Food Processing Regulations: Hygiene and Safety
Ensuring Product Safety and Hygiene
Food safety is paramount in all food-related activities.
It is the responsibility of every player in the agri-food chain to ensure safe food preparation. A few simple precautions can prevent foodborne illnesses and protect consumer health.
Any food establishment that prepares food for sale must ensure that one or more employees are trained in food hygiene and safety.
This training is regulated and mandatory, applying to most food establishments (some exceptions exist).
What types of businesses are affected, and what are your obligations?
Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)
Training types:
- Food Establishment Manager (12 hours)
- Food Handler (6 hours)
- Food Safety Session (3.5 hours)
- Community/Charity Organizations (14 hours)
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Obtaining MAPAQ Certification: Food Handling
Two certifications are offered by MAPAQ:
- Food Handler
Target: Employees handling food (cooks, servers)
Content: Personal hygiene, safe handling, cross-contamination prevention, temperature control, cleaning/disinfection
Goal: Minimize contamination risk
Duration: Short (few hours)
- Establishment Manager
Target: Managers, supervisors, owners, head chefs
Content: Food safety management, risk control, staff training
Goal: Ensure proactive food safety management
Duration: Longer and more in-depth
Standardizing Recipes
Standardizing recipes in the agri-food sector is essential to ensure product consistency, regularity of each production, customer satisfaction, and compliance with regulatory standards. It also supports inventory management and production optimization and offers the ability to forecast raw material needs and manage losses.
Here’s what you need to get started:
- Identification of ingredients and suppliers (A simple tool such as an Excel file where you input information such as ingredients, lot numbers, product codes, and quantities)
- Definition of portions and measurement units for each product and recipe (Standardizing recipes by using an Excel file that automatically calculates ingredient quantities based on the number of desired portions; you can even include a 5% loss in this formula)
- Documentation of preparation methods (Attach to the recipe; you can include manufacturing processes, cooking and cooling times, as well as equipment used for production and storage—you can even identify your equipment)
- Supports nutritional and allergen evaluation (Allows allergen management and supports nutritional evaluation with the 5% of each product included in the recipe)
- Allows easier cost and margin calculation (Amounts can be easily entered to calculate production costs, the 5% loss, and include margins)
- Allows ingredient cost calculation and determines the total recipe cost
- Supports the implementation of quality control protocols (Can include preliminary checks, critical control points, and all quality controls for the product and production)
- Allows setting quality control criteria to ensure final product consistency
- Supports regular verification procedures (Enables traceability of products and lot numbers, also useful for inventory management)
Packaging and labeling of food
Nutritional labeling
The go-to reference for everything about nutrition labeling is the “Industry Labelling Tool”!
Nutrition labeling has been mandatory for all prepackaged foods since December 12, 2007. Health Canada establishes regulations and standards concerning the health, safety, and nutritional quality of foods sold. Nutrition labeling provides information about the nutritional value of foods through:
- the Nutrition Facts Table (NFT)
- an ingredient list
- the presence of allergens
- and nutritional claims.
The objective of these federal labeling requirements and regulations for all food labels in Canada is to ensure consumers receive reliable, trustworthy information and to help them make healthy, informed choices about the foods they buy and eat.
In 2016, the Food and Drug Regulations were updated to include improvements to the Nutrition Facts Table and the ingredient list. Since December 15, 2022, the majority of prepackaged foods sold must comply with these regulations.
Reference amount
The reference amount is a regulated quantity for a type of food that corresponds to one serving typically consumed by one person in one sitting. Nutritional information presented in the Nutrition Facts Table is based on this regulated quantity, called the “declared serving size.” This quantity must appear below the title of the Nutrition Facts Table and be expressed in familiar household measures, in grams or milliliters depending on the food type and its corresponding category.
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Daily Value (DV)
The daily value (DV) is the reference point on which the percent daily value (% DV) is based. Daily values are also used to determine the criteria for nutrient content claims for vitamins and minerals.
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Ingredient list
The ingredient list shows all ingredients contained in a packaged food. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The ingredient in the greatest quantity is listed first, and the one in the smallest quantity is listed last. To learn the A, B, C of the many rules surrounding how to write your product’s ingredient list, see the link below.
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Nutrition Facts Table (NFT)
The Nutrition Facts Table is mandatory on most packaged food products. It helps consumers make informed food choices by allowing them to:
- Easily compare similar products
- Understand the amount of nutrients and calories a food contains
- Identify foods that are low or high in a nutrient
- Choose foods that suit special diets, such as for diabetes
It displays the number of calories in the serving and the amounts of key nutrients expressed in grams (g), milligrams (mg), micrograms (µg), or as a percentage of daily value. The 13 core nutrients are: fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
Claims and statements
Want to highlight a feature or competitive advantage of your product? Make sure you comply with nutrition labeling regulations before designing your packaging.
Claims are subject to rules established by Health Canada to ensure they remain consistent and truthful. These claims are optional and may appear on certain food products.
There are two types of nutritional claims:
- Nutrient content claims
These indicate the amount of a nutrient in a food. For example, “a good source of iron” is a nutrient content claim. Nutrients mentioned in the claim must also appear in the Nutrition Facts Table.
- Health claims
These are statements about the health benefits of certain foods or food types when consumed as part of a healthy diet. For example:
A healthy diet that includes foods high in potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke and heart disease.
Regulatory barcodes
What is GS1?
GS1 barcodes are the only globally recognized barcodes. They play an essential role in supply chains, enabling organizations to identify, track, and locate products throughout the supply chain and around the world. Over 10 billion GS1 barcodes are scanned every day across the globe.
Every product has its barcode, and every company has its barcodes!
Why are they useful for food manufacturers and their business partners?
GS1 and its registry platform (ECCnet) support processors of all sizes, including small and micro businesses, in successfully marketing their products.
They are used by food manufacturers, retailers, foodservice operators, and public institutions.
Steps to maximize the value of the information you share with your partners:
Use the GS1 registry to increase visibility for your company and products and help buyers make strategic decisions.
Understanding regulatory changes and using the registry helps keep your business partners and consumers up to date.
Accurate product information and images are now essential for many business processes that support digital transformation and automation.
Barcodes are visual representations of numbers and letters that can be easily scanned by laser or camera-based systems—quickly and accurately.
One of the most common elements encoded in a barcode is the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), also known as a UPC or NEA code. However, any GS1 identifier can be encoded in a barcode.
Front-of-package labeling
New regulation: Front-of-package nutrition labeling
Health Canada is introducing a new regulation for the nutrition labeling of packaged foods, requiring a front-of-package symbol indicating if a product is high in saturated fat, sugars, or sodium. This regulation is already in effect, and the transition period ends in January 2026.
Does this apply to your product? Is it exempt or not?
The new front-of-package nutrition symbol includes a magnifying glass icon to draw attention. It is a clear visual marker that helps consumers quickly spot foods high in the three nutrients mentioned. This symbol complements the Nutrition Facts Table on the back of the packaging and helps Canadians make more informed dietary choices.
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Finalizing your packaging
Registering your intellectual property
Protecting your intellectual assets—such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights—is often overlooked but crucial. It allows you to secure your innovations, creations, and unique expertise from unauthorized use.
Taking these steps lays the solid foundation needed for sustainable growth and long-term success. Official registration is more than an administrative formality; it confirms your commitment to your business project.
- Food Processing and Distribution Permits: https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Transformation/md/Permis/Pages/Permis-transfo.aspx
- Restaurant and Retail Sales Permits: https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Restauration/md/Permis/Pages/prepvente.aspx
Designing your packaging and label
Marketing: A product’s packaging must be attractive, original, practical, effective, and irresistible—but it must also meet basic labeling requirements and ensure product protection and food safety.
Packaging is increasingly influenced by various eco-packaging and sustainability parameters:
- Optimize technical characteristics of existing packaging
- Develop new, innovative packaging
- Reduce carbon footprint
- Lower costs
- Meet new retailer requirements
An eco-responsible food packaging guide for Quebec, created by the Institute of Packaging Technology and Food Engineering (ITEGA), is available on their website.
- https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/industry
- https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Restauration/Qualitedesaliments/securitealiments/inspection/methodeinspection/Pages/Emballage-des-aliments.aspx
- https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Regions/monteregie/articles/transformation/Pages/Les-emballages-durables.aspx?
- https://itega.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/963_ITEGA_Guide-Emballage-Ecoresponsable_V5-Interactif-HR.pdf
Packaging designers, food marketing firms.
Finding a good subcontractor / shared facility / co-packer
- To find a good food subcontractor or co-packer in Quebec, follow these steps:
- Online search: Use business directories such as the Quebec Business Registry or platforms like LinkedIn to find co-packers in your sector.
- Professional networks: Attend food industry trade shows and events, such as the Salon International de l’Alimentation (SIAL) or the Restaurant Show.
- Professional organizations: Contact your regional biofood consultation table to access their directory.
- Recommendations: Ask fellow entrepreneurs or colleagues in the industry for referrals.
- Site visits: Once you have options, visit the facilities to assess quality and professionalism.
- Reviews and references: Ask for references and read client reviews to assess reliability and service quality.
- Specialization: Make sure the subcontractor has experience with the type of product you want to produce.
Strengths of subcontracting
- Reduces fixed costs
- Access to specialized expertise
- Production flexibility
- Focus on R&D, marketing, and distribution
- Reduces investment risk
Weaknesses of subcontracting
- Less control over quality
- Supply issues (dependency)
- Logistics delays and coordination
- Risk of IP leaks or product copying
- Dependency on subcontractor
- Real cost may be higher
