CFIA vs FDA Nutrition Labels

Why CFIA and FDA Labels Are Different

If you sell food products in both the United States and Canada, you need two different nutrition labels. The CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) and FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) share the same goal of informing consumers, but their regulations differ in important ways.

Regulatory Framework

FDA labels are governed by 21 CFR 101.9, which specifies 15 mandatory nutrients and 5 standard label formats. The FDA uses a 2,000-calorie reference diet for Daily Values.

CFIA labels are governed by the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), which specify 13 core nutrients with different mandatory and optional rules. Canada uses Daily Values that differ from FDA values in some cases (for example, calcium is 1,100mg in Canada vs 1,300mg in the US).

Key Differences at a Glance

1. Heading: FDA uses "Nutrition Facts." CFIA uses "Nutrition Facts / Valeur nutritive" (bilingual heading required).
2. Language: FDA labels are English only in most cases. CFIA labels must be bilingual English and French side-by-side.
3. Serving Size: FDA uses RACCs (138 categories). CFIA uses Reference Amounts that are similar but not identical.
4. Rounding Rules: FDA has 15 specific rounding rules. CFIA has its own rounding conventions for some nutrients.
5. Trans Fat: FDA requires trans fat declaration when 0.5g or more per serving. CFIA allows voluntary declaration.
6. Front-of-Pack Labeling: Canada introduced mandatory front-of-pack nutrition symbols in 2022 for foods high in saturated fat, sugars, and/or sodium. The US has no equivalent mandatory system.

Bilingual Requirements (Canada Only)

Under CFIA regulations, all mandatory label information must appear in both English and French:

• The heading ("Nutrition Facts / Valeur nutritive")
• All nutrient names ("Calories / Calories", "Fat / Lipides")
• Serving size declaration
• The % Daily Value footnote

French translations must use standardized CFIA terminology. NutriSpec's CFIA engine uses official bilingual terminology.

Using NutriSpec for Both Markets

NutriSpec generates both FDA and CFIA labels from the same recipe data. Enter your ingredients once, select the regulation, and get a compliant label for either market.

The engine handles rounding rules, nutrient ordering, bilingual formatting, and the correct Daily Values for each jurisdiction automatically.