Canadian organic standards and permitted substances guide
Canadian organic standards set production rules and permitted inputs. Learn which editions apply, what certification checks and how to assess substances.
The Canadian organic standards pair CAN/CGSB-32.310-2026, covering production and management requirements, with CAN/CGSB-32.311-2026, the Permitted Substances Lists. These March 2026 editions govern methods, inputs and supporting records. Certification requires more than finding a substance on a list.
For producers and processors, the practical task is to show how the operation meets those requirements. A listed substance still needs the correct use, table scope and conditions. The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations make those conditions part of certification.
Which Canadian organic standards apply?
The two agricultural standards have different roles. Use them together when assessing a production method or input.
| Standard | Role |
|---|---|
| CAN/CGSB-32.310-2026 | General principles and management standards for organic production systems |
| CAN/CGSB-32.311-2026 | Permitted Substances Lists, including conditions on substance use |
Both editions are dated March 2026 and supersede their 2020 editions with Corrigendum No. 1. Aquaculture has a separate standard, CAN/CGSB-32.312. The agricultural pair does not fully cover it. See the CFIA standards index for the document set.
Read the editions alongside CFIA's September 24, 2026 correction notice. It restores coir, or coconut fibre, to Table 4.2 with conditions. It also corrects French-only errors concerning animal manure and maple tapping. Check the notice before relying on an affected entry.
A published edition and an implementation deadline are different things. CFIA's operating manual, C.5.2–C.5.3, allows up to 12 months after an amendment's publication to meet changed requirements. Longer periods apply where the standards specify them. Confirm the timetable for each changed requirement with your certification body rather than assuming one deadline covers everything.
Who needs federal organic certification?
CFIA identifies federal requirements for organic claims on products imported into Canada or traded between provinces or territories. Products displaying the Canada Organic Logo are also covered, including those sold within one province. Purely intraprovincial sales without the logo need a separate provincial assessment. See CFIA's organic products guidance.
Feed and seed are included under section 341. This regime does not cover cosmetics, pet food, natural health products or cannabis plants and cultivation, according to CFIA. Do not treat an agricultural organic certificate as approval for those categories.
Your application must describe the commodity, substances and materials used, production methods and compliance controls. For multi-ingredient products, it must include composition and organic percentage. Relevant subcontracted packaging or labelling certification also belongs in the application. Section 344 sets out the application requirements. Section 345 sets the certification conditions.
Certification includes on-site verification. Operators must provide updated information for each 12-month period and undergo repeat verification under sections 345–346. Annual oversight does not mean the organic product certificate automatically expires annually. The operating manual, C.2.4.6, says it remains valid unless suspended or cancelled, subject to ongoing compliance.
A separate certificate for packaging or labelling activities follows a different validity rule. Under sections 347–348, that certificate is valid for 12 months. Check which certificate covers the activity before treating a contractor's paperwork as current evidence for your application.
What producers and processors must demonstrate
CFIA's operating manual tells certification bodies what to verify. Use these checks to prepare evidence for your operation.
Your organic plan should describe the operation as it actually runs. Identify the relevant land, premises and equipment. Establish the history of prohibited-substance use. Under C.2.2.17–C.2.2.20, an affidavit alone is insufficient, and the assessment must address contamination risks such as neighbouring farms, flooding and undeclared split production.
Keep ingredient certificates alongside purchase, sales, inventory and management records. Organic ingredients need qualifying certification under Part 13 or an applicable equivalency arrangement. These checks appear in C.2.2.19 and C.7.1 of the manual.
Traceability must connect finished-product shipping or invoice records back to ingredient lots, suppliers or production locations. The certification body also checks input/output mass balance. For crop operations, this includes reconciling yields with production, sales and inventory. For relevant livestock operations, it includes movement, identification and certificate records. See C.2.2.21–C.2.2.24 of the manual.
Mixed organic and non-organic processing facilities are normally inspected while the targeted organic products are being processed. Plan inspection access around actual production, as described in C.2.2.11.
Retain relevant input, production, preparation and handling records for at least five years under manual C.8.3–C.8.4. Make them available to the designated oversight bodies on request. Section 352 also requires immediate written notice of changes that could affect certification and complaints concerning organic integrity.
How to check the permitted substances list
The Canadian organic standards permitted substance list is not a blanket approval list. The 32.311 catalogue states that substances must be used within their table's scope and annotations. A substance permitted for one purpose is not automatically permitted for another.
Use this sequence before introducing an input:
- Identify the intended use and full formulation. Keep the supplier's ingredient and process information available.
- Find the applicable table and substance entry in CAN/CGSB-32.311.
- Read the entry's annotations and table restrictions. Check the September correction notice where relevant.
- Submit the supporting information to your certification body before use.
- Keep the evaluation records and communicate formulation changes.
This workflow reflects the input-evaluation controls in manual C.2.2.2–C.2.2.7. Certification bodies may need full ingredient and process disclosure and must reconfirm formulations. A supplier's "organic-compatible" claim cannot replace that evaluation.
The awkward part is often the formulation, not the substance name. An entry alone does not settle whether a particular commercial product meets the conditions. For an unsettled interpretation, consult your certification body and the CFIA interpretation-committee route.
Misuse has certification consequences. Section 349 includes suspension grounds for unlisted substances, impermissible contact, misuse of listed substances and noncompliant methods. It provides notice and corrective-action procedures, rather than treating every suspected contamination as automatic cancellation.
Plan conversion before promising an organic harvest
Application timing is not the same as land-conversion eligibility. Section 344(3) requires applications at least 15 months before expected sale for specified commodities. These include field crops, greenhouse crops grown in permanent in-ground soil and maple products.
Separately, manual C.2.8.6–C.2.8.7 describes at least 12 months of full application under certification-body oversight before harvest for the commodities addressed there. Neither timing rule should be treated as a universal conversion period. Agree field history and the first eligible harvest with the certification body before scheduling organic sales.
Check the claim as well as the production method
Organic content affects the claim a certified product can carry. The federal labelling provisions distinguish these categories:
- Certified products with at least 95% organic content can carry product-level organic claims and the Canada Organic Logo.
- From 70% to less than 95%, certified products may carry the prescribed "X% organic ingredients" claim, rounded down, but not the logo.
- Below 70%, organic ingredients may be identified in the ingredient list, without a product-level organic claim or logo.
These thresholds alone do not establish a formula's eligibility. Check the composition and application requirements in sections 343–344. Certification must also meet section 345.
RegAffairs AI's answer on Canadian organic standards provides a starting point for questions, not certification approval. Under section 345, certification depends on compliant substances and methods, on-site verification and complete, truthful application information.