Food > Labelling > Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising > Decisions 

Decisions: Claims - 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)

"Local" Claim on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Question:The term “local” is presently used to describe fresh fruits and vegetables. Various meanings range from “provincially grown” to within the originating government unit and any adjacent government unit. To what extent or limitation may claims such as “local (naming the produce)”, “local produce”, and “locally grown” be applied?

Answer: “Local”, “locally Grown”, and any substantially similar term shall mean that the domestic goods being advertised originated within 50 km of the place where they are sold, measured directly, point to point, or meets the requirements of section B.01.012 of the Food and Drug Regulations, whichever condition is least restrictive.

B.01.012..........."local food" means a food that is manufactured, processed, produced or packaged in a local government unit and sold only in

Trademark "the Natural Baker"

Question: Can the claim “natural baker” be used on breads that contain preservatives or additives, e.g. breads that come from a premix and contain dextrose, lecithin, ascorbic acid and enzymes?

Answer:  No. The claim “natural baker” is considered to be a “natural” claim. A bread found to contain additives or preservatives would not meet the guidelines for natural. (28/May/1998)