Federal

Nutrition Facts values and a best-before date

You are responsible for your label values. Health Canada says the Canadian Nutrient File is too generic for a Nutrition Facts table; calculate from your suppliers’ nutrition data, ideally checked by a lab, because CFIA tests labels by lab analysis — with a 20% tolerance for naturally occurring nutrients, and none for added vitamins and minerals. No law sets shelf lives — you decide the best-before date, and CFIA calls a shelf-life study the most effective way to do it.

Who issues it
You, checked against CFIA’s rules

Who needs it

Packaged food makersMaking sauces, preserves, snacks, frozen meals or other packaged food to sell.

The rules behind this page

Last checked 26 September 2026. We check this guide regularly against Island Health, provincial and municipal sources, but regulations and laws change often and we can’t guarantee it is complete or current. Confirm with Island Health and your municipality before you apply, build or sell.

Noticed an error? Tell us

Tell us what’s wrong and where you saw it. We read every message and correct the guide.