Label Requirements for Maple Products in Ontario

Ontario Regulation 119/11

Alternate: PDF format - 140KB

INTRODUCTION

On July 1, 2011, Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 119/11 Produce, Honey and Maple Products under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 came into effect. It replaces Reg. 386 Maple Products under the Farm Products Grades and Sales Act, which previously regulated maple products in Ontario. Grading, packaging, labelling, transporting, and sale of maple products are covered by the new regulation.

O. Reg. 119/11 applies to maple products produced in Ontario that are packed or repacked in an Ontario establishment that is not federally registered within the meaning of the Canada Agricultural Products Act Maple Products Regulations. It also applies to maple products produced outside Ontario that are packed or repacked in non-federally registered Ontario establishments. Any person who packs, transports or sells maple products prepared in a non-federally registered establishment in Ontario must ensure the maple products meet the grading, packing and labelling requirements of O. Reg. 119/11.

MAPLE PRODUCT CONTAINER REQUIREMENTS

Maple product may be packed in any container provided it is clean, sound and suitable. Containers with a capacity of 5 litres or less must be new. Every container must be filled to at least 90 per cent of its capacity. Bulk containers of Ontario Processing Grade maple syrup must be a minimum capacity of 20 litres.

LABELS

A "label" is any mark, sign, device, ticket, tag, imprint or stamp applied directly onto a container or otherwise affixed or attached to the container by any means. A "container" is any bottle, jar, bag, pail, drum or other receptacle containing maple product.

Maple product labelling requirements apply to maple product for consumers or for use in the manufacture of other foods. A container that is filled by the consumer from a bulk display or dispenser at the time of purchase does not require labelling.

Labelling requirements in O. Reg. 119/11 are in addition to requirements in the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act(Canada) and the Food and Drugs Act (Canada). For example, the Food and Drug Regulations under the Food and Drugs Act require nutritional labelling on consumer containers.

CONTAINER LABEL REQUIREMENTS

Every container of maple product, except containers of maple syrup with a capacity of 125 millilitres or less, must have a label with the following information:

• The name of the maple product
• The name and full address of the packer or, if the maple product is packed on behalf of a retailer, producer or other person, the name and full address of the person on whose behalf the maple product is packed.
  

  A full address means sufficient information to identify the exact location of the relevant person's premises, such as a municipal address or property identification number, and includes a postal code

• The volume of maple syrup in the container,
• except when the maple syrup is sold from a dispenser at a retail premise and poured into a consumer's package at the time of purchase, the label on the dispenser does not need to state the volume of the maple syrup
• The net weight of the product for maple products other than maple syrup
• For maple syrup, the grade immediately followed by the colour class,
• except on containers of more than 5 litres, the grade and colour class is required when that container is being sold or transported directly to a consumer or retail outlet
• The maple product place of origin, if required. (see Place of Origin Requirements)

Maple syrup containers with a capacity of 125 ml or less must have a label with the following information:

• the name of the maple product
• the name and full address of the packer or, if the maple syrup is packed on behalf of a retailer, producer, or other person, the name and full address of the person for whom the maple syrup was packed
• the maple product place of origin, if required

PLACE OF ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS

When maple product is produced outside Ontario and transported into Ontario in bulk for packaging and sale within Ontario, in addition to the information required above, the label on a container must include the information relating to the maple product's place of origin.

If the maple product is not blended with maple product produced in Ontario, the words "Product of" followed by the name of the country or province in which it was produced must be indicated on the label. For example, "Product of Quebec" or "Product of Canada".

If the maple product is produced in a country outside Canada and blended with maple product produced in Ontario, the words "Product of Canada and" or "Product of Ontario and" followed by the name of the other country are required on the label. For example, "Product of Canada and U.S." or "Product of Ontario and U.S."

If the maple product is produced in Canada but outside Ontario and is blended with maple product produced in Ontario, the words "Product of Ontario and" followed by the name of the other province or "Product of Canada" must be stated. For example, "Product of Ontario and Quebec" or "Product of Canada".

OTHER LABEL REQUIREMENTS

Maple syrup packed in previously used bulk containers must either have previous labels that do not meet O. Reg. 119/11 requirements completely removed and new labels that meet requirements applied, or information on previous labels must be completely obliterated and any required information added.

MISREPRESENTATION

False or misleading information on any label or container of maple product or in any advertisement for a maple product is prohibited by O. Reg. 119/11. This includes, but is not limited to, misrepresenting:

• the name and address of:
• the packer, or
• if the packer packs the maple product on behalf of a retailer, producer or other person, the person on whose behalf it is packed;
• the place in which the maple product was produced
• the amount of maple product contained in the container, or
• the grade or colour class of the maple product.

LABELLING RESOURCES

Provincial (Ontario)

Ontario Regulation 119/11 under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_110119_e.htm

Federal (Canada)

Guidelines to Food Labelling and Advertising
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/toce.shtml

Maple Products Regulations under the Canada Agricultural Products Act
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-0.4/

Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-38/

Food and Drugs Act and Regulations
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-27/

For more information:
Suzete Moniz
Regulatory and Standards Coordinator
Foods of Plant Origin Program
Telephone: 519 826-4655
or 1-888-466-2372 ext 6-4655
E-mail: suzete.moniz@ontario.ca
or fpo.omafra@ontario.ca

Website: http://www.ontario.ca/omafra