Food Allergies and Allergen Labelling

Canada's new food allergen labelling regulations came into force on August 4, 2012.

  • Most prepackaged products must include food allergens, gluten sources, and sulphites in the list of ingredients or in a statement that begins with "Contains:.." on their labels;
  • Food allergen or gluten sources must be written in commonly used words such as "milk" or "wheat";
  • The common names for the plant sources of starches, modified starches, hydrolyzed plant protein and lecithin must be modified to provide source information. For example, the label must indicate hydrolyzed soy protein rather than just hydrolyzed vegetable protein;
  • Products that include spelt and kamut must declare wheat as an allergen on their labels;
  • Sulphites in products above 10 ppm need to be in the list of ingredients or in a statement that begins with "Contains:.." on the label ;
  • Products must list any components of an ingredient that are food allergens, gluten sources, or sulphites (when 10 ppm or more). For example, if a prepackaged food contains the ingredient "spices", that food will be required to list any allergens, gluten sources, or sulphites present in the spices, such as mustard.
  • Prepackaged fruits and vegetables that have a protective edible coating or wax must include the source of any allergen or gluten on their labels.

The CFIA enforces Canada's labelling laws and works with associations, distributors, food manufacturers and importers to ensure complete and appropriate labelling of all foods. The CFIA recommends that food companies establish effective allergen controls to minimize the potential for allergic reactions. When the CFIA becomes aware of a potential serious hazard associated with a food, such as undeclared allergens, the CFIA investigates and takes all appropriate action to protect consumers, which may include a recall of the food product.

Industry Notices

Reference Material

Allergen Labelling

Other Information