by the exporter that is endorsed by the manufacturer of the product to be exported

5.0 Acronyms

Acronyms are spelled out the first time they are used in this document and are consolidated in the Food business line acronyms list.

6.0 Operational procedure

Note 1: for the certification procedures for dairy products that are exported as animal feed, refer to the following Animal Health business line guidance:

Note 2: As of November 15, 2021, export certificates for dairy products destined for the European Union (EU) are issued using EU's TRACES NT system. Please consult the Comparative table for EU export certification using TRACES (accessible only on the Government of Canada network - RDIMS 15333580).

6.1 Receipt and review of an export certificate request

6.1.1 Dairy products made in food establishments licensed for the activity (manufacturing, processing, treating, preserving, grading, packaging and labelling) may be certified for export. Export certification is dependent upon foreign country requirements. Refer to the following for specific country requirements or contact the Operational Guidance and Expertise (OGE) using established communication pathways:

6.1.2 The applicant will submit a service request for an export certificate through My CFIA. The service request will appear in the Export/Exportation" queue in DSDP. There are multiple system views, such as the Service Case Queue view, associated to the Export/Exportation queue. These views can be further filtered by program, service location or party. For information on how to create a custom view or add a view to your dashboard refer to SOPs Advanced find (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 9142683) and Create a custom dashboard (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 9766497:

Export Case: Service Requests for an export certificate appear in chronological order from the top down, as they are submitted within the queue. Inspection staff will pick service requests and conduct a manual validation of the request. Refer to Appendix B.1, Appendix E.1 and Appendix F of the Export DSDP Process and SOPs (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 10879109).

6.1.3 For export certificate requests outside of DSDP, the Food export certificate application request (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 11409529) document is to be provided to the exporter for completion and then submitted to the CFIA local office.

6.1.4 Inspection staff evaluate all export certificate requests to ensure that the exporter meets the following regulatory requirements:

holds a valid licence [17(2), SFCR]
has a written Preventive Control Plan (PCP) [86(2), SFCR]

The exporter's licence and written PCPs must reference the associated commodity being exported. This step is not automated in DSDP and must be checked manually for online and offline requests.

6.1.5 Inspection staff will verify that the export certificate request includes:

a client reference number for documentation and tracking purposes
the account number or method of payment
date request submitted and contact information of the exporter

6.1.6 An export certificate request is to be submitted at least 5 full working days prior to the loading date of the product into the container. Requests must be received prior to 9 am to count as a full day. This allows time for an export inspection, if necessary.

An export inspection is completed based on foreign country requirements. Refer to the Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) to determine which countries require an inspection prior to export certification. The inspection is to verify that the attestations can be met. Use the Interim guidance on entering food commodity inspection data into DSDP (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 12369415). If the loading location is not in the same region where the certification request was made, the inspection task in DSDP can be re-assigned to another sub-district.

6.1.7 If some consignment details (for example, total net weight for catch weight product, name of ship, container and seal numbers) are unknown prior to loading, the applicant has 2 complete working days before departure from Canada to forward the complete consignment details and a copy of the shipping manifest indicating date of departure (by air, ocean vessel, ground, or rail). Any change to consignment details could delay the issuance of the certificate and affect the departure date.

Inspection staff request the final information to complete the certificate in DSDP by issuing a Portal task to the applicant. If the request was submitted offline, the details can be requested via e-mail or in the same manner as the request was submitted.

6.1.8 Should the loading location, manufacturer, licence number or establishment identification (ID) number, description of the product, or final destination country change, a new export certificate request must be submitted and will be subject to a new 5 working day period. In DSDP, the original service request is to be withdrawn by the applicant by using the "Withdrawal" button within the DSDP case summary page in their portal account, or cancelled by inspection staff by selecting "Cancel Case" and choosing the appropriate "Withdrawn – Change in Information" reason. Refer to Export DSDP Process and SOPs (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 10879109).

A note should be included in the file for offline certificates with the reason for the cancellation.

In My CFIA the applicant may request an amendment for submitted applications prior to the certificate being "issued". Refer to Export DSDP Process and SOP's – Appendix E.2 for processing instructions (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 10879109).

6.1.9 Inspection staff will verify that the export certificate request has been submitted with the following minimum fields completed, as per the application process in My CFIA or in the instructions on the export certificate request:

Table: Field descriptions for the Food export certificate application request
Food export certificate application request field	Description
Name Export Application and select Date of export	Exporter enters application name and date of departure from Canada
Identify the Consignor	Exporter enters consignor name and address, as it will appear on the export certificate
Consignee Information	Consignee name and address, as it will appear on the export certificate, is entered
Destination country	Final destination country entered
Business Line, Commodity Group and End Use	Appropriate business line, commodity group and end use of the shipment are entered
Commodity Selection	Commodity selection is made at the third level in the commodity list
Determine export eligibility	Exporter enters responses to a series of questions that determine eligibility of export and additional documents that may be required
Product Table	Number of product lines for each commodity are entered
Add Manufacturer	Party name and manufacturer associated with the product(s) are entered
Upload Supporting Documents	Exporter able to upload all supporting documents, for example, Manufacturer's declaration
Location(s) of Inspection	Exporter enters first available date of inspection and location where an inspector can inspect the product before the container is filled/sealed or before product is packed for shipment outside of Canada
Transportation Information	Conveyance information is added and may include details on transportation mode (ocean vessel, air, ground, rail) and vessel name or flight information.
Certificate Information and Product description	Storage conditions, Harmonized System (HS) code, description of the product such as the common name exactly as it is declared on the label, lot number are entered Net quantity of the product including the number of packages and the size or the total gross weight of the product (canned products) are entered – refer to section 6.1.10
Review of Application	Application is reviewed for completeness and accuracy prior to submission.
Application Submitted	Applicant able to monitor and view their submission. Export request now appears in DSDP Export Case: Service Request

6.1.10 2 days prior to the shipment leaving Canada, any of the missing information from the export certificate request, accompanied by a Manufacturer's declaration (section 6.1.11) and laboratory results (if applicable), are required in order to issue the export documentation. Any missing information provided less than 2 days prior to departure could delay the issuance of the certificate and affect the departure date.

6.1.11 The Manufacturer's declaration is to be provided to the exporter for completion and then submitted to the CFIA. Refer to the Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) for the Manufacturer's declaration which could be country-specific. Inspection staff will verify that the Manufacturer's declaration has been completed appropriately and provides the necessary information for certification.

An ingredient with a single class name, as defined in the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) subsection B.01.009(1), is not acceptable on the Manufacturer's declaration (for example, modified milk ingredients or milk ingredients). In cases where the list of ingredients of a dairy blend consists of milk ingredients or modified milk ingredients, each dairy ingredient in the blend must be listed separately on the Manufacturer's declaration.

6.2 Use of imported dairy ingredients

6.2.1 Imports of milk products are to follow the Terrestrial Animal Products and By-products: Import Policy Framework.

6.2.2 Imported dairy ingredients may be used in the manufacture of dairy products in Canada and these products may be subsequently exported based on the requirements of the importing country; refer to the Food export requirements library and Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network).

In order to provide certification for these specific requirements, the certifying veterinarian must know the origin of the milk and milk ingredients present in the product to be exported. Even if the dairy ingredients have been legally imported into Canada without export documentation issued by the foreign country, foreign country certification (supporting documentation) is required to enable the export certification of Canadian dairy products containing imported dairy ingredients.

In such cases, the inspection staff ensures that the foreign certification has been received and is satisfactory by completing and submitting the Dairy Products Export Compliance Verification document to the certifying official so that with full knowledge of the facts, can provide veterinary certification for the exported product. Refer to the Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) for the compliance verification document which could be country-specific.

For service cases within DSDP, an inspection task can be created to record and upload any support documentation. Use the Interim guidance on entering food commodity inspection data into DSDP (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 12369415).

6.2.3 Inspection staff may sign a certificate based on a documented official inspection or decision by another inspector. Some countries may have specific requirements, refer to the Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network).

6.3 Processing the certificate

Inspection staff will not issue any export documentation for products that have already left Canada.

When all the required information is received, the export documentation is to be issued within 2 working days.

6.3.1 Before issuing a certificate, inspection staff must review:

if there are any negotiated or identified requirements for the country of destination
if there are any inspection tasks to be conducted in the respective Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) as outlined in section 6.1.6

The identified additional tasks that are not automatically generated within the DSDP inspection case associated with the service request are to be created to record the inspection details.

6.3.2 When inspection staff is satisfied that the exporter and the consignment meet the requirements, the applicable export certificate as indicated on the Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) is generated.

If the certificate is automated within DSDP, it will be pre-populated by DSDP based on the portal interview responses given by the applicant and can be viewed by inspection staff within DSDP via the following DSDP records:

Export Certificate Record
Export Case: Service Request
Export Certificate

Non-automated certificates are populated by inspection staff with the compulsory information which is found either on the Generic Export Certificate Application form in DSDP or the offline Food export certificate application request. Refer to the Export certification inspection task tables (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) for available templates describing compulsory information.

6.4 Issuing the certificate

6.4.1 As previously outlined, not all certificates are automated within DSDP. All automated certificates in DSDP are generated electronically and will have a unique system generated certificate number pre-populated on the certificate. Refer to Export DSDP Process and SOPs (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 10879109) for instructions on signing and issuing the certificate within DSDP.

An offline certificate may be issued for a certificate that is automated within DSDP. A certificate may be issued offline due to DSDP being down or if the export request was not made through My CFIA. For these certificates, the unique manually generated certificate number is used. Refer to Appendix 1 for the Area maintained certificate tracking sheets.

If an applicant applies for a certificate through My CFIA and it is a non-automated certificate in DSDP, the unique system generated certificate number is used. This number can be found in the top right hand corner of the Generic Export Certificate Application form. A certified copy of the issued certificate is to be uploaded into the DSDP Export Permission case.

For export certificates that are issued through TRACES NT, the comparative table (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 15333580) has additional information regarding its use.

6.4.2 If the certificate consists of several sheets of paper, the sequence of sheets must be numbered so as to indicate a particular page in a finite sequence (for example, page 2 of 3) and must contain the certificate number, be stamped and signed.

All certificates must be signed in blue ink and stamped using red ink. The name, qualification and title of the certifying officer must be in typed or stamped in capital letters next to the signature. The certificate must bear the date on which the certificate is signed and issued.

Within DSDP, only the standard certificate can be electronically signed for those destination countries which allow electronic signatures (identified in DSDP). All standard certificates issued offline will continue to have a signature signed in blue ink.

The original document must carry the official CFIA red stamp in the area indicated to that effect. The stamp used for the certificate must be in the format as per the Operational procedure: Guidance on the purchase, use, control and decommissioning of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency official export certificate stamp (OECS)OG/OO-20150831 (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 12181558).

The CFIA will issue one original document with a unique certificate number as described in section 6.4.1 for each request made by the applicant. For the offline process, if an electronic (scanned) copy is requested by the exporter, it must indicate the name of the certifying officer but not be stamped.

6.4.3 The original document is sent to the exporter. Should there be a need for a certified copy of the original document, it shall bear a red ink stamp "Certified Copy" "Copie Conforme" with the date of issue and initials or name of the certifying officer. If the certifying officer issuing a certified copy is not the certifying officer that signed the original document, the name of the certifying officer and not the initials are required on the certified copies. Certified copies are considered an export document and the appropriate fees are to be applied for offline certificate requests only. Certified true copies created by DSDP, or otherwise uploaded into DSDP, in the case of offline created export certificates, can be viewed and printed anytime by the applicant from My CFIA portal at no charge.

6.4.4 When inspection staff issues a certificate, all documentation related to this certificate must be kept in the DSDP service request. For offline requests, documentation is kept on file at the local CFIA office. This includes, but is not limited to:

a copy of the original certificate, a replacement certificate, or any other documents used to issue the certificate
any correspondence from the exporter applying for a certificate
a copy of inspection results, if applicable

6.5 Replacement of issued certificate

For the procedure to issue a replacement certificate, please refer to the Replacing export certificates for food (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 10878038).

Refer to Export DSDP Process and SOPs (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 10879109) Appendix J.5 on procedure to action replacement requests in the DSDP export queue.

For export certificates that are issued through TRACES NT, the comparative table (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS 15333580) has additional information regarding the replacement function.

The issuance of a cancellation / replacement is at the discretion of the CFIA. The requirement for cancelling / replacing or amending a certificate may trigger the inspection of future shipments using the Standard Inspection Process (SIP) – Preventive control inspection (PCI).

6.6 Return of exported products to Canada

Refer to Operational guidance – Return of exported products to Canada (under development).

7.0 Appendix

Appendix 1: Area maintained certificate tracking sheets

For general inquiries related to this Operational Guidance Document, please follow established communication channels, including submitting an electronic Request for Action Form (e-RAF).

Appendix 1: Area maintained certificate tracking sheets

As mentioned in section 6.4.1, certificate tracking sheets are to be used by the Areas for certificates that are issued manually. The tracking sheets are to include the minimum data that is to be captured. Each Area will need to develop its own yearly tracking spreadsheet and procedure for tracking the certificate numbers and ensure numbers are only used once. The Area created tracking sheets RDIMS reference numbers are to be entered into the National template: Manual issuance numbers (accessible only on the Government of Canada network – RDIMS No. 11352480).

Date modified:: 2024-01-02

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