Bilingual Labelling in Canada: What the Law Requires
Mandatory information on the package of a consumer product sold in Canada is bilingual. What must be, what need not be, and what Quebec adds on top.
What does the law require?
In Canada, the mandatory information on a consumer product package — product identity and net quantity — must appear in both French and English, everywhere in the country. The dealer's name and address are an exception. Quebec adds its own broader requirements for everything that ships with the product.
Who is covered
- Manufacturers of prepackaged consumer products sold in Canada
- Importers and distributors applying their own label
- Online sellers shipping into Canada — the obligation follows the product, not the seller
- Businesses selling in Quebec, where the Charter of the French Language adds requirements
What the obligation covers
Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act
Product identity and the net quantity declaration appear in both official languages on the package.
Official source: Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act — Justice CanadaAssociated regulations
The name and address of the responsible person may appear in only one of the two languages — the main exception, and the one most often over-read.
Official source: Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations (C.R.C., c. 417)Charter of the French Language (Quebec)
In Quebec, inscriptions on a product, its container and its packaging, along with instructions for use and warranty certificates, are in French.
Official source: Charter of the French Language (CQLR c. C-11) — LégisQuébecWHMIS 2015
For a hazardous workplace product, the label and safety data sheet are bilingual, in the prescribed format.
Official source: WHMIS — Health Canada
Documents affected
Cosmetics: fragrance allergens 2026-2028
Health Canada requires fragrance allergens to appear in a cosmetic’s ingredient list, outside the term “parfum”, when their concentration exceeds 0.01% in a rinse-off product or 0.001% in a leave-on product.
The schedule runs in three steps: since April 12, 2026, 24 allergens must be disclosed on all cosmetics; since August 1, 2026, the expanded list (81 entries in total) applies to new cosmetics; from August 1, 2028, it will also apply to products already on the market.
INCI names in the ingredient list do not need translating: Health Canada states that they do not need to appear in both French and English. Asiatis translates and revises the bilingual statements — product identity, directions for use, warnings, claims — not the INCI list.
A label redesign to add the allergens is the time to have every bilingual statement revised before printing, rather than correcting a lot already printed.
What happens if you fall short
A product whose labelling is non-compliant can be held, pulled from sale, or refused by a distributor unwilling to carry the risk for you. The real cost is rarely the fine: it is relabelling a lot already printed, the shelf slot lost and the launch date pushed. Which is why labelling is handled before the print run, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Does every word on my packaging have to be bilingual?
No. Mandatory information does; promotional copy does not, federally. In Quebec, though, inscriptions on the product and its accompanying documentation must exist in French.
Is Quebec French good enough for the rest of Canada?
Yes for labelling: there are not two federal standards of French. It is marketing content that sometimes benefits from adaptation, not the mandatory statements.
What if there is no room on my label?
That is the most common constraint, and it is handled at translation time: we calibrate the wording to the available space rather than deliver correct text that does not fit.
I only sell online. Am I covered?
The obligation attaches to the product sold in Canada, whatever the channel. A product shipped to a Canadian consumer arrives in its packaging, and that is what is covered.
When must fragrance allergens appear on a cosmetic label?
Since April 12, 2026 for the 24 allergens on the first list. For the expanded list, since August 1, 2026 for new cosmetics and from August 1, 2028 for existing products, above 0.01% in a rinse-off product and 0.001% in a leave-on product.
Do the INCI names of fragrance allergens need translating?
No. Health Canada states that INCI names in the ingredient list do not need to appear in both French and English. Asiatis translates and revises the bilingual statements around them: product identity, directions for use, warnings and claims.
Find out what applies to you
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See also our sector page: Manufacturing.
Last regulatory review: July 27, 2026. Provided for information only. This is not legal advice. Consult legal counsel for your own situation.