Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 119/11 Produce, Honey and Maple Products under the Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 regulates the sale, packaging, labelling, transporting, advertising, and food safety of produce, honey and maple products in Ontario. 
    

O. Reg. 119/11 requirements apply to produce produced in Ontario by non-federally registered producers. It also applies to produce that can be commercially grown or harvested in Canada but that is produced outside Ontario and imported into Ontario for repacking by non-federally registered producers. 
    

What needs a label?
    
    

Every package or master container of produce requires a label.  A package is defined as any bag, receptacle, or container of any size that may be used for sale to a consumer without repackaging, for sales to a consumer from a bulk display, or for bulk sales.  

What information is required on a label?

Packaged produce offered for sale in Ontario by non-federally registered producers must be labelled with the following information.  The information is required on both the individual packages and the master containers.   
• the name and full address of the packer or the person on whose behalf the produce is packed
• the country or province where the produce was grown or harvested 
    ► use the words “Product of/Produit de”, “Produce of/Produit de”, “Grown in/Cultivé dans” or “Province of Origin/Province d’origin” followed by the word Canada or the name of the province in which the produce was grown or harvested in Canada  
    ► use the words “Product of/Produit de”, “Produce of/Produit de”, “Grown in/Cultivé dans” or “Country of Origin/Pays d’origin” followed by the name of the country where the produce was grown or harvested in a country other than Canada
• if the produce is packed in a way that it is not readily visible and identifiable, the common name of the produce 
• in the case of peppers, the word “sweet” or “hot”, as appropriate
• net quantity in metric units (required under Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act)

The labelling requirements outlined above are in addition to the requirements established in the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (Canada) and the Food and Drugs Act (Canada).  For example, federal legislation sets out requirements for print size on labels.  It is the packer’s responsibility to ensure labels comply with applicable requirements of both federal and provincial regulations.
    

False or misleading information on any produce label, package or master container, in any advertisement for produce, or on any retail display sign for produce is prohibited by O. Reg. 119/11.  
 

Are there exemptions to labelling requirements?

Yes, exemptions exist.  Labelling requirements do not apply to: 
• packages of raspberries or strawberries that are packaged in the field in containers having a capacity of 1.14 litres or less
• packages of produce that are packaged in a wrapper or confining band if the band is less than half an inch in width
• master containers where the labels on the individual packages are easily and clearly discernible through the master container 
• packages of produce that are filled by consumers from a bulk display

What resources are available?  

The Ministry has developed a toolkit to aid with the label content requirements for produce.  To access the labelling toolkit as well as more information on labelling requirements please visit www.ontario.ca/producesafety.

What information must advertising and retail signage include?

Advertising for produce, whether written or otherwise, must include the country or province in which the produce was grown or harvested. The country or province in which the produce was grown or harvested must also appear on or 
immediately over retail displays of produce regardless of location of the retail display (e.g. grocery store, farmer’s market, roadside stand).