General requirements and guidance
Maintenance notice
Please note our interactive tools will not be available on December 10, 2019 between 11:00 pm and 1:00 am due to system maintenance.
We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
Although the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) came into force on January 15, 2019, certain requirements are being phased in over the following 12 to 30 months. For more information, refer to the SFCR timelines.
The regulatory requirements that apply to your food business depend on what your food business does. Explore the topics below to learn about the requirements and how they apply to your food business.
Services and information
Food licensing
Requirements, if and when you need a licence, and how to apply for a licence.
Preventive controls
Requirements, if and when you need to comply, and recommended preventive controls for food and establishments.
Preventive control plans
Requirements, if and when you need a preventive control plan, and how to prepare one.
Traceability for food
Information on requirements and if and when you must comply.
Labelling, standards of identity, and grades
Requirements, industry labelling tool, and information for consumers.
Organic products
Requirements and other resources on organic products.
Packing in food containers
Information on packing food in containers and food packaging materials.
Food safety standards and guidelines
Information on standards and guidelines published by Health Canada.
Most requested
- Timelines (When do the requirements apply to your business)
- Information on the requirements that apply to fishers
- Information on the requirements that apply to a person who manufactures, processes treats, preserves, grades, packages or labels a food
- Licensing tool (Who needs a licence)
- Preventive control plan tool (Who needs a preventive control plan)
- Traceability tool (Who needs to meet the traceability requirements)
- Guidance Finder: Food
More information for
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