A Safe Food for Canadians licence (SFC licence) is required to import meat, fish, dairy, eggs, processed eggs, processed fruits or vegetables, honey, maple and fresh fruits or vegetables into Canada currently. These import transactions will be denied unless a valid SFC license is entered into the Integrated Import Declaration (IID) as of March 15, 2021. A rejected transaction can lead to delays and shipments being held until the transaction is submitted again with the details correct.
Non-resident importers will need to select “Importing Food” on their licence in addition to the food commodity that is being imported, and it is important that “Exporting Food” is not selected. Export refers to sending food from Canada to a foreign state as in the Safe Food for Canadians Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations it is not specifically defined.
For more information:
• Validation of Safe Food for Canadians licence to import
• How to properly declare a Safe Food for Canadians licence number on food import declarations
• How to renew or amend an issued permission
• My CFIA Portal
If you have questions about this as it relates to your imports of food, please reach out to us at clientsupportca@buckland.com.
Validation of the Safe Food for Canadians licence to import – Canadian Food Inspection Agency