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Ontario Marking Requirements for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at Retail

Author: Food Safety and Environment Division/OMAFRA
Creation Date: 19 February 2003
Last Reviewed: 11 June 2008


Regulation 378, Grades - Fruit and Vegetables, under the Farm Products Grades and Sales Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter F.8

1. Requirements for packages at retail
2. Requirements for retail signs
3. Requirements for advertisements of produce
4. Mandatory Grade Marking Requirements for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at Retail
5. Optional Grade Marking Requirements for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at Retail

Packages at retail must indicate:

  • Name and address of packer (your store name and address, if you packed the product)
  • Name of produce (if kind of produce is not clearly visible)
  • Grade (see chart below) as required by Regulation 378
  • For produce imported from outside of Canada and repacked in Canada, the country of origin stated as "Product of"
  • For Canadian grown produce, "Product of" either "Canada" or the "Product of name of province" origin
  • Variety name for apples and pears
  • For peppers the word "Sweet" or "Hot"
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes shall be prominently marked "Yukon Gold"
  • Yellow fleshed potatoes shall be marked as "Yellow fleshed Potatoes"
  • Price per unit weight on catchweight packages (except where the weight is 1, 1½, 2, 2½, or 3 pounds)

Retail signs must indicate:

  • Grade (see chart below) as required by Regulation 378
  • For imported produce, the country of origin stated as "Product of"
  • For Canadian grown produce origin must be indicate as "Product of Canada" or "Product of name of province"
  • Variety name for apples and pears
  • For peppers the word "Sweet" or "Hot"
  • Price per unit of weight, if sold by weight

Advertisements of produce must indicate:

  • For imported produce, the country of origin stated as "Product of"
  • For Canadian grown produce origin must be indicate as "Product of Canada" or "Product of name of province"
  • Grade (see chart below) as required by Regulation 378
  • Measure, weight or size of the package

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Mandatory Grade Marking Requirements for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at Retail:

 | A | B | C | G | H | O | P | R | T |

Product
Canadian Grown Produce
Imported From Outside of Canada
Apples

Canada Extra Fancy Grade
Canada Fancy Grade
Canada Commercial Grade
Canada Cee Grade
Canade "C" Grade
Canada Hailed Grade
Canada Commercial Cookers Grade

Extra Fancy Grade
Fancy Grade
Commercial Grade
Cee Grade
"C" Grade
Hailed Grade
Commercial Cookers Grade
Asparagus

Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 Slender Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
Note: where asparagus is sold according to diameter of asparagus stalks, the appropriate designation of "Medium", "Large" or "Jumbo" shall be used in addition to the grade name

No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Slender Grade
No. 2 Grade
Beets *(Topped) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade 
Cabbage Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade 
Cantaloupe Canada No. 1 Grade
Ontario No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade
Carrots*(Topped)

Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 - Cut Crowns Grade
Canada No. 2  Grade
Note: where carrots have been washed prior to be packed, the designation "Washed" may be used in addition to the grade name

 

No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Cut Crowns Grade
No. 2 Grade
Cauliflower Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade
Celery Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 Heart Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Heart Grade
No. 2 Grade
Cherries Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada Domestic Grade
Canada Orchard Run Grade 
No. 1 Grade 
Domestic Grade
Orchard Run Grade
Sweet Corn Canada No. 1 Grade No. 1 Grade
Cucumbers (Field) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade
Cucumbers (Greenhouse) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
Ontario Utility Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade
Utility Grade
Grapes Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada Domestic Grade
No. 1 Grade 
Domestic Grade

Head Lettuce
(Iceberg Type)

Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade 
Onions (Dry)

Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 Pickling Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
Note: For Canada No. 1 Grade, based on diameter size, the appropriate designation of "Small" or "Jumbo" may be used in addition to the grade name

No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Pickling Grade
No. 2 Grade
Parsnips* (Topped) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade
Peaches Canada No. 1 Grade
Ontario Domestic Split-pit Grade
No. 1 Grade 
Domestic Split-pit Grade
Pears Canada Extra Fancy Grade
Canada Fancy Grade
Canada Commercial Grade
Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada Cee Grade
Canada "C" Grade
Canada Domestic Grade
Ontario No. 3 Grade
Extra Fancy Grade
Fancy Grade
Commercial Grade
No. 1 Grade
Cee Grade
"C" Grade
Domestic Grade
No. 3 Grade
Peppers Ontario No. 1 Grade No. 1 Grade 
Plums & Prunes Canada No. 1 Grade No. 1 Grade
Potatoes Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 Large Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
Ontario No. 1 Grade
Ontario No. 1 Large Grade
Ontario No. 1 Small Grade
Ontario No. 2 Grade
Ontario Mini Grade

No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Large Grade
No. 1 Small Grade
No. 2 Grade
Mini Grade

Rhubarb (Field) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada Domestic Grade
No. 1 Grade
Domestic Grade
Rhubarb (Forced) Ontario No. 1 Grade
Ontario No. 2 Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 2 Grade
Rutabagas

Canada No. 1  Grade
Note: where rutabagas have been completely immersed in a wax solution, the designation "Waxed" may be used in addition to the grade name

No. 1 Grade
Tomato (Field) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 Picklers Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
Canada No. 2 Picklers Grade 
No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Picklers Grade
No. 2 Grade 
No. 2 Picklers Grade
Tomato (Greenhouse) Canada No. 1 Grade
Canada No. 1 Extra Large Grade
Canada No. 2 Grade
Canada Commercial Grade
Ontario Jumbo Grade
No. 1 Grade
No. 1 Extra Large Grade
No. 2 Grade
Commercial Grade
Jumbo Grade 
* These grades do not apply to beets, carrots or parsnips if their tops have not been removed.


Optional Grade Marking Requirements for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at Retail:

Commodities for which the sale by grade is optional in Ontario
Product
Canadian Grown Produce
Imported From Outside of Canada
Raspberries Ontario No. 1 Grade No. 1 Grade
Strawberries Canada No. 1 Grade No. 1 Grade

Food Inspection Branch Contact
Foods of Plant Origin
1 Stone Road West, 5th Floor North West
Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2
Tel: 519-826-4180 or 1-888-466-2372, Ext. 64180
Fax: 519-826-4375

For more information:
E-mail: foodinspection@ontario.ca