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Fertilizer program overview

The 3 year regulatory transition period (October 26, 2020 to October 26, 2023) has now ended. As a result, regulated parties, including all manufacturers, importers, distributors and sellers of fertilizers and supplements must adhere to the amended Fertilizers Regulations. There are few notable exceptions for some product categories. Learn more about the implementation of the amended Fertilizers Regulations.

Program description and mandate

Fertilizers (plant nutrients) and supplements (products other than fertilizers that improve the physical condition of the soil or aid plant growth and crop yield) when imported and sold in Canada are regulated by the Canadian Food inspection Agency under the Fertilizers Act and Fertilizers Regulations.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) administers a number of acts and regulations that, together, are designed to safeguard our food supply, protect the health of animals and plants and enhance the well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy.

Product coverage

The Fertilizers Act and Regulations requires that all regulated fertilizer and supplement products be safe for humans, plants, animals, and the environment. They must also be properly labelled to enable safe and appropriate use. The mandate of the CFIA's Fertilizer Program covers a wide range of products sold for agricultural, commercial, and home and garden purposes. Regulated products include:

While the CFIA regulates all fertilizers and supplements that are imported or sold in Canada, the manufacture, proper use and safe disposal of these products are controlled by provincial and municipal rules and regulations. The CFIA works together with provinces and municipalities to ensure that all fertilizers and supplements meet the highest standards for safety.

Some fertilizers and most supplements require registration and a comprehensive pre-market assessment prior to their import or sale in Canada. Products that are exempt from registration are still subject to regulation and must meet all the prescribed standards at the time of sale or import.

Pre-market assessments

The CFIA's pre-market assessment consists of a detailed, science-based evaluation of product safety information and labelling. These assessments focus on evaluation of product safety towards humans, plants, animals and the environment. To assess a product, the Agency requires supporting information, which varies in scope depending on the nature of the product. The basic supporting information includes the product label, the manufacturing method, and a complete list of ingredients and source materials. For certain products additional information may be required. This includes:

Safety assessments are conducted by a team of highly qualified and trained evaluators. Safety evaluators examine all ingredients in a fertilizer or supplement including the active components as well as the formulants, carriers, additives, potential contaminants and by-products that might be released into the environment as a result of product's use and application to soil. The CFIA also examines unintended and potentially adverse effects of the application of the product. This includes bystander and worker exposure (for example retailer, farmer, home owner), safety of food crops grown on land that has been treated with the product, impacts on animals and plants other than the target crop species, and ecosystem effects including impact on soil, biodiversity, leaching to waterways, etc.

Label verification

All products submitted to the CFIA for registration or approval undergo a thorough label verification to ensure that displayed information complies with the standards prescribed by the Fertilizers Act and Regulations. Evaluators verify that requisite information such as:

All mandatory information must appear in both official languages and shall be printed conspicuously, legibly and indelibly in English and in French with both versions being in equal prominence and in close proximity to each other.

Marketplace monitoring

The CFIA also monitors fertilizer and supplement products that are already available in the marketplace to verify their compliance with the prescribed standards. Across the country, the CFIA inspectors visit facilities, sample products and review labels. These efforts are focused on verifying that products satisfy the safety standards for biological and chemical contaminants (pathogens, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and dioxins and furans). Products found to be non-compliant are subject to regulatory action, which may include product detention (stop sale) and, in severe cases, prosecution.

Index of Trade Memoranda

The Fertilizer Trade Memoranda contain product-specific information on regulatory requirements for fertilizers and supplements regulated under the Fertilizers Act.

Contact information

Fertilizer Safety Section
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Phone: 1-855-212-7695
Email: cfia.paso-bpdpm.acia@inspection.gc.ca

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