Exporting food to Canada: SFCR licensing and preventive controls

Food imports into Canada are regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. The regime applies to most food businesses that trade across provincial or national borders, and it reaches foreign suppliers through their Canadian importers — meaning your compliance posture is effectively audited by your customer's regulator.

Three pillars matter most for exporters. First, licensing: the Canadian importer must hold a Safe Food for Canadians licence covering the food category they import. Second, preventive controls: your food safety plan should be HACCP-based, addressing biological, chemical, and physical hazards with documented monitoring and corrective action. Third, traceability: records must link each lot one step back and one step forward so affected product can be traced and recalled quickly.

Labelling is a frequent stumbling block. Consumer prepackaged food sold in Canada must generally be labelled in both English and French, with compliant common name, ingredient list, net quantity, and dealer identity. Nutrition labelling requirements apply to most prepackaged foods. Non-compliant labels are among the most common reasons shipments face border holds.

Preventive control documentation must reflect what actually happens on your production floor. CFIA and importers increasingly verify foreign suppliers through questionnaires, third-party audits (GFSI-recognized schemes such as BRCGS, FSSC 22000, or SQF are commonly requested), and document reviews. A certificate without credible supporting records does not survive that scrutiny.

Start by confirming which requirements apply to your specific food and process — SFCR applicability varies by commodity, processing level, and volume. From there, align your food safety plan, traceability records, and labels to what your Canadian importer must declare to the CFIA.