Canada’s Organic Products Rules Are Now Mandatory

The voluntary phase-in period of Canada’s Organic Products Regulations, issued in 2009, ended on June 30. As of July 1, compliance with the rules is mandatory and will be enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Products labeled as “organic” are subject to the rules and must be certified by a CFIA-accredited certification body. All organic product labels must carry the name of the certifier. According to the CFIA, the rules “have leveled the playing field and given both domestic and foreign consumers confidence in the organic label” in Canada. Both the U.S. and the European Union recognize Canada’s organic standards.