FAQ Importation to Canada

Is now the right time to import food to Canada?

Of course it is and here is an overview. According to The International Trade Administration - an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce - trade with Canada is facilitated by their geographic proximity to other countries with similar lifestyles, a diverse culture, language and the ease of travel for business and pleasure. Canada’s growing ethnic diversity coupled with a demand for exotic products and global cuisine provide for broad food marketing opportunities.

Which foods can be imported into Canada?

Canada’s State of Trade report from March 2020 divulged that overall Canadian goods imports had dropped by 8.4% when compared to a year prior in March 2019. While the news of the downturns may have hit importers like a bucket of cold water, Canada remains the world’s 6th largest food importer. While food imports continue to increase - especially for fresh fruits and vegetables - there are still a large number of opportunities for import of others types of food products, including:

• Meat products
• Fish and seafood
• Dairy products
• Shell eggs
• Processed egg products
• Processed fruits and vegetables
• Honey
• Maple products
• Baked goods
• Confectionery
• Non-alcoholic beverages
• Fermented beverages
• Nuts and seeds
• Dried herbs and spices
• Coffee/tea
• Grain-derived foods such as cereal
• Dog and cat food
  

These are the key importer requirements:

1. Have a license to import.

A license is required to import food (including food ingredients) into Canada. You are required to provide this import license number along with all other pertinent information about the shipment description. This import account is free of charge and can usually be obtained in a matter of minutes either online or with a simple call to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

2. Create, implement and maintain a PCP

As an importer, you will need to understand any risks associated with the food products you import and work with your foreign supplier to best control those risks. ​​For each type of food product you import, you will need to ensure that any hazards (biological, chemical and physical) that could reasonably be expected to contaminate the food product, have all been identified and described.

You may choose to use the expertise of a trade / professional association or a consultant to help you analyze potential biological, chemical and physical hazards and develop your PCP, if you and your team should lack the time or expertise to develop one on your own.

3. Develop procedures for recall and complaints

As an importer, it's your responsibility to ensure the food you are importing is safe.  Generally, a recall refers to the removal of a food product from further sale and/or use, or the correction of its label. Be prepared with designated persons in your business who would be involved in implementing a recall and assign related duties.

4. Ensure that the food you import has been prepared under similar conditions as food prepared in Canada

In other words, as an importer, you would need to be sure that your suppliers are using safe conditions to prepare, store and transport your product. For instance, they should be knowledgeable about controlling hazards such as pests in their food establishments, identification of any potential allergens in their food, employing qualified staff, among others.

You will need to be able to demonstrate that your foreign suppliers follow the same food safety standards required of Canadian food product manufacturers.

5. Keep traceability records 

Keeping clear records is also important when it comes to traceability, enabling the movement of a food product to be tracked one step forward and one step back in the supply chain. The importance of these records is to help ensure that your product is safe for consumers. 

- Which foods require a PCP for importing into Canada?
Preventive controls will go a long way toward protecting consumers from unsafe foods and reducing the chances of costly food recalls. A basic requirement for any business involved in the food chain, these controls are key elements of an effective PCP. Depending on your food product, a written PCP may not be required for your business if your annual income does not exceed 100 thousand dollars, however you must still ensure that a PCP and its related controls are in place

- How can I create a PCP for importing?
A PCP is a plan that details the review and analysis of the food product information, hazard assessment and foreign manufacturer’s food safety systems to determine the control measures and verification activities that must be followed to produce food products that meet the Safe Food for Canadian requirements. The following are the key elements required:

• Create a Hazard analysis
• Describe the control measures to be implemented in relation to any potential risk identified in your hazard analysis.
• Document and record evidence to demonstrate that your control measures are effective
• Determine the critical control points for each stage of your processes, describing which criteria must be met for the food to be considered safe, along with any associated corrective actions to be implemented.
• Verify that your PCP is working.
• Implement the PCP and keep it updated, ensuring that your team is well trained, following the plan as written and keeping all records for at least 2 years.

 If you want to ensure that your PCP is compliant with SFCR, we can help. Contact us today to learn more!

Links of interest: 

• https://inspection.canada.ca/ 
• https://www.trade.gov/knowledge-product/canada-agricultural-sector/  

Lucía Pruneda Alvarez, PhD in Basic Biomedical Sciences

“I collaborate with the Govenrment team at the HACCP department of the company, developing food safety plans such as HACCP and PCP plans under FDA, CFIA, or USDA/FSIS regulations.”