e-2981 (Consumer protection)

All food products, whether domestic or imported, must comply with Canada’s safety and labelling laws. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has taken measures to protect Canada’s food safety system and supply lines during the pandemic.

As Canada’s largest science-based agency, CFIA works with other governments, industry, science, academia and the global community to share accurate, science-based information about COVID-19.

There is currently no scientific evidence that food or food packaging is a likely source or route of transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Canadian federal regulations require most prepackaged foods to be labelled with specific information to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. This includes the name of the food, ingredients list, nutritional information, best-before dating, net quantity, and company name and address.

CFIA also permits companies to make voluntary claims about their food, including claims related to a food’s composition and quality. This allows companies to identify their products as suitable for a vegan or vegetarian diet by adding words or symbols to the label. While the decision to identify products in this way is voluntary, it is important to note that all labelling must be truthful and not misleading.

In addition, CFIA updated its guidance on vegetarian and vegan claims in the last year in recognition of the increased interest in plant-based foods and use of the term “vegan.” This update will help to better clarify for companies and consumers that vegan foods are made from only plant-based ingredients. This can facilitate clearer identification of foods that have only plant-based ingredients by consumers.

If you are interested in seeing more vegan/vegetarian declarations on food products, you are encouraged to contact companies directly, because it is their decision whether to include this information.

You can read CFIA guidance on vegetarian and vegan claims on the Agency’s website at www.inspection.gc.ca/food-label-requirements/labelling/industry/composition-and-quality-claims/eng/1391025998183/1391026062752?chap=2#s5c2.

You can find general information on food labelling in Canada on the Agency’s website at www.inspection.gc.ca/food/labelling/food-labelling-for-consumers/eng/1400426541985.