Market Alert
Canada's New Labelling Rules: 2024 Compliance Playbook.
Dr. Sarah Chen
Head of Compliance — Canada — May 3, 2026
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has entered the final enforcement phase of the 2021-2024 Labelling Modernization Initiative. For exporters, this means that "Soft Compliance" is no longer an option. If your product is on a shelf in Toronto or Vancouver today, it must meet the new standards or face mandatory removal.
It's not just about the words. The new rules specify font size ratios between English and French. For example, if your brand name is English-dominant, the mandatory information (weight, ingredients, manufacturer) must appear in both languages with equal prominence.
Failure to comply can lead to shipment detention, administrative monetary penalties (AMPs), and a "High Risk" flag on your subsequent 10 shipments.
Food Globalized's Vancouver team provides a 48-hour "Red Flag" scan for all retail packaging intended for the Canadian market.
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Elena is the VP of Export Strategy at Food Globalized, bringing over 15 years of regulatory experience bridging the gap between ANZ and North American compliance frameworks.
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