Labelling and Packaging

• Read This First
• Labelling Regulations
• Packaging
• Foodland Ontario 

Read This First

Choosing the best packaging for your product is a technical and marketing challenge. You want packaging that will protect your product and keep it fresh. You want a packaging process that will fit with your processing plan. And you want packaging that sells.

High quality labelling, like packaging, requires research, planning and design. Its should help market your product within legal specifications.

For a good discussion of all the issues with labelling and packaging, read Chapter 7 of The Guide to Food Processing.

Labelling Regulations

Both federal and provincial regulations govern the labeling of your product.

The federal Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act governs the packaging, labelling, sale, importation and advertising of prepackaged and certain other products.

The provincial Farm Products Grades and Sales Act provides for the inspection, grading, labelling, packaging and marketing of designated farm products. It states that labeling must not make misleading claims of product origin, grade or weight. To do so is a ticketable offence.

OMAFRA’s Fruits and Vegetables Inspection Program page contains

• information on the Farm Products Grades and Sales Act
• a summary of the regulations that apply to the grading, packing and marking of specific commodities
• a series of product-specific Grading and Packing Manuals
• labelling charts outlining mandatory and optional Origin and Grade Marking Requirements.
• a list of the staff member to contact for information on specific commodities

Links to Canadian and American regulations are found at the Food Labelling Regulations page.

Guidance on nutrition labelling requirements under the Food and Drug Regulations are provided in the CFIA Nutrition Labelling Toolkit.

You must also be aware of nutritional labelling regulations, as set out in the federal Food and Drugs Act.

Packaging

The best source for information on package designers, suppliers, technology and expertise, standards and users is the Packaging Association of Canada.

Fee-for-service food and packaging research, development expertise and training can be found at the Guelph Food Technology Centre.

Foodland Ontario

Foodland Ontario is a consumer communication and promotion program for Ontario grown fruits and vegetables. The logo can be used at no charge to growers, packers and processors but you must obtain permission. In addition, Foodland Ontario will provide artwork for use on packaging and point-of-sale displays.