Food and nutrition legislation, guidelines and policies: Guidelines

COVID-19

Latest developments on food and nutrition related to COVID-19.

• Interim order respecting drugs, medical devices and foods for a special dietary purpose in relation to COVID-19 [2020-04-05]
• Foods for a special dietary purpose for exceptional importation and sale [2020-04-05]

Flavoured purified alcohol

• Guidance on the regulations respecting flavoured purified alcohol

Food additives

• A guide for preparing food processing aid submissions
• A guide for the preparation of submissions on food additives
• Food additive submission checklist
• Transition guide: Understanding and using the lists of permitted food additives

Food irradiation

• Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Food Irradiation
• Recommended Canadian Code Of Practice For Food Irradiation

Food labelling

• Front-of-package nutrition symbol labelling guide for industry: Version 2 [May 2023]
• Guidance on mandatory labelling for mechanically tenderized beef
• Preliminary guidance for industry on the labelling of caffeine content in prepackaged foods

Food packaging

• Guidelines for determining the acceptability and use of recycled plastics in food packaging applications
• Health Products and Food Branch packaging materials assessment process
• Information requirements for food packaging submissions
• Lists of acceptable polymers for use in food packaging applications
• Health Canada guidance concerning the packaging of fresh mushrooms

Food processing aids

• Processing Aids
• Policy for Differentiating Food Additives and Processing Aids
• Policy for Issuing an Interim Letter of No Objection (iLONO) for a Food Processing Aid [2015]
• A Guide for Preparing Food Processing Aid Submissions [2015]
• Enzymes use in Food Processing

Health claims

• Guidance document for preparing a submission for food health claims
  • Table of forms
• Guidance document for preparing a submission for food health claims using an existing systematic review
• Questions and answers about preparing submissions for food health claims
• Guidance document: The use of probiotic microorganisms in foods

Incidental additives

• Guidelines for incidental additive submissions

Infant foods and human milk fortifiers

• Guidance documents: Infant foods and human milk fortifiers

Microbiological safety of foods

• Guidance on mitigating the health risk associated with Clostridium botulinum in plant and mushroom products stored in oil
• Ready-to-eat smoked fish and multi-ingredient products containing smoked fish
• Health Canada's guidance document on unpasteurized fruit juice and cider
• Health Canada's voluntary guidance on improving the safety of soft and semi-soft cheese made from unpasteurized milk
• Health Canada's guidance document on E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:NM in raw beef
• Interim guidelines for the control of verotoxinogenic Escherichia coli including E. coli O157:H7 in ready-to-eat fermented sausages containing beef or a beef product as an ingredient
• Retail guidance document: Pathogen control (including Listeria monocytogenes) in ready-to-eat (RTE) refrigerated foods [2013]
• Health Canada guidance on reducing the risk of Salmonella enteritidis in shell eggs produced in Canada
• National strategy for the control of poultry-related human Salmonella enteritidis illness in Canada
• Botulism: Guide for healthcare professionals
• Guidance for industry: Sample collection and testing for sprouts and spent irrigation water
• Health Canada's guidance on safe cooking and handling labelling for raw ground meat and raw ground poultry
• Microbiological criteria for food

Novel fibre sources

• Policy for labelling and advertising of dietary fibre-containing food products
• List of dietary fibres reviewed and accepted by Health Canada's Food Directorate
• Guideline concerning the safety and physiological effects of novel fibre sources and food products containing them

Novel foods

• Guidance for submitting whole genome sequencing (WGS) data to support the pre-market assessment of novel foods, novel feeds and plants with novel traits
• Guidelines for the safety assessment of novel foods (June 2006)

National model regulations, codes and guidelines developed by the federal, provincial and territorial food committees

Health Canada has contributed to the development of several national model regulations, codes and guidelines for use by governments and industry through its participation on federal, provincial and territorial food committees. Since food safety is a shared responsibility among federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, the purpose of these documents is to promote harmonization of food safety approaches used across Canada.

• Canadian guidelines for food processing during adverse water events
• Management of the risks related to consumption of donairs and similar products (gyros, kebabs, chawarmas and shawarmas)
  • Consultation Report: Response to the draft recommendations for management of the risks related to the consumption of donairs and similar products (gyros, kebabs, chawarmas and shawarmas)
• Model guideline for food safety in food banks
• National guidelines for food safety training programs in the food retail and food service sectors
• Risk categorization model for food retail / food service establishments: Second edition

Pre-market submission process for food additives, infant formulas and novel foods

• Food and Nutrition Directorate's Pre-Market Submission Management Process for Food Additives, Infant Formulas and Novel Foods
• Pre-submission meeting guidance: Pre-market mandatory submissions for the Food Directorate
• How to complete the online application and transport form for premarket submissions to the Food Directorate
  • Application form for pre-market submissions to the Food Directorate
  • Transport form for submitting additional documents to Health Canada
  • Designated party authorization form

Precision regulating

• Guide to the precision regulating authorities under the Food and Drugs Act

Shortages

• Guide to the exceptional importation and sale of certain foods for a special dietary purpose (FSDP) in response to a shortage or risk of a shortage
  • List of Human Milk Fortifiers, Infant Formulas and Formulated Liquid Diets for Exceptional Importation and Sale in the Case of a Shortage or Risk of Shortage
  • List of Transition Strategy Products
  • Notification of importation form
  • Information Document (Standardized template)

Sodium

• Guidance for the food industry on reducing sodium in processed foods [July 2012]
• Voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed foods 2020-2025 [2020-12-18]

Supplemented foods

• Guidance document for Supplemented foods regulations [July 2022]
• Guidance Document: Pre-Market Submission Process for Supplemented Foods
• Supplemented Food Submission Checklist – Food Category
• Supplemented Food Submission Checklist - Supplemental Ingredient
• Information on the use of certain ingredients in foods including supplemented foods

Temporary marketing authorization (TMA) for foods

• General guidance document for temporary marketing authorization for foods
• Classification of products at the food-natural health product interface: products in food formats