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Postal Guide
- Canada Postal Guide
Last updated: 2006-09-18
Section E – Chapter 11
Food Mail Program
Table of Contents
What is it? to top of page
The Food Mail Program is a service offered by Canada Post and funded by the Federal government. The Food Mail Program is a commitment by the Federal government to subsidize the transportation costs incurred when shipping nutritious food and other essential items to isolated communities within Canada.
The Food Mail Program is essentially an airport to airport freight service. Shippers are required to have an Food Mail Program Agreement with Canada Post to be eligible to ship under the Food Mail Program.
A list of communities served by this Program is included in this chapter.
Food Mail Program can be:
- nutritious perishable food
- non-perishable food
- other essential goods.
For more information concerning the Food Mail Program, contact a Canada Post Sales Representative.
Further information concerning the Food Mail Program is available at: www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ps/nap/air/index_e.html
Unacceptable Items to top of page
Canada Post reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to inspect the contents of any parcel to ensure eligibility, and to refuse any parcel for transmission under the Food Mail Program, for any reason and without justification.
Shipments or portions thereof identified as ineligible will be refused at Staging and Food Entry Points.
Size and Weight to top of page
| CATEGORY |
LENGTH |
WIDTH |
HEIGHT |
WEIGHT |
| Food Mail Program |
max. |
No dimension may exceed 2 m Length + Girth must not exceed 3 m |
30 kg |
| min. |
100 mm |
70 mm |
1 mm |
– |
NOTE:
- Oversize charges are applicable if any single dimension exceeds 1 m.
- Volumetric weight does not apply to items shipped under the Food Mail Program.
Payment Options to top of page
The following methods of payment are acceptable for items shipped under the Food Mail Program. Some restrictions and conditions may apply.
- Account
- Cash
- Business cheque/Certified cheque
- Credit card (where available)
- Debit card (where available)
- Money Order
For more information on payment options, Go to Section B – Chapter 5, Paying for a Mailing.
Service Standards to top of page
Due to the nature of the contents shipped under the Food Mail Program, delivery will be made within 72 hours for non-perishable foods and non-foods. Nutritious perishable foods are generally delivered within 48 hours. These service standards are not guaranteed. Service standards are estimates of how long it will take for the mail to be delivered.
Eligible and Ineligible Products to top of page
The following charts do not represent a complete list of products, but are provided to determine whether the product is eligible under the Food Mail Program and if so, to find the appropriate rate code. Go to Canada Post Prices.
Eligible Products – Nutritious Perishable Food
| ELIGIBLE PRODUCTS – NUTRITIOUS PERISHABLE FOOD |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Bread and bread products without sweetened filling or coating (fresh or frozen) |
Bread, bread dough, raisin bread, garlic bread, bread rolls, croissants, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, English muffins, bagels, pizza crusts, tortillas, wraps |
| Dairy products (excluding canned milk] |
Fresh milk, UHT milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk, cream, powdered milk, butter, cheese, processed cheese, processed cheese spreads, cottage cheese, yogurt, yogurt drinks, ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, sherbet |
| Fruits and vegetables |
Fresh and frozen |
| Infant Foods |
Baby formula, infant cereals, infant prepared foods |
| Juice (excluding canned) |
Unsweetened fresh juice (pure or reconstituted), frozen juice concentrate, juice in Tetra Packs and similar containers |
| Meat, poultry and fish products |
Fresh (cryovac or vacuum packed) and frozen (including cured and smoked products, fish sticks and fish cakes) |
| Meat and milk substitutes |
Tofu, vegetable patties, similar vegetable-based meat substitutes, soybean-based milk substitutes |
| Selected semi-perishable foods |
Unsweetened seeds and nuts, cook-type cereal, whole wheat, multi-grain and rye flour, yeast, peanut butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise |
| Combinations of the above products (excluding sandwiches and other prepared foods for immediate consumption which are subject to the Goods and Services Tax) |
Pizza, frozen dinners |
| Medicine |
Prescription and non-prescription drugs |
| Eggs and egg substitutes |
|
| Margarine |
|
| Water (excluding carbonated and flavoured) |
|
Eligible Products – Non-Perishable Food
| ELIGIBLE PRODUCTS – NON-PERISHABLE FOOD |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Baking supplies |
All-purpose flour, cake and pastry flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cake mixes, muffin mixes, bannock mixes, bread and roll mixes, pizza mixes |
| Beverages |
Coffee, tea, fruit drink crystals with vitamin C added |
| Canned food |
Milk, juice, fruit, vegetables, soup, meat, fish, poultry, stew, puddings (canned or ready to eat), pie filling |
| Cereal, grain and pasta products |
Breakfast cereals (ready to eat), instant breakfast, crackers, crispbread, rice cakes, hard bread, Pilot biscuits, melba toast, arrowroot and social tea cookies, macaroni, spaghetti, noodles, macaroni and cheese dinners, rice and other grains, fresh or frozen prepared foods containing pasta or rice |
| Condiments, sauces, spreads, syrups and toppings (excluding artificial cream products) |
Ketchup, vinegar, relish, pickles, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, jam, honey, corn syrup |
| Fats and oils |
Lard, shortening, cooking oils |
| Other non-perishable foods |
Dried beans, peas and lentils, popping corn (unpopped), dried fruit and vegetables, spices, flavourings and extracts, dried soup mixes, cornstarch, pancake mixes, pudding mixes, jelly powders, frozen soups, stews, chili |
Eligible Products – Non-Food Items
| ELIGIBLE PRODUCTS – NON-FOOD ITEMS |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Replacement or service parts for identified vehicles |
All-terrain vehicle parts, outboard motor parts, snowmobile parts |
| Camping equipment (used for hunting, fishing and trapping activities even if intended for recreational use) |
Snowshoes, binoculars |
| Personal hygiene products |
Disposable diapers and undergarments, feminine hygiene products, nursing pads, toilet paper, disposable liners for baby bottles |
| All non-food items not specifically identified in the Ineligible Products – Non-Food Items list |
|
Priority Perishable Food
| PRIORITY PERISHABLE FOOD |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Milk products |
Fresh milk (excluding chocolate milk), UHT milk, buttermilk, cheese, processed cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, yogurt drinks and powdered milk |
| Fruits and vegetables |
Fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables (excluding french fries and similar potato products), fresh fruit and frozen fruit |
| Frozen juice concentrate |
|
| Eggs |
|
Ineligible Products – Nutritious Perishable Food
| INELIGIBLE PRODUCTS – NUTRITIOUS PERISHABLE FOOD |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Prepared foods for immediate consumption subject to the Goods and Services Tax |
Sandwiches, prepared salads, hamburgers, hot dogs |
| Fresh or frozen products consisting of meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, or eggs which are breaded or battered or in pastry (excluding fish sticks, fish cakes and reduced-fat products, of the type described above, which have been specifically approved as eligible by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) |
Fried chicken, sausage rolls, fish in batter, breaded onion rings, meat pies, quiche |
| Combinations containing any of the products described above |
Frozen dinners containing breaded chicken, fish and chips, fried chicken and chips |
Ineligible Products – Non-Perishable Food
| INELIGIBLE PRODUCTS – NON-PERISHABLE FOOD |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) |
Beer, wine and spirits (or kits intended for the production of alcoholic beverages), soft drinks, carbonated and flavoured mineral water, fruit-flavoured drinks, fruit drink crystals without vitamin C added, iced tea, iced tea mixes, cordials, cocktail mixes and hot chocolate mixes to be added to water. |
| Frozen flavoured ice or treats |
Popsicles |
| Frozen pastry products |
Pie shells |
| Imitation cream products |
Non-dairy coffee whiteners and whipped dessert toppings |
| Meal replacement for weight reduction |
|
| Sweetened baked goods (excluding arrowroot and social tea cookies) |
Cakes, ready-to-bake muffins (fresh or frozen), rice krispie squares, pies, pastries, tarts, cookies, doughnuts, brownies, croissants with sweetened fillings or coatings, waffles and similar products |
| Sweets and snack foods |
Candies, confectionery, chewing gum, chocolate bars, granola bars, fruits, seeds and nuts when coated or treated with candy, chocolate, honey, molasses, sugar, syrup or artificial sweeteners, fruit bars, rolls or similar fruit-based snack foods, potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, popped corn products, cheese puffs and similar products, snack mixtures (e.g. “nuts ’n bolts”) |
Ineligible Products – Non-Food Items*
| INELIGIBLE PRODUCTS – NON-FOOD ITEMS |
| CATEGORY |
PRODUCTS |
| Dangerous goods and other prohibited mail |
Tobacco |
| Recreation equipment and supplies |
Sporting and athletic goods, fitness equipment, bicycles, tricycles, toys, games, puzzles, models, hobby supplies, playground equipment, photographic equipment and supplies, musical equipment, computer equipment (hardware and software), kits intended for the production of alcoholic beverages |
| Entertainment equipment and supplies |
Radios, audio and video components or combinations, audio and video tapes (blank or pre-recorded), televisions and other electronic equipment, compact discs and records |
| Reading material |
Newspapers, magazines, books |
| Paper products (excluding: disposable diapers, disposable undergarments, feminine hygiene products, nursing pads, toilet paper) |
Facial tissues, paper napkins, paper towels, moist wipes, waxed paper, shelf paper, coffee filters, paper cups, paper cups for cup cakes, stationery, file folders, blank cheques, business forms, newsprint, greeting cards, wrapping paper, wall paper, empty packaging materials made from paper or cardboard |
| Animal food and other animal supplies |
Dog food, cat food, fish food, bird seed, animal crates, bird cages, cat litter, toys for animals, leashes, harnesses, muzzles, collars, pet shampoos, aquariums, veterinary supplies |
*All non-food items not specifically identified in this list are eligible.
Addressing to top of page
Addresses must be legible, complete and include the correct postal code. Go to Section B – Chapter 3, Addressing.
Mail Preparation and Presortation to top of page
There are no mail preparation and presortation requirements for the Food Mail Program. However, preparation and containerization requirements will be specified from time to time by Canada Post.
Deposit of Items under the Food Mail Program to top of page
Items must be deposited at the air carrier facility or at a designated postal facility in a location identified as a designated Entry Point. See Entry Points and Destinations below.
Tendering of food items
All food shipments tendered under the Food Mail Program must be by Product type (e.g., Perishable Food, Non-perishable, Non-Food) for each Food Mail destination upon deposit at the designated Entry Points for any particular destination.
Customers are required to notify Canada Post at each Food Entry Point at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of all proposed tendering of food shipments. Customers must also notify Canada Post at least 14 days prior to significantly large shipments, such as the stocking of a new store or the re-supply of merchandise lost due to fire, floods or other causes providing the:
- total weight/total pieces;
- weight/pieces by destination Food Mail Program Office; and
- product type by destination office.
This will prevent unnecessary delays and/or refusals.
Items tendered in violation of the program may result in a short-term suspension of shipping privileges, or indefinite removal of access to the Food Mail Program.
Delivery of Items under the Food Mail Program to top of page
Canada Post provides air transportation from designated Entry Points to those communities served by this program. From that point on, it is the responsibility of the sender and/or the consignee to arrange for the delivery of the item to the addressee. See Entry Points and Destinations below.
Entry Points and Destinations to top of page
Click to view table
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E – Other Products and Services |
E.1 – Change of Address Service (Redirection) |
E.2 – Library Books |
E.3 – Key Service™ |
E.4 – Hold Mail |
E.5 – Philatelic Products |
E.6 – Postal Boxes/Containers/ Bag Service/General Delivery |
E.7 – Money Orders |
E.8 – Undeliverable Mail |
E.9 – Literature for the Blind |
E.10 – Air Stage Offices |
E.11 – Air Stage Freight (Funded) |
E.12 – Canadian Forces Mail |
Index |
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