Amazon Canada Bilingual Labeling Requirements
Amazon Sellers Appeal, operated by ASA Compliance Group and led by Or Shamosh, has reinstated 5,600+* Amazon seller accounts and ASINs since 2016.
We handle account suspensions, listing appeals and compliance cases, from the first review through submissions and follow‑ups.
Start with the product category and the information shown on the packaging and listing. Compare the applicable Canadian language requirements with the actual product evidence before preparing a correction or Amazon response.
A US-compliant package is not automatically ready for Amazon.ca. Check the physical product, its category and the actual Canadian compliance request before deciding what needs to change.
Start with the correct product category
Food, natural health products, cosmetics, textiles and other packaged consumer goods do not all use the same labeling rules. The Canadian government’s labeling directory identifies the relevant regimes. A nutrition panel checklist for food is not a universal checklist for every product.
Which information must be in English and French?
Consumer prepackaged food
Mandatory food-label information generally needs both languages. The exact information depends on the food and applicable exemptions. Check the common name, ingredients and allergens, nutrition information, and any required date or storage statements. The responsible business’s name and principal place of business can be in either English or French. Valid SI symbols such as mL are already bilingual.
Not every voluntary statement has the same federal language requirement. Some optional claims trigger additional rules. Use the CFIA bilingual food-labeling guidance and its product-specific requirements.
Prepackaged non-food consumer products
For products covered by the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Competition Bureau identifies product identity, net quantity and dealer identification as core label information. Product identity and the net quantity declaration must meet bilingual requirements; valid metric symbols count as bilingual. Dealer name and address can appear in either official language. Non-mandatory directions and promotional copy are not automatically subject to the same federal bilingual rule, although other legislation and provincial requirements can apply.
See the Competition Bureau’s non-food label requirements. Do not apply this summary in place of a separate regime for your product.
Products sold in Quebec
Quebec adds French-language obligations. The OQLF explains that inscriptions on products, packaging and accompanying documents must be in French; another language must not be more prominent or more accessible. This is not a blanket rule that French must always appear first.
Since June 1, 2025, generic and descriptive elements within qualifying non-French trademarks also need French wording on the product or a permanently attached support. Exceptions and transition conditions matter. Check the OQLF product and trademark guidance for the actual package and production date.
Real Example: A Seller’s Food Product Got Flagged
One seller we worked with had a best-selling protein cookie listed in Canada. It was compliant in the U.S., and they assumed it would be fine for Canadian customers. They were wrong.
Amazon sent this message:
“This product has been identified as a food or beverage product that is missing required information. Food products must be labelled… in both French and English.”
Their packaging was clean, their ingredients were clear – but the entire back label was English-only. That was enough for Amazon to suspend the ASIN immediately.
They lost two weeks of sales and had to resubmit the listing after reprinting compliant labels.
What to do when Amazon requests bilingual labels
- Identify the exact request. Save Amazon’s message, affected ASINs, marketplace and deadline. Establish whether the issue concerns missing language, a product claim, classification or other documentation.
- Review the actual packaging. Compare each required statement with the applicable category rules. Check country-of-origin information separately where required.
- Check wording and layout. Use qualified translation and regulatory review for technical statements. Assess any health claims under the rules for that product and Amazon’s relevant policy. Translation alone does not make a claim permissible.
- Correct the goods where necessary. Match photographs to the physical labels on the stock being sold. Editing listing images alone does not correct noncompliant units. Record how affected inventory and older packaging are handled.
- Respond through the requested channel. Supply the requested evidence and explain the correction or support a mistaken-classification dispute. Check the response and listing status before treating the matter as resolved.
For food imports, check import eligibility separately from label compliance. A correct bilingual label does not by itself establish that the food can be imported or sold.
Are there bilingual-labeling exemptions?
Exemptions have specific definitions and conditions. For food, these can include qualifying specialty, local or approved test-market foods; commercial shipping containers can have different rules from retail packages. Imported food is not automatically a specialty food. Non-food exemptions follow their own rules. Record why an exemption applies rather than relying on a supplier’s general assurance.
Keep the Amazon response tied to the evidence
A compliance request, a removed ASIN and an account suspension are different situations. Follow the action and deadline stated in your case. Correct established gaps, but do not admit a labeling violation if the evidence supports that Amazon classified the product incorrectly.
Our role is to assess and manage the Amazon compliance case alongside any product, translation or regulatory work needed. The protein-cookie example above describes one case, not a standard review time or a prediction for another listing.
Make a label review sheet
- Product and version: formula or model, SKU, ASIN, package size, artwork version, and market.
- Required statement: the information that must appear and the rule supporting it.
- English and French text: approved terminology and a review of meaning, units, and claims.
- Placement and format: panel, type size, contrast, legibility, and available space.
- Evidence: final artwork and clear photographs of the actual packaged stock.
- Approval and stock control: reviewer, date, affected lots, and how older packaging is handled.
Use a qualified language and regulatory review for technical statements. Fluent translation alone does not establish that a claim, allergen term, or nutrition format is legally correct.
A labeling request is holding up your Canadian listing?
Share the product category, marketplace notice and current label versions. We can assess the Amazon compliance case and explain what case handling would involve alongside any required product or labeling corrections.