Import & Logistics
Canadian labels on imported food: what must appear, and in which language
A food label sold in Canada has to carry its mandatory information — the common name, net quantity and the rest — in both English and French, under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (sections 205–207) and the Food and Drug Regulations (B.01.012) (CFIA — bilingual food labelling). A narrow exemption exists for specialty foods of religious significance not widely consumed in Canada, and for local or test-market products — but it rarely covers general Levantine imports, so treat bilingual labelling as the rule, not the exception.
This guide sets out what must appear, who that exemption actually protects, and the one allergen rule that catches imported Levantine goods more than any other: sesame.
What has to be on the label, in English and French
The bilingual requirement covers the label's core mandatory information — common name and net quantity are the two that trip up first-time importers, since origin-country packaging almost never carries both languages (CFIA — bilingual food labelling). In practice this usually means a supplementary Canadian label — a sticker or an added panel — applied before the product reaches a retail shelf or a restaurant's storage room, layered onto whatever the producer prints at origin.
This sits alongside, not instead of, the general food-safety framework: importing the product in the first place requires an SFC licence under CFIA's importing food rules; see the fuller picture in importing Middle Eastern food into Canada.
The specialty-food exemption — and why it rarely applies
An exemption from bilingual labelling exists for "specialty foods": products of religious significance that are not widely consumed in Canada, plus foods sold only locally or as part of a genuine test market (CFIA — bilingual food labelling). It's a real exemption, but a narrow one — built for foods with no everyday Canadian substitute, not for a Levantine pantry staple that sells across the country through ordinary retail channels.
The practical takeaway for a GTA buyer: assume any regularly stocked, nationally distributed product — spices, olive oil, halawa, soap, sweets — needs the full bilingual label, and treat a specialty-food claim as something to confirm with the CFIA rather than assume.
Sesame and the allergens that follow their own rule
Sesame is one of Canada's priority food allergens (Health Canada — sesame, a priority food allergen), and Canadian allergen rules apply to an imported product regardless of what its origin-country label does or doesn't say. That matters directly across a Levantine pantry: tahini, halawa, sesame-topped breadsticks and sesame-bearing spice blends all carry it, and the Canadian label has to reflect it correctly — see CFIA's guidance on food allergen labelling for the general framework.
Allergen declarations don't move with translation the way a product name does; they follow Canadian labelling rules on their own terms, which is one more reason a bilingual sticker applied without proper review can still leave a label non-compliant.
A quick receiving checklist for buyers
Getting the label right is the importer's job, but a buyer who knows what to glance for catches problems before they reach a customer. On receipt of a shelf-stable Levantine case, it's worth a quick look for four things:
- Both languages present. The common name and net quantity should appear in English and French, not just one.
- Allergens declared clearly. Sesame and any other priority allergens should be identifiable in the ingredient list or a "Contains" statement, not buried only in a foreign-language ingredient panel.
- Net quantity matches the case documentation. A mismatch between the label and what you ordered is worth raising immediately, not assuming away.
- A dealer name is identifiable. Somewhere on the package, a business should be identifiable as standing behind the product — that's normally the importer, though the exact form varies by product.
What this means if you're buying, not importing
If you buy through a licensed Canadian importer — Levant Direct among them — getting the label right is the importer's responsibility, not yours; it's part of what the licence and the compliance framework are for. What's worth doing as a buyer is exactly the quick visual check above on receipt, rather than assuming it was handled somewhere upstream. How inquiry ordering works covers how order and delivery documentation reaches you in the first place.
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Labelling requirements can turn on the specific product and claim involved — confirm your situation with the CFIA.
Related questions
Does every imported food need an English and French label in Canada?
In almost every practical case, yes. The bilingual requirement covers core mandatory label information, and the specialty-food exemption is narrow enough that most Levantine pantry goods sold generally in Canada don't qualify for it.
What is the specialty-food labelling exemption?
A narrow exemption for foods of religious significance that aren't widely consumed in Canada, plus foods sold only locally or as part of a genuine test market. It is not a general exemption for imported or ethnic foods.
Is sesame required to be declared on a Canadian food label?
Yes — sesame is one of Canada's priority food allergens, and that applies to imported products the same as domestic ones, regardless of what the origin-country packaging shows.
Who is responsible for getting an imported food's Canadian label right?
In practice, the importer of record — the party that holds the Safe Food for Canadians licence for that shipment. Buyers purchasing from a licensed importer or distributor are relying on that party's compliance work, not doing it themselves.