Product of Canada and Made in Canada Labelling

The Government of Canada's "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" guidelines came into effect on December 31, 2008, to help Canadian families identify Canadian foods on grocery store shelves.

"Product of Canada" claims can be made on food labels and advertisements if "all or virtually all" of the ingredients, processing and labour used to make the food product are Canadian.

A "Made in Canada" claim means that the manufacturing or processing of the food occurred in Canada. A claim can be made on food labels and advertisements if the last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada, regardless if the ingredients are domestic or imported.

However, when using the "Made in Canada" claim, companies must add a qualifying statement to inform consumers of the origin of the ingredients contained in the food. The qualifying statements that companies can use include "Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients" or "Made in Canada from imported ingredients".

The use of "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims on food labels and in advertising is voluntary. However, once a company chooses to make these claims, the guidelines should be met.

Information for Industry

• Consultation on the "Product of Canada" Guidelines
• Guidelines Defining "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" on food labels and advertising (Letter to Industry)
• Guidelines for "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" Claims

Information for Consumers

• Shopping for Canadian Food
• History of the Canadian Food Labelling Initiative