A practical, bilingual-label checklist and ready-to-copy wording for Indonesian roasted/ground coffee bags entering Canada in 2026. Covers CFIA/SFCR must‑haves, Nutrition Facts exemptions, importer address rules, net weight, lot codes, best-before vs roast date, origin statements and acceptable bilingual stickers.
If you’re preparing Indonesian roasted or ground coffee for Canadian retail in 2026, you don’t need a thick legal memo. You need a clean bilingual checklist, correct net weight, the right name and address, and a legible lot code that won’t rub off. We’ve labeled thousands of bags for Canada, and the wins come from sweating those details. Here’s the exact playbook we use for CFIA/SFCR compliance on consumer coffee packs.
The 2026 rule snapshot: what must be on a coffee bag in Canada
These are the non-negotiables for consumer prepackaged roasted/ground coffee under the Food and Drugs Act, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations (CPLR).
- Bilingual mandatory info. English and French for all required statements. Quebec also expects French to be at least as prominent.
- Net quantity in metric. Use g or kg only. Place on the principal display panel, typically in the bottom 30%.
- Dealer (importer) name and Canadian address. The Canadian importer’s legal name and principal place of business must appear. City, province, and postal code are expected.
- Lot code for SFCR traceability. Any unique code that links the unit to production records. It must be durable and legible.
- Ingredients and allergens. Required if anything beyond coffee is added (flavours, sweeteners, etc.). Use plain-language allergen declarations.
- Best before date only when shelf life is 90 days or less. Coffee usually exceeds 90 days, so BB is optional, but if you include it, format it correctly and bilingually.
What’s intentionally not covered here: licenses, AIRS classifications, organic or phytosanitary paperwork, taxes/duties, or logistics.
The questions we get every week
Do I need a Nutrition Facts table on roasted coffee sold in Canada?
Usually no. Whole bean and ground coffee with no added ingredients are exempt from the Nutrition Facts table. That exemption falls away if you add anything that contributes nutrients or changes the nature of the product. Examples:
- Flavoured beans with added oils or carriers. You’ll need an ingredient list. Whether NFt is required depends on the formulation, but in our experience many flavoured coffees trigger it.
- Ready-to-drink coffee. Always needs NFt.
- Instant mixes with sugar/whitener. NFt required. Takeaway: unflavoured roasted or ground coffee = typically NFt exempt. Anything “added” = review formulation.
Does the Canadian importer’s name and address have to appear on the coffee bag?
Yes. For imported consumer packages, show the Canadian dealer’s name and principal place of business. A foreign exporter address alone is not sufficient. Format we like: “Imported by/Importé par: ABC Imports Inc., Vancouver, BC V6X 1Y2, Canada”. Include the street address for clarity.
Are French and English both required across all provinces?
Yes. Mandatory info must appear in both languages nationwide. Quebec also enforces French prominence rules. We print bilingual text side by side and size-match the fonts so this never becomes a negotiation at retail.
Is “Product of Indonesia” mandatory on coffee labels in Canada?
No. Country-of-origin isn’t a general requirement for coffee, but you can include it as an optional statement if it’s truthful. If you blend several Indonesian regions, “Product of Indonesia” still fits when roasting/pack is done in Indonesia. If roasted in Canada from Indonesian green, consider “Roasted in Canada. Beans from Indonesia.”
Is a roast date required, or is a best before date enough?
Neither is strictly required for coffee with a durable life over 90 days. Many specialty brands show the roast date for transparency. If you include a best before, use the bilingual “Best before/Meilleur avant” prefix and an accepted month format.
What unit and placement are required for net weight on a 250 g or 340 g bag?
- Use grams. 250 g or 340 g. Don’t add ounces on consumer units.
- Put it on the principal display panel, ideally in the bottom 30% of that panel.
- Type height for the numerals depends on the surface area of the principal display panel. Most 250–340 g stand-up pouches fall between 100–300 cm². That means your numerals should be at least 3.2–4.8 mm tall. We spec 4.8 mm when in doubt.
Can I use a bilingual sticker to make labels compliant for Canada?
Yes, if it’s durable, legible, not easily removable, and applied before sale in Canada. For e-commerce fulfillment, apply stickers before shipment to consumers. For Quebec, ensure French is present and at least as prominent. We use abrasion-resistant thermal transfer for lot codes and bilingual add-ons.
Ready-to-copy bilingual wording templates
Use these as a starting point for roasted or ground coffee. Replace placeholders with your details.
-
Front panel, unflavoured whole bean, 340 g:
- Arabica Coffee | Café Arabica
- Whole Bean | Grains entiers
- 340 g
- Roast date (optional) | Torréfié le (facultatif): 2026 JA 15
-
Front panel, ground coffee, 250 g:
- Arabica Coffee | Café Arabica
- Ground | Moulu
- 250 g
-
Back or side panel (common to both):
- Ingredients | Ingrédients: Coffee | Café
- Best before | Meilleur avant: 2026 SE 30 (optional if shelf life > 90 days)
- Lot: 2409A-GAYO-01
- Imported by | Importé par: ABC Imports Inc., 1234 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6X 1Y2, Canada
- Product of Indonesia | Produit de l’Indonésie (optional)
-
Flavoured example (vanilla):
- Ingredients | Ingrédients: Coffee | Café, Natural vanilla flavour | Arôme naturel de vanille
- Contains | Contient: Milk/Lait (if flavour system includes milk-derived components)
Pro tip: use bilingual month codes to stay compliant and compact on date lines. We’ve had excellent results with JA, FE, MR, AL, MA, JN, JL, AU, SE, OC, NO, DE. They’re readable in both languages.
Three practical labeling insights from our shipping floor
- Print lot codes away from the one-way valve. Heat and curvature can cause ink transfer and unreadable codes. We prefer the upper back panel or a flat gusset.
- Use “g” only for net quantity. It’s bilingual-neutral and saves space. “340 g” is cleaner than “Net weight/Poid net 340 grams/grammes.”
- Plan for Quebec from day one. Don’t design an English-front + sticker-back solution. A clean bilingual layout avoids relabeling later.
Common mistakes that get bags relabeled in Canadian warehouses
- Missing Canadian importer address. Having only the Indonesian exporter is not enough.
- Net quantity in ounces or dual units. Consumer units should be metric only.
- Best before without bilingual prefix, or using a numeric-only date that confuses day/month. Use a three-letter bilingual month.
- Tiny net-weight numerals. If your pouch is 120–180 cm² PDP, 3.2 mm is the legal minimum. We go bigger to be safe.
- Flavoured coffee missing allergen callouts. If a flavour carrier uses milk or soy, declare it clearly.
When an origin story adds value
Origin statements are optional, but Canadian buyers like clarity. If you’re selling a single origin like Gayo, Mandheling or Bali, it’s fine to highlight region on the front and keep “Product of Indonesia” on the back. For example, a Bali lot such as our Arabica Bali Kintamani Grade 1 Green Coffee Beans translates well into retail copy about terroir. Blends can still be framed by region, as with wine-style fermentations in our Bali, Java, Gayo & Mandheling - Wine Green Arabica Coffee Beans. Keep claims truthful and consistent with your production records.
Quick reference: what must be bilingual vs what isn’t
- Bilingual required: common name (e.g., Coffee/Café), net quantity unit if spelled out, “Best before/Meilleur avant,” “Ingredients/Ingrédients,” allergen “Contains/Contient,” preparation/storage statements.
- Not required to be bilingual: numerals and symbols like “g,” dealer name and address, lot code alphanumerics. That said, we still keep adjacent text bilingual.
Final takeaways you can use today
- For plain roasted or ground coffee, skip the Nutrition Facts table. Do include a robust lot code and the Canadian importer address.
- Use g only for net quantity. Place it in the lower 30% of the front panel. Aim for 4.8 mm numerals unless you’ve measured your PDP and know you can use 3.2 mm.
- If you show a best before date, make it bilingual and use a three-letter month. If you prefer roast date for freshness storytelling, that’s fine too.
- Bilingual stickers are acceptable if permanent and applied before sale. But a purpose-built bilingual master artwork will save money and headaches.
Need a fast label check against CFIA/SFCR before you print 10,000 bags? We’re happy to review and suggest fixes. Contact us on whatsapp.
If you’re planning a Canada line-up and want consistent Indonesian profiles behind those labels, explore our current lots and microlots. View our products.