Changes are coming to food importers of meat, fish, dairy, eggs, processed eggs, processed fruits and vegetables, honey, maple, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other unstandardized food products. Starting March 15, 2021, import transactions will be rejected if the following criteria are not met:

• the SFC licence number is correctly declared, without mistakes or typos
• the SFC licence covers the activity of “Importing Food”
• the SFC licence covers the food commodity or commodities you intend to import

Other important deadlines:

Expired Traceability Requirements for Fresh Fruits:
As of January 15, 2021, you will no longer be able to sell prepacked fresh fruits and vegetables if a lot code is not applied, attached, and accompanies your packaged good. While this requirement came into effect on January 15, 2020, the CFIA allowed the sale of existing packaging material until January 15, 2021. If you require assistance updating your traceability requirements to comply, please contact dicentra Food Safety and Quality Consulting.

Renew Now: 
The renewal date for some SFC licences passed on January 15, while others will expire in the days and weeks that follow. If you require assistance with an expired SFC licence, please contact dicentra Food Safety and Quality Consulting.