Updates to Organic Claims on Canadian Food Labels – What You Need to Know
By: Joanna Chudyk, Regulatory Affairs Specialist, email
In March 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published changes to their guidance on organic food claims. In general, if you wish to make an organic claim on any product it must be certified under the Canada Organic Regime. This includes using the term organic or any organic logo. The changes published serve to further clarify labelling requirements associated with making such claims.
The key changes identified are as follows:
- The company (or individual, organization, consumer, manfacturer, retailer, etc) name supplying the organic ingredient may only contain the term “organic” if their products comply with the organic claim requirements.
For example, a supplier named “Organic Farms” may only use the term organic if the product contains >95% organic content.
- Abbreviations for organic certification bodies are permitted on the label if one appears on the List of certification bodies under the Canada Organic Regime
Logos can also be used only if the name (or abbreviation, if applicable) appears legibly to the consumer within the logo.
- The statement “certified by” does not need to be bilingual at the Federal level. However, it may be required to be in both official languages at the Provincial level.
Do you have an organic product that may be impacted by these changes? Has your Canadian food label been reviewed at the Federal and Provincial level?
Contact Dell Tech today! Our team of food regulatory experts will assist you in navigating all of the complex Canadian Food Regulations.
Contact:
Dell Tech
Joanna Chudyk, M. Sc.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
joanna@delltech.com
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