Clause 344 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations states that:
344 (1) “Any person who wishes to obtain the organic certification of a food commodity must apply in writing to a certification body. […]
344 (2) The application must include
(a) the name of the food commodity;
(b) a statement that sets out the substances and materials that are used to conduct any activities with respect to the food commodity and that describes the manner in which those substances and materials are used;
(c) a document that sets out in detail the methods that are used by the applicant, or by a person acting on behalf of the applicant, to conduct any activities with respect to the food commodity and the control mechanisms that are in place to ensure that those methods meet the requirements that are set out
(i) in the case of an aquaculture product, in CAN/CGSB-32.312, and
(ii) in the case of a food commodity other than an aquaculture product, in CAN/CGSB-32.310;
The Canadian Organic Standards have a broad scope, as they regulate all types of farming and processing practices used to produce certified organic products.
- CAN/CGSB-32.310-2020 Organic Production Systems– General Principles and Management Standards
- CAN/CGSB-32.312-2018 Organic production systems: Aquaculture – General principles, management standards and permitted substances lists
The Canadian Organic Standards are owned by the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB).
They are fully reviewed every five years to ensure that they are relevant and remain equivalent to the standards of the countries trading organic products with Canada.
