Your product is heading to an Asian grocery chain in the GTA. The buyer wants English and Chinese on pack. You also want national grocery listings, and maybe Quebec later. Suddenly you have three languages, two sets of rules and one dieline.
This guide helps food brands in Toronto, the GTA and Vancouver plan the languages on a pack. Start with who will read it and where it will be sold. Then decide where English, French and Chinese belong. For the full label checklist, the design process and cost drivers, see our separate guides linked below.
This is general planning guidance, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with a regulatory or labelling advisor before you print.
Key takeaways
- For consumer prepackaged food sold in Canada, the mandatory label information must be in both English and French. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) lists only narrow exceptions.
- Chinese and other languages can be added, as long as the mandatory information stays in English and French and the other-language text does not contravene federal law, including the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act and their regulations, and is truthful and not misleading. Other languages cannot go inside the Nutrition Facts table.
- Quebec adds its own rules: French is required on the product, its packaging and the documents that come with it, and no other language can be more prominent than French.
- Plan audiences and retail destinations first. They decide which script of Chinese you need, how much space each language gets and whether a Quebec version is needed.
Start with audiences and retail destinations
The language plan follows the business plan. Before anyone opens the dieline, list the shoppers you want to reach and the stores you are selling into. The same product can need a different language hierarchy depending on where it lands.
| Retail destination | Who reads the pack | Language planning questions |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto and GTA mainstream grocery | A broad English-reading audience, plus French readers anywhere the product travels | English and French mandatory information is the base. Is Chinese worth the space for this product's shoppers? |
| Asian grocery in Toronto and the GTA | Chinese-reading shoppers and others who shop the category | Does the buyer expect Chinese on the front, the back or both? Traditional or Simplified characters? |
| Vancouver and the Lower Mainland | A mix of English-reading and Chinese-reading shoppers, depending on the store | Which script do your target shoppers and your buyer expect? Will the same pack also ship to Ontario? |
| Quebec | French-reading shoppers first | Is French at least as prominent as every other language? Do any trademark words describe the product? |
| National chains across provinces | Shoppers in every region the chain serves | Can one pack work everywhere, including Quebec, or do you need separate versions? |
Our own CPG work follows this order. For a global Asian food brand, we build masters first, then every size, store format and language, with work produced in English, French, Chinese and Korean.
What the federal rules say about English and French
The CFIA's bilingual food labelling guidance states: "Mandatory information on consumer prepackaged food must be shown in both official languages, that is, French and English." The legal basis is section 206 of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. Mandatory information includes core items such as the common name and the net quantity declaration.
The exceptions are narrow. The CFIA lists these:
- The name and principal place of business of the dealer may be in either English or French.
- The common name of certain alcoholic beverages may appear in one language, under specific conditions.
- Shipping containers sent to a business or institution are generally exempt, as long as they are not resold to consumers at retail.
- Specialty foods, local foods and test market foods may be labelled in one official language when they meet strict definitions and conditions.
Two of these matter for many Asian food brands. First, the CFIA says the majority of imported foods do not meet the definition of a specialty food, so most imports are not exempt. Second, the local food exemption is tied to the area where the food is made and sold. The CFIA's own example uses a product made in Burnaby and sold only in Burnaby and its neighbours, such as Vancouver and Richmond. Once that product is sold further away, it must be labelled bilingually wherever it is sold. If you plan to grow in grocery, do not design around the exemption.
A few more points help with layout:
- English and French must each meet the minimum type height, but they do not have to be the same size. The CFIA encourages the same type height for consistency.
- English and French can share one principal display panel, or sit on separate panels if the surfaces are of at least the same size and prominence.
- Voluntary information such as recipes is not subject to federal bilingual rules, but some voluntary claims, such as organic, nutrient content and certain health claims, must be bilingual when you use them.
For the item-by-item label checklist, see how to design bilingual English and French food labels.
Where Chinese can go on the pack
The CFIA allows other languages "in addition to English and French" in labels and advertisements, provided the mandatory information is shown in English and French and the other-language text does not contravene federal law, including the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act and their regulations. It adds that labelling "must be truthful and not misleading regardless of the language in which it is presented."
There is one firm limit: the Nutrition Facts table has a prescribed format, and other languages are not permitted inside it. Chinese can appear elsewhere on the label, as long as the table itself is shown in English and French.
In practice, Chinese on pack is a business decision. It depends on your shoppers and your buyer, and on how well the Chinese copy is written and set. A few planning points:
- Confirm the script. Traditional and Simplified Chinese reach different readers, so ask the buyer and check your audience before typesetting.
- Keep meaning consistent. The Chinese copy should say the same thing as the English and French, with no extra claims. A loose translation is a risk, as our piece on the hidden cost of a bad Chinese translation explains.
- Give Chinese real space. Chinese characters need their own sizes, line breaks and spacing. Squeezed into leftover space, they read as an afterthought.
We saw the audience question clearly on a ShaoXing rice wine label, part of the packaging we designed for brands entering T&T and Foody Mart. The Traditional Chinese name built trust with cooks who knew the product, while the English needed a short subtitle to explain it to new shoppers.
What Quebec adds on top
Quebec has its own language law for products sold there. Section 51 of the Charter of the French language says every inscription on a product, its container, its wrapping and documents supplied with it "must be drafted in French." Translations are allowed, "but no inscription in another language may be given greater prominence than that in French."
For a pack with English, French and Chinese, that means French cannot be smaller or harder to find than English or Chinese on a Quebec product.
Trademarks have their own rule. A recognized trademark can stay in another language if no French version is registered, but generic or descriptive words in the trademark, such as the type of product, the flavour or the ingredients, must also appear in French on the product or on something permanently attached to it. The Office québécois de la langue française explains these rules, and the Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business sets out the details and exceptions, such as products intended for a market outside Quebec.
The same office notes that an in-store display is treated as commercial advertising, where French must be markedly predominant. Plan shelf and display pieces for Quebec separately from the pack.
How to set the language hierarchy on pack
English, French and Chinese rarely conflict on regulation. They conflict on space. Mandatory English and French information has to fit first, and every other language works in the space that remains.
- Lock the mandatory English and French content and the Nutrition Facts table.
- Decide the reading order for each panel, based on the destinations you listed.
- Place Chinese where your buyer and shoppers will look for it, outside the Nutrition Facts table.
- For Quebec versions, check that no other language is more prominent than French.
- Have a regulatory or labelling advisor review the final artwork before print.
Plan space for every language from the first sketch, even though the final Chinese typesetting comes after the English and French content is locked. Adding a third language to a finished layout is the fastest way to a cramped dieline. Our walkthrough of the bilingual food packaging design process covers each step.
Choosing the right language scope for your product
Not every product needs three languages. A short way to decide:
- Selling through national or mainstream grocery: English and French mandatory information is the base. Add Chinese if your product has a natural Chinese-reading audience or you plan to sell through Asian grocery.
- Starting in Asian grocery: plan English, French and Chinese together. The federal rules apply to consumer prepackaged food whichever store sells it, so a pack with English and Chinese only is not ready for most grocery retail unless a narrow exemption applies.
- Selling into Quebec: make sure French is at least as prominent as any other language, and check every word in your trademark.
If cost is part of the decision, our guide to what drives bilingual packaging design cost in Canada explains the scope factors.
Official sources
- CFIA: Bilingual food labelling
- Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, sections 205 to 207
- Charter of the French language, sections 51 and 51.1
- Regulation respecting the language of commerce and business
- Office québécois de la langue française: trademarks on products (in French)
Plan your pack with us
We adapt approved packaging for Canada, with English and French label text, the bilingual Nutrition Facts table and Chinese or Korean kept outside it. See bilingual packaging adaptation and our CPG and food work. Your regulatory advisor signs off compliance.
To plan your languages and destinations, book a free strategy call or send a short note through the contact form.
852 Tangram is a Toronto creative and marketing studio working with food and CPG brands in Toronto, the GTA and Vancouver on bilingual packaging, in-store materials and sell sheets.
Frequently asked questions
Do products sold in Canada need to be bilingual?
For consumer prepackaged food, the CFIA says mandatory label information must be in English and French, with narrow exceptions. Confirm your product with a regulatory or labelling advisor. To talk it through, send a short note through the contact form at https://www.852tangram.org/contact or book a free strategy call at https://calendly.com/852tangram/free-strategy-call.
Can I add Chinese to food packaging in Canada?
Yes. The CFIA allows other languages in addition to English and French, provided the mandatory information stays in English and French and the other-language text does not contravene federal law, including the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act and their regulations, and is truthful and not misleading. Other languages cannot appear inside the Nutrition Facts table. To talk it through, send a short note through the contact form at https://www.852tangram.org/contact or book a free strategy call at https://calendly.com/852tangram/free-strategy-call.
Do English and French have to be the same size on a food label?
No. The CFIA says each language must meet the minimum type height, but they do not have to be equal. It encourages the same type height for consistency. Quebec products follow a separate rule: no other language may be more prominent than French. To talk it through, send a short note through the contact form at https://www.852tangram.org/contact or book a free strategy call at https://calendly.com/852tangram/free-strategy-call.
What does Quebec require on packaging?
Quebec's Charter of the French language requires French on products, packaging and supplied documents, and no other language may be more prominent than French. Generic or descriptive words in a trademark must also appear in French. Have Quebec artwork reviewed by an advisor. To talk it through, send a short note through the contact form at https://www.852tangram.org/contact or book a free strategy call at https://calendly.com/852tangram/free-strategy-call.
Should my pack use Traditional or Simplified Chinese?
It depends on the shoppers you want to reach and what your buyer expects. Confirm the script with the retailer and your audience research before typesetting, and keep one script consistent across the pack. To talk it through, send a short note through the contact form at https://www.852tangram.org/contact or book a free strategy call at https://calendly.com/852tangram/free-strategy-call.
