By: Kirsten Alcock, Manager of Product Safety, email
As of late, we have been receiving many inquiries from clients who are receiving messages from Amazon indicating that they can no longer sell their products until they are brought into compliance. The online world for shopping has increased over the past year with COVID-19 restrictions in place and more companies are being told that their product label is not in compliance.
When selling your product online through Amazon or any other online retailer, you need to make sure your product is in compliance with the country you are selling to. This is not new!
Many of our clients are FBA’s with Amazon, a “Fulfillment by Amazon Seller”. As an FBA, there are requirements that Amazon advises must be on the label to be sold in Canada. One of these requests is to ensure that your packaging is in compliance with the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations (C.R.C., c417). This is not something that is just required of Amazon sellers, it is something required by all companies looking to sell their products into the Canadian realm. Were you aware that this regulation existed?
The consumer packaging and labeling regulations advise on the requirements for what is needed on your label IN ADDITION to other requirements. A product sold in the United States has different requirements than a product sold to Canada. If you plan on selling your product in Canada, you need to make sure that you are using the appropriate regulation whether it is the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations (CCCR), Drug Identification Number (DIN) regulations, Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), cosmetic notifications, Natural Health Products (NHP), etc. We may share the same border with the United States but we have very different requirements.
For example, if your product is hazardous by the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations, 2001 criteria, your package must have all the requirements for the CCCR as well as the packaging and labeling requirements.
Requirements under the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations include but are not limited to:
- Net quantity declaration. Canada uses the metric system.
- Metric Abbreviations. Ensure they are those that are accepted by the Government of Canada.
- Bilingualism. The official languages of Canada are English AND French. You cannot sell your product in English only.
If you are not able to provide sufficient information to Amazon, your product may be pulled from their inventory and returned to you or possibly destroyed.
Contact us for further information on how we can help you meet your label compliance for Amazon in Canada. We have the experience to know what Amazon is looking for and can provide you with a report that will meet their fulfillment needs. We can also help provide properly translated labels into Canadian French.
Contact:
Dell Tech
Kirsten Alcock, B.Sc. (Hons)
Manager, Product Safety Group
519-858-5074
kirsten@delltech.com
Dell Tech has provided professional, confidential consulting services to the chemical specialty
industry in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Asia for the last 40 years.
Contact us today for more information.
