From Local to National: Why Your Bakery Needs a Licence to Sell Across Provincial Borders
Thinking about selling your baked goods to customers outside your province? Whether it’s a café in Vancouver that wants your signature sourdough, a Toronto grocery store stocking your gluten-free muffins, or an Alberta distributor picking up your pies, there’s one thing you need to know before making that leap: You likely need a federal licence under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). When a Bakery Needs an SFCR Licence If your bakery ships food across provincial borders (or exports internationally), the CFIA requires you to hold an SFCR licence. This applies to most small bakeries , even if: You bake from a single facility and ship finished products directly to out-of-province customers. You only sell wholesale to another business who then distributes in another province. You run an online store and ship across Canada. Why the Licence Matters An SFCR licence shows your customers and regulators that you meet federal standards for food safety a...