Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) introduced and has published a new guidance document entitled What to consider when selecting a lot code to meet traceability requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations and available on CFIA’s Traceability for food web page. The document provides food businesses with information on choosing an appropriate lot code to meet the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations traceability-specific labelling requirements.
Traceability is the ability to track the movement of a food or a food commodity, one step back and one step forward. Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), traceability requirements apply to most food businesses that:
- import food
- export food
- distribute or send food products across provincial or territorial borders
- manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, store, package or label food to be exported or sent across provincial or territorial boundaries
- grow and harvest fresh fruits or vegetables to be exported or sent across provincial or territorial boundaries
- slaughter food animals from which meat products are derived, where the meat product is exported or sent across provincial or territorial boundaries
- store and handle edible meat products in their imported condition for inspection by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
- sell food to consumers at retail, which would need to be traced one step back but not forward to the consumer
The traceability requirements do not apply to restaurants and other similar enterprises.
Definition of a Label: As defined in the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA), a label includes a legend, word or mark that is or is to be applied or attached to or included in, or that accompanies or is to accompany, a food commodity or a package [SFCA, Section 2].
Definition of Lot code: The SFCR glossary defines lot code as a code that can be used to identify a lot that was manufactured, prepared, produced, stored, graded, packaged or labelled, under the same conditions. A lot code can be numeric, alphabetic or alphanumeric.
Please check the traceability interactive tool to help you decide if and how the traceability requirements apply to your food business.
to learn more, here is additional information on traceability.
- Video: Traceability requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations
- Traceability interactive tool
- Regulatory requirements: Traceability
- Questions and Answers: Traceability
- Fact sheet: fresh fruits and vegetables businesses
- Fact sheet: Traceability
If you have any questions on the traceability requirements, please contact your local CFIA office.