Bilingual food labels in Canada: what must be in French

Short answer

Mandatory information on consumer prepackaged food in Canada must be in both English and French.
The name and principal place of business may be in either language; symbols such as g, kg, mL and L count as bilingual.
Local foods can be exempt only where one official language is the mother tongue of less than 10% of residents and the food stays local.
The two languages don't need matching type sizes, but each must meet its own minimum height.
Quebec adds its own French-language rules. This is general information, not legal advice.

In this guide (8 sections)

Which parts of a food label must be bilingual?
The exemptions, and why most sellers don't qualify
Type size: do English and French have to match?
Bilingual details people miss
Can I add a third language?
Worked example: fitting two languages on a 2" round lid label
Quebec has extra rules
What to check before you act

In Canada, every piece of mandatory information on a consumer prepackaged food label must appear in English and French. The one standing exception is the name and principal place of business, which may be in either language. A few other exemptions exist, for local foods, test market foods, specialty foods and some shipping containers, but each has strict conditions that most small sellers won't meet.

This page is general information, not legal advice. It draws on CFIA's bilingual labelling page (modified September 3, 2025) and section B.01.012 of the Food and Drug Regulations, both checked October 23, 2026. Confirm your case in CFIA's Industry Labelling Tool.

Which parts of a food label must be bilingual?

Section B.01.012(2) of the Food and Drug Regulations sets the general rule: information required on a food label must be shown in both official languages. CFIA's guidance spells out what that covers in practice.

Label element	Bilingual?	Note
Common name	Yes	For example "Strawberry Jam / Confiture de fraises"
Net quantity	Yes	Symbols g, kg, mL, L count as bilingual; written-out units need both words
Ingredient list	Yes	English and French lists must match
"Contains" statement	Yes	"Contains" and "Contient"
Best before date and storage instructions	Yes, on consumer packages	Month codes such as JN or OC are bilingual
Nutrition Facts table	Yes	Other languages may not be added to it
Name and principal place of business	Either language	Per B.01.012(9)
Organic, nutrient content and health claims	Yes, if used	Voluntary, but bilingual when present

The exemptions, and why most sellers don't qualify

Exemption	Conditions (summarized)
Local food	Sold only in the local government unit where it was made, processed or packaged, and immediately adjacent units; one official language is the mother tongue of less than 10% of residents; label is in the language that is the mother tongue of at least 10%
Test market food	Notice filed with the CFIA President at least six weeks beforehand; status ends after 12 cumulative months of sale
Specialty food	Special religious significance and used in religious ceremonies, or imported, not widely used in Canada and with no readily available comparable substitute made in Canada
Shipping containers	Sold to commercial, industrial or institutional buyers, not resold at retail as one unit, and all required information in one language
Certain alcoholic beverages	Listed common names, such as Scotch Whisky or Tequila, shown on the main panel as prescribed

The local food exemption in detail

For small makers, this is the exemption most likely to matter. Both halves of the test must be met:

Where it's sold. Only in the local government unit where the food was made, and in units immediately next to it. CFIA's example is a product from Burnaby that qualifies only while sold in adjacent cities such as Vancouver or Coquitlam.
Who lives there. One official language must be the mother tongue of fewer than 10% of residents, and your label must be in the language that is the mother tongue of at least 10%.

The exemption does not apply if both languages are above 10% in that area, or if both are below 10%. Shipping across the province, or selling online to other regions, takes the food outside the local exemption. Checking the mother-tongue shares for your area is up to you.

Specialty foods are narrower than they sound

CFIA gives examples. Kosher for Passover foods sold to religious institutions are exempt, and those sold at retail are exempt from 40 days before to 20 days after Passover. Host wafers and halal foods sold at retail are not specialty foods and must be bilingual. CFIA also notes that most imported foods don't qualify.

Type size: do English and French have to match?

No. CFIA says each language must meet its own minimum type height, but the two don't have to be the same size. Its example is a French common name at 6.4 mm next to an English one at 1.6 mm. Matching sizes is encouraged for consistency.

Placement options from CFIA:

Principal display panel: both languages on one panel, grouped or alternating. Or separate English and French panels, as long as each is at least as large and prominent as the principal display panel (B.01.012(8) says the same).
Other panels: languages can be on separate panels, grouped or alternating.

For the minimum heights themselves, see net quantity font size in Canada and the Canadian food label checklist.

Bilingual details people miss

Allergen statements. The "Contains" and "Contient" versions start on separate lines, except on packages with an available display surface under 100 cm2, where the second may follow on the same line. The English and French ingredient lists and allergen declarations must match.
Units in words. "g" works in both languages; "grams" does not. If you write the unit out, use both, for example "gram" and "gramme". In French, the decimal separator is a comma.
Imperial units. Optional non-metric declarations may appear in English or French alone.
Storage instructions. "Keep refrigerated" needs its French partner, such as "Garder réfrigéré".
Store posters. A retail poster carrying durable life information may be in one language if the label's mandatory information is bilingual.
Claims and supporting text. If a claim must have its supporting statement with no intervening material, CFIA counts the other language as intervening material, so don't place French between an English claim and its English qualifier.

Can I add a third language?

Yes. CFIA allows extra languages when the English and French mandatory information is present and the content is truthful and not misleading. The Nutrition Facts table, and the Supplemented Food Facts table, cannot include other languages.

Worked example: fitting two languages on a 2" round lid label

A 2" round sticker has about 20.3 cm2 of area (Avery 22807 size, our arithmetic). Many makers split the label into a front and a back. An invented example:

Front panel

Strawberry Jam / Confiture de fraises
250 mL

Back or side label (not the bottom, because the ingredient list can't go there)

Ingredients: strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, pectin.
Ingrédients : fraises, sucre, jus de citron, pectine.
Best before / Meilleur avant: 27 JA 21
Made by Example Preserves, 12 Sample Rd, Guelph ON

The address appears once, in English, which B.01.012(9) allows. "mL" needs no translation. The best before line follows the format in our guide to the best before date format. Have the French checked by a fluent reviewer.

If you sell at markets, the bilingual rules still apply unless you meet the local food test; see farmers' market labels in Canada. For sticker sizes, see square and round product labels.

Quebec has extra rules

CFIA's page notes that Quebec has additional French-language requirements for products marketed there. It points sellers to Quebec's food inspection ministry or the Office québécois de la langue française (in French). We have not summarized Quebec's rules here. CFIA also suggests checking provincial rules elsewhere.

What to check before you act

List every mandatory item on your label and confirm each appears in English and French.
Test the local food exemption honestly, including where online or wholesale orders go.
Have a fluent French speaker review the label before printing.
If you sell in Quebec, check Quebec's own requirements.
Confirm your case in CFIA's Industry Labelling Tool; this page is not legal advice.

Questions people ask

Do food labels in Canada have to be in French?

Yes, for mandatory information on consumer prepackaged food, which must appear in English and French. The name and principal place of business may be in either language, and a few narrow exemptions exist.

Is there a small business exemption from bilingual labelling?

Not that we found. CFIA's exemptions are for local foods, test market foods, specialty foods, certain shipping containers and some alcoholic beverage names, each with strict conditions.

How does the local food exemption work?

The food must be sold only in the local government unit where it was made and immediately adjacent units, and one official language must be the mother tongue of less than 10% of residents there. The label then uses the language spoken as a mother tongue by at least 10%.

Does the French text have to be the same size as the English?

No. CFIA says each language must meet the minimum type height, but they don't have to match, although matching is encouraged.

Can I add a third language to my label?

Yes, if all mandatory information is in English and French and the extra text is truthful and not misleading. CFIA says the Nutrition Facts table cannot include other languages.

Are the Quebec rules the same as the federal ones?

No. CFIA notes that Quebec has additional French-language requirements and points sellers to Quebec's food inspection ministry or the Office québécois de la langue française.

General information only, not legal or regulatory advice. Template details and rules change; confirm on the maker's or regulator's own page before you print a large run. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Sources

Bilingual food labelling (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)checked October 23, 2026
Food and Drug Regulations, section B.01.012 (Justice Laws Website)checked October 23, 2026
List of ingredients and allergens (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)checked October 23, 2026
Net quantity (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)checked October 23, 2026
Date markings and storage instructions (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)checked October 23, 2026
Industry Labelling Tool (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)checked October 23, 2026