| This information is intended to provide answers to many of the questions asked on the
federal requirements (grades, standardized
products, packaging, labelling and registered
establishments) for the processing and distribution (import, export, & interprovincial) of products covered by the Dairy
Products Regulations (DPR). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is the single
contact for all federal regulations covering the products falling under the
above-mentioned regulations, except for the granting of import permits. This is not
intended to replace any federal regulations; it is recommended to consult the
appropriate set of regulations before using any information.
Import Requirements
If you wish to import a dairy product, please ensure that the following points are
respected:
| a. |
To qualify for a lower tariff rate, the Export and Import Permits Act requires an
Import Permit for the following dairy products. This list is to be used as a guide only;
some products do not fall into the Dairy Products Regulations. Please contact the
International Trade Canada in Ottawa for further information on permits, 613-996-2594
prior to importing. If an import permit is not obtained, a dairy product may still be
imported, but a higher tariff rate will be imposed.
- cheese of all types including fresh, grated, powdered, and processed,
- milk and cream (liquid or powder) with or without sweetener,
- milk, cream, or butter substitutes with more than 15% milk fat,
- concentrated or condensed milk or cream,
- powdered buttermilk,
- buttermilk, curdled milk and cream, kephir and other fermented or acidified milk and
cream,
- products consisting of natural milk constituents such as milk protein concentrates or
blends of milk constituents,
- milk cream or butter substitutes with 50% or more by weight of dairy content,
- non-alcoholic beverages containing milk (other than chocolate milk) with 50% or more by
weight of dairy content,
- feeds and feed supplements with 50% or more by weight, in the dry state, of non-fat milk
solids,
- chocolate ice cream mix and ice milk mix,
- ice cream mixes and ice milk mixes, and
- ice cream, edible ice, and ice sherbets.
For finished products containing dairy products as ingredients, such as cheesecake,
please contact the CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) for the tariff
classification (tariff rate to be paid), toll-free 1-800-461-9999. |
| b. |
Dairy products can only be accepted if they are produced in a country that does not
pose animal health concerns to Canada; please contact the Animal Health Division. |
| c. |
Minimum grade or standard |
| d. |
Correct labelling - Consumer-sized products (pre-packaged) must
be labelled with the information required to be shown under the Consumer Packaging and
Labelling Regulations and Dairy Products Regulations. |
| e. |
An Import Declaration form in duplicate, completed by the importer or
his representative, must accompany the load. This form must contain the following
information: name of the exporter; name of the consignee; a description of the dairy
product and any identification marks; the number, kind, and net weight of containers; and
a statement that the dairy product was manufactured from sound raw materials, was prepared
under sanitary conditions, and was, at the time of shipment, sound and fit for human
consumption. The statement must also accurately identify the manufacturer or authorized
agent.
A copy of an import declaration may be obtained from your regional Canadian Food Inspection Agency office. |
| f. |
Health and safety requirements prescribed in the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations
and the Dairy Products
Regulations. |
Exemptions: Section c, d, and e do not apply to imported dairy products i) if the
shipment does not exceed 20 kg and is not for sale in Canada, or ii) if imported for a
national or an international exhibition, the shipment weighs less than 100 kg, and is not
for sale.
A tariff exemption exists for imported dairy products if the total product value does
not exceed $20.00 and the dairy products are for personal use.
For questions on other documentation required by CBSA, please contact your local CBSA
office.
Other queries about importing dairy products may be directed to the Dairy Section at
any of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regional offices, or Food of Animal Origin
Division, Nepean, Ontario, K1A 0Y9, 613-225-2342; fax: 613-221-7296.
Interprovincial Requirements
If you wish to ship dairy products interprovincially, please ensure that the following
points are respected:
- a, b, & c do not apply if the product i) weighs 20 kg or less; ii) is not intended
for sale in Canada; and, iii) has been permitted in writing by an inspector to be shipped.
- Fluid milk enquiries should be directed to your provincial department
of agriculture.
Export Requirements
| a. |
If you wish to export a dairy product, please ensure that the following points are
observed:
- The dairy product has been prepared in a registered
establishment. Contact your Canadian Food Inspection Agency regional office
for further information.
- Minimum Grade or Standard - in the case of a dairy
product for which grades are established by these regulations, the dairy product has been
graded and the appropriate grade certificate has been issued.
- Prepackaged cheddar cheese, butter, and milk powders require markings
to appear in at least English or French; other prepackaged dairy products require markings
in both English and French. Please see section c. below for exceptions on exports.
- The dairy product has been inspected.
|
| b. |
Fees are in place for the preparation of export documentation by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency. Full payment is due upon issuance of the export documentation except
for clients with pre-authorized credit privileges who will pay upon receipt of their
monthly statement. |
| c. |
The above export sections do not apply in the following situations:
- The food product weighs 20 kg or less, or
- The food product is part of an emigrant's effects.
|
| d. |
A food product that does not meet the requirements of the DPR may be exported if the
shipper provides a signed statement confirming that the dairy product complies with the
requirements of the importing country. This declaration must be included in the export
documentation. |
| e. |
If in doubt about a foreign country's requirements on imported foods, it is advisable
that you contact the importing country's department of agriculture or perhaps its
embassy/consulate/trade commission in Canada before exporting. |
For questions on documentation required by CBSA, please contact your regional CBSA
office.
Minimum Grade & Standards
Grades as described in the Dairy Products Regulations exist for only the following
products: cheddar cheese, butter and butter products, and dry milk products. The grade
names are Canada 1, Canada 2, and Canada 3. Canada 3 grade, in the case of butter, butter
products, and cheddar cheese, is a processing grade, and shall be used only for these
products packed in bulk. Interprovincial or international shipments of these products must
meet one of the grade requirements.
For many dairy products, standards are established in the Dairy Products
Regulations. For an interprovincial or international shipment of a dairy product for
which a standard is established such as "cottage cheese", the specified
composition must be respected, as outlined in the Dairy Products Regulations.
Labelling Requirements and Label Review
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for labelling on products covered by
the Dairy Products
Regulations. Please use the following summary only as a guide to the basic
labelling requirements under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, the Consumer
Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations, and the Dairy Products Regulations.
These acts and regulations must be consulted for further details, since not all details
are listed below. In general, prepackaged dairy products for which standards are
established have the following labelling requirements:
| a. |
THE COMMON NAME; |
| b. |
NET QUANTITY declaration, as required by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling
Regulations; |
| c. |
GRADE NAME. If grade standards are prescribed for a product, the grade must be
declared; |
| d. |
A LIST OF INGREDIENTS and their components (i.e. ingredients of ingredients) in
descending order of their proportion by weight. See the Table B.01.008 (1) (b) of the Food
and Drug Regulations for more details; |
| e. |
THE COMPLETE NAME AND ADDRESS of the responsible party including postal code; |
| f. |
DAIRY PLANT REGISTRATION NUMBER as indicated in the Dairy Products Regulations
for a domestic product, where the name and address shown on the label are not that of the
actual establishment in which the product was packed; |
| g. |
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN on imported product preceded by the words "Product of...";
the words "Product of Canada" when packed for export from Canada; |
| h. |
OTHER OBLIGATORY INFORMATION as stipulated in the various sets of regulations may be
required depending on the nature of the food or the types of claims being made, ex.
nutritional claims; |
| i. |
BILINGUALISM - all mandatory information, except that referred to in section e above,
must appear in English and French; |
| j. |
MINIMUM HEIGHT OF CHARACTERS must be respected; |
| k. |
A PERCENTAGE DECLARATION OF MOISTURE AND MILK FAT in the case of all cheese, whey
cheese and cheese curd; |
| l. |
A PERCENTAGE DECLARATION OF MILK FAT in the case of cottage cheese, creamed cottage
cheese, sterilized cream, evaporated partly-skimmed milk or concentrated partly-skimmed
milk, partly-skimmed milk powder, dairy spread and calorie-reduced butter; |
| m. |
A BATCH NUMBER, code number or lot number identifying a unit of production; |
| n. |
SOURCE OF MILK, if not cow milk; |
| o. |
The DURABLE LIFE DATE AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPER STORAGE of the dairy product; |
| p. |
The universal product code (UPC) is not obligatory; contact GS1
Canada (formerly the Electronic
Commerce Council of Canada); |
| q. |
The label of certain prepackaged cheeses must identify the RELATIVE FIRMNESS and the
principal RIPENING CHARACTERISTIC; see the marking section of the Dairy Products
Regulations for details. |
If packed in bulk, the label of dairy products for which standards are established must
bear the following information: the common name; the registration number; churn/vat/lot
number and date of production where applicable; declaration of net contents in Canadian
units, metric units, or both; in the case of cheese, an indication that it was made from
pasteurized milk; the identity and principal place of business of the person by or for
whom the dairy product was manufactured or produced for resale; list of ingredients as set
out by the Food and Drug Regulations; the durable life and instructions for
storage; "Product of" for imported product; and "Product of Canada"
when packed for export from Canada. Markings must be in either English or French. Further
requirements exist for cheddar cheese packed in bulk; please consult the marking sections
of the Dairy Products Regulations.
Label Review
Label review for dairy products is not obligatory; however, it is the
manufacturer/importer's responsibility to comply with all labelling requirements (see
above section). For labelling assistance (also involving claims) on all dairy products
including those that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Dairy Products
Regulations, contact your regional Canadian Food Inspection Agency office; private
consultants are also available to assist. See export requirements
for an exception to labelling requirements for exported product.
Registered Establishments
Dairy product marked with a grade name, or dairy product shipped interprovincially or exported, or dairy product
shipped intraprovincially to another registered plant must be prepared in an establishment
registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. You may contact the nearest regional
Canadian Food Inspection Agency offices for further information on registration
requirements.
Inspection of Dairy Products
Export Inspection: A dairy product may not be exported unless it has
been made available for inspection for a period of at least 14 days immediately preceding
the date of exportation; please contact your regional dairy products officer of The
Canadian Food Inspection Agency for further information. The product may however be
exported without inspection if the inspector is provided with a signed statement from the
shipper indicating the dairy product meets the requirements of the importing country, and
the statement is included in the export documentation.
Import and Interprovincial Inspection: Inspection is not obligatory
for dairy products involved in an import or interprovincial shipment.
Monitoring Inspections: At any time, the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency may randomly inspect any food product to ensure that minimum requirements
(composition, labelling, standard containers, & health standards) are met.
Non-compliant product will be detained until it meets regulatory requirements, or, if
imported, it may be ordered out of the country or destroyed.
Products Regulated by the Dairy Products Regulations
Dairy Products for which grades are established: Cheddar cheese, butter
and butter products, and dry milk products.
Standardized Dairy Products: Cottage cheese, creamed cottage cheese, whey
cheese or (naming the variety) whey cheese, cream cheese, cream cheese with (naming the
added ingredients), cream cheese spread, cream cheese spread with (naming the added
ingredients), processed (naming the variety) cheese, processed (naming the variety) cheese
with (naming the added ingredients), processed cheese food, processed cheese food with
(naming the added ingredients), processed cheese spread, processed cheese spread with
(naming the added ingredients), cold-pack (naming the variety) cheese, cold-pack (naming
the variety) cheese with (naming the added ingredients), cold-pack cheese food, cold-pack
cheese food with (naming the added ingredients), butter with flavour or seasoning, butter
with (naming the fruit, vegetable, or relish), butter oil (clarified butter), anhydrous
butter oil, mix for frozen dairy products, frozen dairy product, sherbet, milk shake mix,
evaporated milk or concentrated milk, condensed milk or sweetened concentrated milk,
evaporated skim milk or concentrated skim milk, evaporated partly skimmed milk or
concentrated partly skimmed milk, malted milk powder, (naming the flavour) malted milk
powder, sterilized milk, sterilized cream. |
