Dairy Products Regulations (SOR/79-840)

66.3 Every operator of a registered establishment shall ensure that no low-acid dairy product packaged in a hermetically sealed container is thermally processed in the registered establishment unless

• (a) the container, prior to being filled, meets the manufacturer’s specifications and is in all other respects suitable for its intended use;

• (b) the filling of the container is controlled to ensure compliance with the scheduled process;

• (c) the operation of each closing head is evaluated at frequent intervals and adjusted as required to maintain closures within the designated operating limits of the closing head;

• (d) the container is labelled in a legible and permanent manner to identify the establishment, the dairy product and the date on which the dairy product is thermally processed;

• (e) the thermal processing is carried out under the continuous supervision of a person who has attended a course in thermal processing and has received a certificate of competence on completion of the course;

• (f) the thermal process used meets or exceeds the requirements of the scheduled process;

• (g) a written description of the thermal process to be used for each low-acid dairy product and container size is located in a conspicuous place near the unit of thermal processing equipment while the unit is in use;

• (h) each unit of thermal processing equipment is maintained in good working order;

• (i) each unit of thermal processing equipment is equipped with adequate monitoring devices that are maintained in good working order;

• (j) where batch thermal processing is employed, a heat-sensitive indicator that visually indicates whether or not the container has been thermally processed is placed on or attached directly or indirectly to the container;

• (k) the container cooling water is of an acceptable microbiological quality and, in the case of water used in a cooling canal system, contains a residual amount of a bactericide at the discharge end of the canal; and

• (l) the container is handled in a manner that ensures that the container remains hermetically sealed.

67. Any information that is required to be shown on the label of a prepackaged dairy product for which standards are prescribed pursuant to this Part shall be shown in the manner and size set out in subsections 18(1) and (3).

• 68. (1) Subject to subsection (4), every prepackaged dairy product for which standards are prescribed by these Regulations shall bear a label on the principal display surface of the container, showing

  • (a) the common name of the dairy product;

  • (a.1) a declaration of the net quantity, as required by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations;

  • (b) a percentage declaration of moisture and milk fat in the case of all cheese, whey cheese and cheese curd;

  • (c) a percentage declaration of milk fat in the case of cottage cheese, creamed cottage cheese, sterilized cream and evaporated partly-skimmed milk or concentrated partly-skimmed milk;

  • (d) a statement as to the source of the milk, where the dairy product consists of or was manufactured wholly or partly from milk that is the normal secretion of the mammary gland of animals other than the cow and the source is not indicated in the common name; and

  • (e) the words “Product of” followed by the name of the country of origin, in the case of cheese prepackaged in Canada from imported bulk.

• (2) Subject to subsection (4), every prepackaged dairy product for which standards are prescribed by these Regulations shall bear a label on any panel of the container, other than the bottom of the container, showing

  • (a) the list of ingredients and components thereof, as required by paragraph B.01.008(1)(b) of the Food and Drug Regulations;

  • (b) the durable life date and instructions for proper storage of the dairy product, in those cases where the durable life is 90 days or less, as required by paragraph B.01.007(1.1)(b) of the Food and Drug Regulations;

  • (c) the words “Product of” followed by the name of the country of origin in the case of an imported dairy product; and

  • (d) the words “Product of Canada” when packed for export from Canada.

• (3) Subject to subsection (4), every prepackaged dairy product for which standards are prescribed by these Regulations shall bear a label on any panel of the container, showing

  • (a) in the case of a domestic dairy product, where the name and address shown on the label are not that of the actual establishment in which the prepackaged dairy product was prepared,

    • (i) the registration number of the establishment in which the dairy product was prepared, shown within an eight-sided frame in the same proportions as illustrated in Schedule V, or

    • (ii) the registration number of the establishment in which the dairy product was prepared, preceded by the words “Registration Number” or the abbreviation “Reg. No.” or “Reg.”; and

  • (b) a batch number, code number or lot number identifying an appropriate, meaningful sized unit of production.

• (4) The labelling requirements of this section do not apply in respect of prepackaged individual portions of dairy products that are for sale from automatic vending machines or mobile canteens, or that are served by a restaurant or other commercial enterprise with meals or as snacks.

• (5) Notwithstanding paragraph (3)(a), the registration number of a registered establishment may be shown on the shipping container where

  • (a) the combined weight of the product and the container is less than 75 g when packed in metric units or less than 3 oz when packed in Canadian units; or

  • (b) the volume of the product is less than 100 ml when packed in metric units or less than 5 fl oz when packed in Canadian units.