Marketing, advertising and sales regulations
Attracting new customers to your business is essential, but you need to follow a few rules. This document provides an overview of the key regulations, permits and licences related to marketing, advertising and sales.
On this page:
Advertising and promotion
When advertising the benefits of your product, you must be truthful. You may not make claims or use promotional techniques that are false or misleading.
- Misleading advertising and labelling
Learn more about advertising and labelling practices that are considered to be misleading so that you can avoid using them.
- Food advertising requirements
If you advertise food products, you need to be aware of requirements related to advertising, such as labelling and the use of endorsements.
- Information for restaurateurs and food service operators
If you own or operate a restaurant, you need to ensure that any claim you make about the food you are selling is accurate. Find out more.
- Overview of health product advertising
You may only advertise drug and health products that have been approved for sale in Canada and your advertisement must be approved before it is made public. Find out more.
- Promotional contests
If you are running a contest for promotional purposes, find out what information you must provide to potential participants.
- Promotional contests (Quebec) in French only
Find out about the regulations and procedures for holding a promotional contest for profit where the total value of the prizes to be awarded exceeds $100.
- Mass marketing fraud
Whether you are marketing your products by phone, mail, or online, you need to ensure that your message is not misleading, deceptive or untruthful.
- Fight spam: How to protect your business or organization
To safeguard your business against spam and other electronic threats, use these tips to protect your computer, your networks and your email.
Sales and customer service regulations
Good customer service is important to the success of every business. To ensure that all customers are treated fairly, your business may need to comply with certain regulations or standards related to sales and customer service.
- Making Ontario Accessible
Find out what you need to do to make your business or workplace accessible for people with disabilities.
- Accuracy: It's your responsibility
Find out how to ensure that the equipment you use to weigh and measure your products is working correctly, according to regulations.
Banned and restricted products
There are some products that you cannot sell in Canada. In addition, there are other products that have specific:
- Restrictions with regards to banned or dangerous ingredients
- Mandatory safety requirements
- Voluntary standards
- Required licences or product approvals
If you are manufacturing, importing or selling these products, you must be aware of the related regulations, standards and guidelines.
- Selling tobacco — Tobacco (access) regulation
You must follow regulations regarding to whom you can sell tobacco and where signs can be posted. Some additional provincial/territorial requirements may also apply.
- Smoke-Free Ontario: How the Act Affects You — Retailers
Learn about your legal responsibilities as a tobacco retailer.
- Good manufacturing practices for cosmetic products
If you are manufacturing or importing cosmetics products, you must inform the government of the ingredients used and ensure they meet certain safety standards.
- Natural health products — Product licensing
You need a product licence before you can market or sell natural health products in Canada.
- Drug products — Compliance and enforcement
If you manufacture, import or sell drug products, you must comply with a variety of regulatory requirements and must obtain licences.
- Medical devices — Compliance and enforcement
If you manufacture, import or sell medical devices, you must comply with a variety of regulatory requirements and must obtain licences.
- New substance notification process
If you plan to introduce new substances (chemicals, polymers and animate products of biotechnology) into the Canadian market, you must notify Environment Canada.
- Radiation emitting devices
You must ensure that the radiation-emitting devices (such as X-rays, and tanning equipment) you use comply with certain safety requirements.
- Getting electrical products approved
If you manufacture, import or sell electrical equipment in Ontario, you need to make sure that it meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
Product labelling
The label you put on your product is an important way of communicating the value of your product to potential customers. You can use the label to sell the benefits of your product to your customers, but you must follow a few rules about labelling when you do so. The rules are more restrictive for some types of products than others, and you should research the labelling requirements for your product carefully before finalizing your label.
- Consumer product packaging and labelling worksheet
Learn about the requirements that apply to the packaging and labelling of most consumer products in Canada with worksheets for different types of products to help you design your label.
- Fair Trade certification and labelling
You can get a licence to use the “Fair Trade” label on products you sell, if you import them from suppliers who have earned a Fair Trade certification.
- Food labelling and safety regulations
Find out everything you need to know when producing, handling, selling and importing food in Canada.
- Guide to developing accurate nutrient values
Do you produce or manufacture food? If so, learn how to provide accurate nutritional value information for your products.
- Nutritional labelling fact sheet
If you are a food processor, get information on the database and laboratory nutritional analysis processes.
- Efficiency and labelling of energy-efficient products
If you are a dealer of energy efficient products, you must ensure your products meet efficiency and labelling standards.
- Guide to the Textile Labelling and Advertising Regulations
Learn about the requirements for labels on textile products that are sold in Canada.
- CA identification number for textiles
If you manufacture, process or finish textile fibre products, you can register for a CA Number to use in place of your name and address on articles for consumers.
- Mandatory ingredient labelling for cosmetics
Get information on the labelling requirements for cosmetics, including the full regulations and a fact sheet for the cosmetics industry.
- Misleading advertising and labelling
Learn more about advertising and labelling practices that are considered to be misleading so that you can avoid using them.
- Made in Canada Labelling
Find out what it takes for your product to be labelled as "Made in Canada".
Anti-competitive and fraudulent practices
You must be careful not to engage in business practices that could unfairly reduce competition in your industry.
- Preventing abuse of market power
Learn about business practices that are not allowed under the Competition Act.
- Multi-level marketing and pyramid selling
Learn the difference between legal multi-level marketing and pyramid selling schemes. If it sounds too good to be true, it may be illegal.
- The Fair Trading Act
Find out if you need to license your business in accordance with Alberta's Fair Trading Act.
Weighing and measuring products
If you weigh or measure products that you sell, you need to ensure that you are using approved equipment and that your measuring devices are accurate.
- Accuracy: It's your responsibility
Find out how to ensure that the equipment you use to weigh and measure your products is working correctly, according to regulations.
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