Product Categories

Beverages
Examples include:

• Alcoholic Beverages:
  • Beer
  • Ciders & Coolers
  • Spirits
  • Wine
• Coffee/Tea/Substitutes:
  • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
  • Fruit Juice
  • Water
  • Other Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Bakery Products
Examples include:

• Baking/Baking Mixes/Supplies
• Biscuits/Cookies/Pastries
• Bread
• Other Bakery Products

Cereal & Grain
Examples include:

• Grains/Flour/Pulse Products
• Processed Cereals

Confectionary Products
Examples include:

• Candy
• Chocolate
• Sugar/Sugar Substitutes

Dairy Products & Eggs (and alternatives)
Examples include:

• Butter/Butter Substitutes
• Cheese/Cheese/Substitutes
• Cream/Cream Substitutes
• Dairy Derivatives/By products
• Eggs/Eggs Extracts/Substitutes
• Milk/Milk Substitutes
• Yogurt/Yogurt Substitutes

Fish & Seafood

Examples include:

• Aquaculture:
  • Unprepared/Unprocessed
  • Prepared/Processed
• Wild Commercial Fisheries Production
  • Unprepared/Unprocessed
  • Prepared/Processed

Meat & Poultry

• Meat/Poultry/Other Animals
• Unprepared/Unprocessed
• Prepared/Processed

Examples include:

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Other
• Meat Alternatives

Nuts & Seeds
Examples include:

• Prepared/Processed
• Unprepared/Unprocessed

Prepared Foods
Examples include:

• Desserts/Dessert Sauces/Toppings
• Dough Based products/Meals
• Grain based products/Meals
• Meats substitutes
• Pasta/Noodles
• Prepared Soups
• Prepared Meal Solutions
• Snacks
• Sweet Spreads/Jams
• Honey

Sauces, Dressings & Seasonings
Examples include:

• Herbs/Spices/Extracts/Salts
• Oils/Vinegars/Cooking Wines
• Pickles/Relishes/Chutneys
• Sauces/Spreads/Dips/Condiments

Fruit:

• Fresh:

• Unprepared/Unprocessed
• Prepared/Processed

• Prepared/Processed

• Frozen
• Shelf stable

Examples include:

• Berries
• Grapes
• Tree Fruits
• Other Fruits

Vegetables: Field Grown

• Fresh:
  • Unprepared/Unprocessed
  • Prepared/Processed

• Prepared/Processed

• Frozen
• Shelf stable

Examples include:

• Beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Corn
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Rutabaga
• Turnips
• Yellow onions

Vegetables: Greenhouse Grown

• Fresh:

• Unprepared/Unprocessed
• Prepared/Processed

• Prepared/Processed

• Frozen
• Shelf stable

Examples include:

• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Others

A certification for businesses by the accredited National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) organization for compliance with strict safety and operational standards through ongoing product and worksite inspections. Safe Quality Food (SQF) is one standard specific to food, and one of the many certifications that NSF includes.

Products have been approved under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and are approved to be sold both within and outside B.C. (INTER-Provincially).

Products and production facilities are approved by the local health authority and/or Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, and may be sold within the province of B.C. (INTRA-Provincially).

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a step-by-step food safety system and certification for food processing facilities and businesses to identify, control, and prevent hazards during food production.

A national Good Agricultural Practices food safety program and certification that sets standards for businesses that produce, handle and broker fruits and vegetables and is audited by a licensed third-party certification body. The standard and certification program is owned and administered by CanAgPlus, a Canadian not-for-profit corporation, and is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

A widely requested, globally recognized Good Agricultural Practices certification for primary agricultural producers (including crops, livestock, and aquaculture) to set up and maintain systems that meet safety and sustainability standards. Audited by a licensed third-party certification body. Enables companies to meet distributors’ requirements in terms of quality, food safety and environmental practices.

Safe Quality Food (SQF) is a globally recognized food safety certification from the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) that covers all stages of the food supply chain ranging from primary production through to food manufacturing, distribution, food packaging and retail.

As a global non-profit, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) provides a third-party sustainable fisheries certification. Three main principles must be met to achieve certification: Sustainable fish stock harvesting, minimizing environmental impact, and effective management of sustainable fishing practices.

Contains no animal or animal-derived product or ingredients including honey, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, and insects.

ECCnet Registry is Canada’s largest national product registry, allowing data providers (such as manufacturers, brand owners, distributors and suppliers) to seamlessly share the most accurate and up-to-date product data with trading partners and other data recipients (such as retailers, healthcare providers, foodservice operators and other end users). A service offered by GS1 Canada, it is a central, online, searchable database of accurate location information including Global Location Numbers (GLNs) and company and product related details

A province-wide marketing program to promote B.C. food and beverages to ensure consumers can easily identify and enjoy local food products. Businesses that produce or process food or beverage products in B.C. are eligible to apply to a to use the Buy BC logo for their product packaging.

An organization that develops and maintains global standards for product barcodes, identification numbers, and other services that enable product and traceability information to be shared between businesses.

Organic certification that ensures the integrity of organic products from field to table, and determines the basic requirements for organic food production systems. Certification of organic farms is carried out by third-party certification bodies which have been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Fairtrade Standards are designed to aid the sustainable development of smaller producers and agricultural workers in third world countries aiming at creating greater equity in the international trading system. The Fair Trade Certified Mark is the North American equivalent of the International Fairtrade Certification Mark.

The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) uses quality assessment and control measures to assure consumers that their food is safe within North America. Certification involves risk assessments, plant audits and equipment and product testing, both at the plant and at the point of consumer purchase. Finished products bearing the GFCO logo must contain 10 ppm or less of gluten.

BC Vintners Quality Alliance: The appellation of origin and quality standard for B.C Wine. BC VQA certified wines must meet standards with respect to their origin, vintage, varietals, packaging, and quality; they must be assessed by a qualified panel and meet the criteria for quality characteristics.

A sustainable seafood certification that provides rankings for species by assessing the impacts of seafood’s product on aquatic organisms and ecosystems.

Kosher approval by a rabbinic Agency verifying they have checked the products ingredients, production facility and actual production to ensure all ingredients, derivatives, tools and machinery have no trace of non kosher substances.

Allows Muslim consumers to be confident that the products they use are in alignment with their culture and beliefs, and the product is permissible or acceptable in accordance with Islamic law.