Navigating the world of food label approval can feel confusing, especially for new food business owners. One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that the CFIA in Canada or the US FDA will approve your labels before they go to market. Let’s clear this up right away: neither the CFIA nor FDA actually approve labels. Instead, they enforce compliance and will notify you if your labels are not meeting regulatory requirements.
And trust me—you don’t want your first encounter with CFIA or FDA to be them telling you your labels are wrong. Fixing non-compliant labels after your product is already in stores can lead to recalls, fines, or even losing customer trust.
That’s why understanding how food label compliance really works—and who should be responsible for it—is essential.
Who Is Responsible for Food Label Approval?
In both Canada and the United States, the responsibility for accurate food labeling falls on the food manufacturer or brand owner. This means it’s up to your business to make sure your labels meet all requirements before your products reach the shelves.
Regulators like CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) do not pre-approve your labels. Instead, they uphold compliance by inspecting, reviewing, and enforcing requirements when issues are found.
Within your company, the responsibility typically lies with your quality assurance team or whoever is responsible for regulatory compliance. Some companies also work with food safety consultants to review labels before launch. This proactive approach ensures mistakes are caught internally rather than during a regulatory inspection.
Key Elements to Review on Food Labels
Getting your food labels right is not just about design—it’s about compliance. Here are the main elements that need careful review:
- Ingredient List – Ingredients must be declared in descending order by weight. This ensures consumers understand exactly what is in your product.
- Nutrition Facts Table – Information such as calories, serving size, and nutrient content must follow regulated formats. Both CFIA and FDA have strict rules about layout and accuracy.
- Allergen Declarations – Major allergens like peanuts, shellfish, milk, soy, gluten, and others must be clearly labeled. Allergen mistakes are one of the leading causes of product recalls.
- Claims and Marketing Terms – Words like “organic,” “low-fat,” “gluten-free,” or “natural” must meet regulatory definitions. Unsupported or misleading claims are a common compliance issue.
- Date Markings – “Best before” or “use by” dates are mandatory in most cases and must follow the proper format.
Each of these areas requires accuracy and compliance. Even a small mistake can result in major consequences during an audit or inspection.
How Food Label Compliance Works?
Instead of “approval,” think of food label compliance as a review and verification process:
- Label Development – Marketing and product teams design the label with all required information.
- Internal Review – The quality or regulatory team checks the label against CFIA or FDA requirements.
- Corrections Made Before Printing – Any errors are fixed before labels are finalized.
- Regulatory Oversight – If CFIA or FDA reviews your product and finds errors, they can issue warnings, request changes, or mandate corrective actions that can include product recall or withdrawal.
This process highlights why businesses should catch compliance issues internally—before products hit the market.
Common Challenges with Food Labelling
Food businesses often run into challenges such as:
- Balancing marketing and compliance – What sells on a label may not always be legally compliant.
- Overlooking small details – Even formatting errors, missing bilingual information in Canada, or inaccurate nutrient rounding can trigger non-compliance.
The consequences of mistakes can be serious—ranging from product recalls to reputational damage.
Why Transparency Matters for Food Label?
Accurate and compliant food labels are not just about avoiding fines—they build consumer trust. Shoppers depend on your labels to make safe, informed decisions about what they eat. Clear allergen information, accurate nutrition facts, and honest claims help strengthen your brand reputation.
Transparency is a business advantage. When customers know they can trust your labels, they’re more likely to become repeat buyers.
Understanding food label approval means recognizing that regulators do not approve your labels upfront. Instead, it’s your company’s responsibility to ensure compliance. Expect that CFIA and FDA step in only when they are doing an inspection and if there are problems—and that’s a situation every food manufacturer wants to avoid.
By investing in internal reviews or working with a food safety consultant like us, you can prevent costly mistakes, stay compliant, and protect your brand reputation.
At SFPM Consulting Inc., we help food businesses navigate food labeling compliance with confidence. Whether you’re launching a new product or preparing for retail distribution, we can review your labels to ensure they meet CFIA or FDA requirements—so you don’t have to worry about last-minute surprises.