Organic certification and labelling in Canada

On 22 December 2006 the Federal Government announced publication of the much anticipated Organic Product Regulations. These regulations, which are to be phased in over a two year period, require mandatory certification to the revised National Organic Standard. Contact details for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Federal Government authority responsible for regulating the organic sector, together with the new “Canada Organic” logo appear below.

The revised National Organic Standard, to be known as the Canadian Organic Production Systems Standard, comprises CAN/CGSB-32.310 Organic Production Systems General Principles and Management Standards and CAN/CGSB-32.311 Organic Production Systems - Permitted Substances List. Together, they describe the principles and management standards required of organic production systems as well as the list of substances permitted to be used in organic production. These are robust and comprehensive standards covering every aspect of organic production, from planning and production right through to labelling and packaging.

Consumer protection

The standards will protect consumers against false claims and will govern the use of the new Canada Organic logo. While use of the logo (which appears above) will be voluntary, all products bearing the logo will be required to comply with the new Organic Product Regulations. Use of the logo will indicate that the product to which it is affixed has been certified as meeting the Canadian standard.

Principles

The general principles of organic production outlined in the new standards are as follows:

Currently, compliance with the National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture is voluntary. While certification is voluntary, many producers choose to certify to ensure that the consumers they serve are aware of their organic status. Certified products must comply with the NSCOA and be independently certified as such by one of the certification bodies accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.

Labelling

As a consumer, it’s important to understand what each of the different labels appearing on organic products mean.

Organic

Any product that refers to the term “organic” or similar on its principal display (front or main) panel must have 95% or more of its ingredients, excluding water and salt, derived from certified sources of organic production that are in accordance with the Standard.

Contains X% organic ingredients

Any product that contains between 70% and 95% of its ingredients, excluding water and salt, from certified sources of organic production is permitted to refer on its principal display panel to the actual percentage quantity (by mass or fluid volume) of ingredients contained that have been derived from certified sources of organic production. For example, a product that indicates that it “contains 85% organic ingredients” has 85% of its ingredients of agricultural origin derived from organic production methods.

Less than 70% organic ingredients

Any product that contains less than 70% of its ingredients from certified sources of organic production is only permitted to list, on its ingredients panel, the particular organic ingredients it contains.