Allergen Labelling for Flavours in Canada | What to Check

Canadian labelling rules require priority allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites to be declared when they are present, including when they arrive through a compound ingredient such as a flavour. The single word 'flavour' on an ingredient list never removes that obligation.

In practice this means your label decision depends on documentation, not on the flavour name. A dairy-style profile may contain no milk at all; a natural fruit flavour can still carry an ethanol or carrier component worth checking. Ask for the statement in writing rather than inferring it from the profile description.

A complete flavour file answers, in writing: the status of each priority allergen and gluten source in the formulation; whether sulphites are added and at what level; whether the flavour qualifies as natural under Canadian rules; the carrier or solvent used; and any cross-contact risk from the manufacturing site.

It should also give you what QA and regulatory need to close the file — a specification sheet, a certificate of analysis, and any certification statements such as kosher, halal or non-GMO. Delsa Flavours Canada supplies this documentation in English and French so a Quebec label review and an English label review can run in parallel.

Collect the allergen statement for every compound ingredient, not only the flavour, and keep the version dated against the formula revision. When a supplier reformulates a profile, the allergen statement can change while the code stays the same — that is a common source of label error.

If you are switching flavour suppliers, treat the allergen and declaration review as part of the sensory match. A profile that matches perfectly but forces a new allergen declaration on the front of the pack is not a like-for-like replacement. Ask for both files up front and compare them side by side.

None of this replaces regulatory advice for your specific product. Use the documentation as evidence and have your regulatory contact confirm the final wording.