Composition, Quality, Quantity, and Origin

Pizzas declaring, "woodburning oven", "wood oven" or "wood fired"

Question : Under what conditions would the descriptor "woodburning oven", "wood oven" or "wood fired" be acceptable on the label of a food product?

Answer : Only a manufacturer who cooks their product in an oven where the only source of energy is wood, may use the terms "wood oven", "wood oven cooked", or "wood fired" on the packaging and advertising. A manufacturer who uses wood in addition to another energy source, or a compound derived from wood as the energy source to cook its product, may use a term such as "partially wood oven cooked" or identify all the cooking sources in the claim ex: "cooked in a combined electric and wood oven" or " cooked in a combined gas and wood oven".

(Headquarters/July 2003)

Claim "based on centuries old recipe"

Question:Can the claim "based on centuries old recipe" be used on products that contain preservatives or additives?

Answer: Yes. The statement "based on centuries old recipe" does not mean that the product was made with a recipe that is centuries old and that therefore no modern day additives or preservatives may be added. The statement is considered to mean that the base for the recipe is centuries old. The same rationale was used for the claim "inspired by a century old recipe." (28/May/1998)

"Natural" in a Trademark of a food that contains preservatives and additives

Question:Can the claim "natural" be used in the trademark for foods that contain preservatives or additives, e.g. breads that come from a premix and contain dextrose, lecithin, ascorbic acid and enzymes?

Answer:No. The use of the word "natural" in a trademark is considered to be a natural claim. Bread found to contain additives or preservatives would not meet the guidelines for natural.

"Fair Trade" claims

Question: Are "Fair Trade" claims acceptable on food sold in Canada?

Answer: "The CFIA will not object to "Fair Trade" claims on foods sold in Canada provided that they are not false or misleading and meet the requirements set out in all applicable food legislation, including the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations and the Canada Agricultural Products Act and its respective regulations. In Canada, TransFair Canada owns the trademarks for "Fair Trade", "Fair Trade Certified" and "Certifié équitable" and a related design mark.

For further information on using these terms, traders should contact TransFair Canada at www.transfair.ca. Other method of production claims, such as organic, will be evaluated independently.