4 replies to this topic

[TimG]

I have a customer who has a customer that wants to use our honey in Canada, and they've requested we verify on letterhead that the product is 'fresh'-"fresh" is the only format allowed by Health Canada, this cannot be a dried ingredient" I can't seem to find any legal definition of 'fresh' especially in regard to honey on Health Canada's pages. Is anyone aware of a definitions page that I might be missing in my search?

[jfrey123]

Admittedly using AI to cheat with this answer, but "fresh" is usually in reference to grown ag products (fruit and veg) and otherwise isn't very clearly defined.  When Canada gets into meat definitions, "fresh" means it has not been previously frozen or treated to alter its natural state, so you could provide a letter stating that your company deems your honey fresh in that it has not been significantly changed from raw form and has not been previously frozen.  Maybe this customer can provide a direct link to the Canadian regulation they are referencing?

[kconf]

Maybe they want to know if it's raw & unfiltered or regular honey. 

[TimG]

Maybe they want to know if it's raw & unfiltered or regular honey. 

That one would have made sense and was the first thing I asked. They said their customer was under the impression Canada wants to make sure the honey isn't dried and reconstituted. I can't even begin to fathom why any honeypacker would go through drying and reconstituting honey. It spends most of its time in crystal form naturally.

I'm also kind of a stickler about putting out statements if I haven't thoroughly researched all the implications. I get weird requests from customers often but not one where they were so specific while pointing to a regulatory body (in this case 'fresh' and Health Canada) that I haven't heard of or can't easily find.

Was hoping @scampi would chime in because she reads CA regs before bed every night is what I've heard.

[jfrey123]

I went down a half-way rabbit hole from my first reply.  Most USA retail honey is labeled as "raw and unfiltered" at my local grocery store as long as it isn't the generic fake stuff (comparing to syrup vs Pure Maple Syrup" which is all in the pancake aisle).  If they can't just call honey in a jar "fresh" then man, there's some bureaucracy crap that probably needs to be addressed someday lol.

 

 

Was hoping @scampi would chime in because she reads CA regs before bed every night is what I've heard.

 

You forgot to spin around and recite three O'Canada's to summon her expertise with working the web of CFIA info.