G/TBT/N/CAN/506/Rev.1  
 
26 June 2019  
(19-4290) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English/French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
Revision  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Canadian Food Inspection Agency  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point  
Global Affairs Canada  
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division  
111 Sussex Drive  
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2  
Canada  
Telephone: (343)203 -4273 
Fax: (613)943 -0346 
Email: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca    
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other  [  ]:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading.  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Food 
intended for human consumption (ICS: 67.020; 55.200)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Food Labelling 
Modernization (67 pages, available in English and French).  
6. Description of content : The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is launching a public 
consultation on proposed regulations on the labelling of pre -packaged food destined for 
sale in Canada. Known as "Food Labelling Modernization", the regulatory proposal is aimed 
at developing a mo re modern food labelling system to better protect consumers from 
deception and improve the consumers' ability to make informed purchasing 
decisions.   Briefly, the Food Labelling Modernization regulatory proposal would:  
1) Enhance the food label to better p rotect and inform consumers with clear and accurate 
information to make purchasing decisions, including:  
• What the food contains (e.g., amendments to provide percentage of ingredient 
declaration for characterizing ingredients that are emphasized [i.e. emphasized 
ingredients]),  
• How long the quality of the food will last (i.e., best before date).  
2) Streaml ine the regulatory framework by harmonizing food commodity labelling based 
regulations to create consistency across foods, by removing duplication and G/TBT/N/CAN/506/Rev.1  
 
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  inconsistencies, and by repealing certain commodity specific labelling requirements. This 
is consistent w ith the approach that was taken with the Safe Food for Canadians 
Regulations .  
3) Introduce a more adaptable and responsive framework through the use of incorporation 
by reference where appropriate (e.g., container sizes, class names). This would support 
innovation.  
This consultation has been notified under the TBT Agreement (G/TBT/N/CAN/506/Rev.1) 
and SPS Agreement (G/SPS/N/CAN/1084/Rev.1).  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The Canadian regulatory framew ork and system for food labelling is working 
well. At the same time, this system must adapt to change and improve. It must also 
evolve along with the systems of other countries and align with advances in international 
standards. Consumers increasingly seek  more information about the food they buy and 
food companies introduce new products and marketing as consumer demands and 
technology change. The proposed regulations aim to balance these interests to ensure 
continued market fairness, consumer protection, c ompetitiveness and innovation, and 
food safety.  The proposed regulations would help to fulfil the Government of Canada's 
commitment to modernize the food regulatory framework. Consumers would benefit from 
improved overall label legibility and more informat ion about a food product would appear 
on its label. Industry would benefit from reduced compliance costs in some areas, and the 
removal of prescriptive requirements that may hinder innovation. Indeed the initiative to 
make these amendments form part of the  federal government's Fall Economic Statement 
(2018) and its interest to make it easier for businesses to grow by modernizing federal 
regulations.   
8. Relevant documents:   
• Canada Gazette , Part I, 22 June 2019, pages 2970 -3037 (available in English 
and French).  
9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined. Final regulations are anticipated in June 
2020 
Proposed date of entry into force: The proposed regulations would come into effect 
upon final publication, anticipated in spring 2020; however there is  a transitional period 
to allow regulated parties time to comply. This is described by the following three 
phases:  
Phase 1: Requirements that do not significantly impact trade (e.g., class names, 
container sizes, test market food) - spring 2020  
Phase 2: Re quirements that change existing labelling (e.g., date marking, food company 
information) – late 2022  
Phase 3: Requirements that are more significant changes (e.g., legibility, declaration of 
percentage ingredient of emphasized ingredient) – late 2026  
10. Final date for comments:  4 September 2019; Online consultation closes on 4 
September 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone or fax 
numbers  and email and website address es, if available , of other body:   
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp -pr/p1/2019/2019 -06-22/html/reg1 -eng.html  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp -pr/p1/2019/2019 -06-22/html/reg1 -fra.html