Use the timetable below to find out when you will need to comply with those requirements of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) related to licensing, preventive control plans (PCP), preventive controls and traceability.
The timeframes can vary based on your business activity and level of trade.
Refer to the activities that apply to your business to determine the relevant dates. The « X » is used to indicate when the requirements are not applicable or not required.
Note
If you have a valid registration under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Regulations that expires after January 15, 2019, it will remain valid under the SFCR, if it contains the following statement:
“This registration , licence , permit or authorization is also a licence that is issued under the Safe Food for Canadians Act upon its commencement day.”
However, if the registration will expire before January 15, 2019, continue the normal process to renew your registration. Your registration will continue to be valid until its expiry date.
For more information, refer to section 2 of What to consider before applying for a Safe Food for Canadians licence.
“This registration , licence , permit or authorization is also a licence that is issued under the Safe Food for Canadians Act upon its commencement day.”
However, if the registration will expire before January 15, 2019, continue the normal process to renew your registration. Your registration will continue to be valid until its expiry date.
For more information, refer to section 2 of What to consider before applying for a Safe Food for Canadians licence.
Timetable: Fresh fruit or vegetables
| Activity | Licensing | PCP | Preventive Controls | Traceability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You grow or harvest fresh fruit or vegetables for interprovincial trade (sole activity) | X | January 15, 2020 (if your gross annual food sales are greater than $100,000) Table Note 1Not required (if your gross annual food sales are $100,000 or less) Table Note 1 | January 15, 2020 | January 15, 2020 |
| You package and label fresh fruits or vegetables in the field for interprovincial trade | January 15, 2019 (if they will not be subsequently manufactured, processed, treated, preserved, graded by a licence holder in another province)Not required (if they will besubsequently manufactured, processed, treated, preserved, graded by a licence holder in another province) | January 15, 2020 (if your gross annual food sales are greater than $100,000 Table Note 1Not required (if your gross annual food sales are $100,000 or less) Table Note 1 | January 15, 2020 | January 15, 2019 (if you havea licence to package and label them in the field)January 15, 2020 (if you do not have a licence to package and label them in the field) |
| You manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, package or label fresh fruits or vegetables for interprovincial trade | January 15, 2019 | January 15, 2020 (if your gross annual food sales are greater than $100,000) Table Note 1Not required (if your gross annual food sales are $100,000 or less) Table Note 1 | January 15, 2020 | January 15, 2019 |
| You conduct interprovincial trade of fresh fruits or vegetables (sole activity) | X | X | X | January 15, 2019 |
| You grow or harvest fresh fruit or vegetables for export (sole activity) | X | Not required (unless you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA Table Note 2) | January 15, 2020 (or sooner if you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) | January 15, 2020 |
| You package and label fresh fruits or vegetables in the field for export | January 15, 2019 | Not required (unless you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) Table Note 1 | January 15, 2020 (or sooner if you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) | January 15, 2019 |
| You manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, package or label fresh fruits or vegetables for export | January 15, 2019 | Not required (unless you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) Table Note 2 | January 15, 2020 (or sooner if you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) | January 15, 2019 |
| You importfresh fruits or vegetables | January 15, 2019 | January 15, 2020 (if your gross annual food sales are greater than $100,000) Table Note 1Not required (if your gross annual food sales are $100,000 or less) Table Note 1 | January 15, 2020 | January 15, 2019 |
| You exportfresh fruits or vegetables (sole activity) | Not required (unless you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) Table Note 2 | Not required (unless you would like an export certificate or other export permission from CFIA) Table Note 2 | X | January 15, 2019 |
| You sell fresh fruits or vegetables to consumers at retail (sole activity) | X | X | X | January 15, 2019 Table Note 3 |
| You manufacture, process, treat, preserve, grade, package or label fresh fruits or vegetables for intraprovincial trade | Not required (unless your provincial or territorial regulations require you to have a federal licence) | Not requiredJanuary 15, 2020 (if your provincial or territorial regulations require you to have a federal licence and your gross annual food sales are greater than $100,000) Table Note 1Not required (if your provincial or territorial regulations require you to have a federal licence and your gross annual food sales are $100,000 or less) Table Note 1 | Not requiredJanuary 15, 2020 (if your provincial or territorial regulations require you to have a federal licence) | Not requiredJanuary 15, 2019 (if your provincial or territorial regulations require you to have a federal licence) |
Table NotesTable Note 1
To help you determine your gross annual food sales, refer to Calculating your gross annual food sales.
Return to table note 1 referrerTable Note 2
You need a licence and PCP prior to obtaining an export certificate or other export permission from the CFIA.
Return to table note 2 referrerTable Note 3
The coming into force date for the requirement that a lot code is applied, attached or accompanies consumer prepackaged fresh fruits or vegetables sold to consumers at retail is extended to January 15, 2020, to align with the coming into force date for persons who grow or harvest fresh fruits or vegetables.
Return to table note 3 referrer
Calculating your gross annual food sales
Step 1:Consider allfood that you sold in exchange for money between January 14, 2019 and January 14, 2020, regardless of the level of trade.
Include sales from food that you imported or exported, as well as sales from food that you sold intraprovincially or interprovincially.Step 2:Add together the money you received from sales that correspond to the criteria in Step 1.Step 3:If the total is $100,000 or less, you fall under the PCP exception. This means that your business does not need a written PCP.
If the total is greater than $100,000, your business has until January 15, 2020 to comply with the PCP requirements of the SFCR.
Example
Between January 14, 2019 and January 14, 2020, a food business whose sole activity is to grow and harvest fresh strawberries for interprovincial trade had the following gross annual food sales:
- $20,000 at area farmer’s markets
- $50,000 to a national grocer
- $5,000 in on farm sales
- $12,000 to local restaurants and caterers
Total gross annual food sales:
- = ($20,000) plus ($50,000) plus ($5,000) plus ($12,000)
- = $87,000 in gross annual food sales
Conclusion:
The food business had a total of $87,000 in gross annual food sales. Since the food business grows and harvests fresh strawberries and has less than $100,000 in gross annual food sales, they qualify for the preventive control plan exception and are not required to have a written preventive control plan.
