Canada’s Regulations on Enriched Flour and new CFIA Guidance on Exemptions
Canada has long required that all white flour sold in the country be enriched with specific B vitamins and iron. This enrichment standard, outlined in the Food and Drug regulations, has been a core public health measure designed to prevent nutrient deficiencies and support overall nutritional quality in the food supply. Under these regulations, any food containing white flour (such as breads, cookies, pastries and prepared foods) must also use enriched flour.
In August 2026, Health Canada issued an interim policy recommending the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) exercise enforcement discretion for unenriched white flour used in specific categories of foods. This means unenriched flour may now be imported or sold directly to manufacturers for us in certain edible products, provided all conditions are met.
Eligible categories include select frozen desserts, confectionary items, sauces, gravy, marinades, soups, meat and seafood products, flavoured grain mixtures and foods where flour is used only as a carrier (i.e. flavouring preparations, spice blends, vitamin premixes). Importantly, this is not a blanket exemption: manufacturers must confirm their product falls within the defined scope.
