{"id":4360,"date":"2018-11-29T11:53:01","date_gmt":"2018-11-29T16:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/?p=4360"},"modified":"2018-11-29T11:53:01","modified_gmt":"2018-11-29T16:53:01","slug":"a-comprehensive-guide-to-importing-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clearit.ca\/canadian-customs-broker-blog\/a-comprehensive-guide-to-importing-food\/","title":{"rendered":"A Comprehensive Guide to Importing Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of the trickiest items for importers to get across the Canadian border are food products \u2014 after all, they\u2019re ripe with opportunities to imperil human health!<\/span><\/p>\n

Improper packaging or supply chain delays can spoil items en route. Food advisories could fly under one\u2019s radar. Lax suppliers might even forget to address potential hazards before your shipment ever gets out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from the sheer number of food commodity categories with their own slightly differentiated set of rules and regulations to consider, it\u2019s important to think about all possible factors that could compromise your import before putting pen to paperwork.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve developed a clear understanding of the product you intend to import, as well as the source from which you plan to obtain it, here\u2019s what you\u2019ll need to proceed. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Get to Know the CFIA\u2019s Requirement Categories<\/span><\/h2>\n

Importers need to satisfactorily address <\/span>three specific sets of requirements<\/span><\/a> laid out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to ensure compliance with their standards. Each set comes with either its own accompanying documentation or steps that must be fulfilled by law:<\/span><\/p>\n

1.Food requirements<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

In this category, the goal is to ensure that the manufacturing, preparation, storage, packaging and labelling stages undergone by any foreign food items are completed without the risk for contamination, in accordance with the Safe Foods for Canadians Regulations (SFCR).<\/p>\n

Your responsibility here is twofold. First, you\u2019re required to collect information from your supplier to determine if their practices in the aforementioned five stages align with Canadian standards. Secondly, using the Government\u2019s <\/span>Industry Labelling Tool<\/span><\/a>, you\u2019re required to detect any false, misleading, or deceptive information your supplier is using, which would jeopardize their viability as an exporter to Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

2.Importer requirements<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the big one for importers \u2014 you\u2019ll need to be in possession of four specific items:<\/p>\n