Interim policy on the import and sale of unenriched white flour for use in the manufacture of certain foods

Introduction

Health Canada is responsible for administering the food-related provisions of the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) as they relate to public health, safety and nutritional quality. This includes provisions requiring or permitting the addition of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to some foods for public health purposes. This is known as food fortification.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for enforcement of these provisions as well as administration and enforcement of the non-health and safety food-related provisions of the FDA and FDR. The CFIA is also responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR).

Background

White flour (also known as "flour", "enriched flour" or "enriched white flour") is a standardized food for which the standard is set out in section 12.1.1 of the Canadian Food Compositional Standards. The FDR prohibits the sale and importation of white flour in Canada unless it contains iron and B vitamins, specifically thiamine, riboflavin, niacin or niacinamide, and folic acid, at levels specified in section B.13.001 (1) of the FDR. The only exception to this mandatory fortification is for white flour that is used in or sold for the manufacture of gluten or starch [section B.13.002 of the FDR].

White flour fortification is a key part of Canada's fortification program. It helps prevent nutrient deficiencies, reduce the prevalence of neural tube defects, and maintain or improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. White flour fortification is used as a public health tool because white flour is widely used in foods consumed regularly by many people in Canada.

For foods exported from Canada, the Joint Interim Policy Statement on the Enforcement of Section 37 of the Food and Drugs Act reflects the Government's intent to prioritize the application of the SFCA and SFCR, including section 16 of the SFCR, due to misalignments in the food export provisions under the FDA and SFCA. Consistent with this approach, unenriched white flour and foods containing unenriched white flour may be exported where all applicable requirements of the SFCA and SFCR are met.

Stakeholder perspectives

Generally, stakeholders support the public health objectives of Canada's white flour fortification program. At the same time, some industry stakeholders have identified it as a regulatory burden, particularly in cases where white flour is used in minor amounts (for example, as a carrier for a food additive). They have suggested that an exemption for certain foods could alleviate strain on the supply chain and support product innovation without impacting the health and safety of people in Canada.

Addressing this stakeholder concern is aligned with Health Canada's commitment to reduce stakeholder-identified food regulatory burden as set out in Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada's report on red tape reduction, published in September 2025.

Scope

This interim policy applies to the import and sale of unenriched white flour directly to manufacturers or distributors for use in the manufacture of:

foods within the food categories listed in Table 1 that are intended for the domestic market; and
any foods intended for export.

It also addresses the labelling of foods containing unenriched white flour for sale in Canada.

This interim policy does not apply to the general retail sale of unenriched white flour to consumers.

This interim policy should be read in conjunction with the existing regulatory framework, policies and guidance related to white flour fortification and the manufacture of foods containing flour, which are enforced by the CFIA.

Interim policy

For the purposes of this interim policy, "unenriched white flour" refers to white flour that:

is not enriched with thiamine, riboflavin, niacin or niacinamide, folic acid, and iron; or
contains one or more of those nutrients at levels below those set out in section B.13.001(1) of the FDR.

Sale of unenriched white flour for use in the manufacture of foods intended for the domestic market

Based on Health Canada's analysis (see Appendix: Public health analysis supporting the interim policy approach for more details), the use of unenriched white flour in the manufacture of foods belonging to certain food categories, where it is present in minor amounts, would not negatively impact intakes of key nutrients. These food categories were identified based on the negligible contribution of flour to key nutrient intakes. It also would not undermine the public health objectives of Canada's flour fortification framework.

In light of this analysis, Health Canada recommends that the CFIA exercise enforcement discretion with respect to the import and sale of unenriched white flour directly to manufacturers or distributors for use in the manufacture of foods belonging to the food categories listed in Table 1, provided that the following conditions are met:

The flour is labelled "unenriched flour" or "unenriched white flour"
The flour is labelled with the statement "for manufacturing use only"
The manufacturer or distributor provides to the purchaser information indicating that the flour is intended for use only in the manufacture of foods in accordance with this policy
The manufacturer or distributor keeps sale and distribution records that support traceability

Table 1: Food categories for the manufacture of which unenriched white flour may be imported and sold under this interim policy


Food Category	Examples
Confectionery products, including products like candies, chocolates with or without wafers, but not including bakery products (e.g., cakes, donuts, brownies, cookies)	Chocolate bar or truffle with wafers, gummy candies, caramels
Ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, gelato, sherbet, and sorbet, and other similar frozen desserts, including non-dairy versions, in tubs or as bars, pops or sundaes, with or without mix-ins Does not include products in cones or sandwiches made with white flour.	Ice cream with cookie dough chunks
Meat, poultry or seafood ^{Footnote 1} patties, loaves, balls or sausages^{Footnote *}	Turkey meatballs, hamburger patties, fish cake, crab cake
Legume-based patties, loaves or balls^{Footnote *}	Falafel
Simulated meat and poultry products^{Footnote *}	Simulated wieners, simulated bacon bits
Processed meat, poultry and seafood products	Pâté, spreads, luncheon meats, kielbasa-type products, hot dogs
Sauces, gravies and marinades, including dehydrated and ready to eat	Cheese sauce, alfredo sauce, curry sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce, beef gravy, mushroom gravy
Fries, hash browns, home fries, roasted potatoes, fried potatoes and similar roasted or fried potato products, potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes^{Footnote *}	French fries, sweet potato fries, dehydrated scalloped potatoes mix
Flavoured grain mixtures	Chicken flavoured rice
Soups, including condensed, dehydrated and ready to eat, but not including soup with white flour-based noodles, cream or tomato soups^{Footnote 2}	Broth-based vegetable soup, legume-based soup
Salad and potato toppers, but not including croutons	Crispy fried onions, salad crunchies, salad crispins, bacon bits and their substitutes
Preparations or mixtures sold as an ingredient to be used in another food, where white flour is used as a carrier	Flavouring preparation, food additive preparation, spice mixture, vitamin premix
Footnote 1 For the purposes of this interim policy, 'seafood' has the same meaning as Marine and fresh water animals in the Food and Drug Regulations. Return to footnote 1 referrer Footnote 2 Refers to the common names for those foods. Return to footnote 2 referrer Footnote * Does not include breaded or battered products made with white flour. Return to footnote * referrer

Sale of unenriched white flour for use in the manufacture of foods intended for export

In addition, Health Canada recommends that the CFIA exercise enforcement discretion with respect to the import and sale in Canada of unenriched white flour directly to manufacturers or distributors for use in the manufacture of any foods intended for export, provided the conditions outlined above are met. The Department has determined that exercising enforcement discretion in these circumstances would facilitate international trade by providing flexibility for manufacturers to purchase unenriched white flour for use in the manufacture of foods intended for export. As the finished products are intended for export and would not enter the Canadian market, this approach is not expected to impact the intakes of nutrients that are otherwise added to white flour for people in Canada.

Sale of foods containing unenriched white flour

Foods sold in Canada that contain unenriched white flour must comply with all applicable labelling requirements of the FDA and FDR as well as the SFCA and SFCR. In particular, ingredient declarations must not be misleading. Unenriched white flour should be declared as "unenriched flour", "unenriched white flour", "flour" or "white flour" and not as "enriched flour" or "enriched white flour".

Given the general prohibition on the sale of unenriched white flour, white flour used in the manufacture of foods sold in Canada that do not belong to the food categories listed in Table 1 is expected to be enriched.

Implementation

This interim policy takes effect on the date it is published.

To support clarity, consistency, and long-term confidence in the fortification program, Health Canada plans to pursue amendments to the FDR as part of future modernization efforts.

Contact us

Bureau of Nutritional Sciences
Food and Nutrition Directorate
Health Products and Food Branch
Health Canada
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
Postal Locator 2203E
Tunney's Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
E-mail: bns-bsn@hc-sc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-948-8476

Appendix: Public health analysis supporting the interim policy approach

Health Canada conducted an analysis to assess the public health impacts of the use of unenriched white flour in the manufacturing of certain products.

Health Canada identified food categories where white flour is consistently used in minor amounts. To do this, Health Canada used a threshold of less than 5% of the Daily Value (DV) for folate from folic acid per reference amount. Folic acid was selected as an indicator because it is the synthetic form of folate added to flour and can therefore be distinguished from naturally occurring folate in food composition data. It is also present at the highest percentage of the DV compared to other mandatory nutrients added to white flour, such as iron. Amounts below this threshold for folic acid indicate that only a minor amount of white flour is present in the food, and that the added nutrients in the flour would be expected to contribute negligibly to overall nutrient intakes. In contrast, amounts above this threshold would qualify for a "source of folic acid" claim. The 5% DV threshold was used to help identify the categories in scope of the interim policy and is not intended to be applied as a separate eligibility criterion for individual products.

Health Canada then modelled the impact of this approach using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2015, a Canadian dietary intake survey.

The analysis indicated that the sale of unenriched white flour for the manufacture of foods in these categories would not meaningfully affect overall intake of fortified nutrients among people in Canada. Overall, the approach maintains public health protections while providing targeted flexibility where nutritional impact is negligible.

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2026-08-31