Due to previous foodborne E. coli outbreaks associated with U.S. romaine lettuce, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has implemented temporary Safe Food for Canadians (SFC) licence conditions for the importation of romaine lettuce originating from the United States.
These temporary licence conditions will be in effect from September 24, 2026, through December 17, 2026, inclusively.
Import Requirements
During this period, importers of romaine lettuce and/or salad mixes containing romaine lettuce from the U.S. must meet the following requirements:
1. Romaine Lettuce Originating Outside the Salinas Valley Counties
If the romaine lettuce originates outside the California counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, and Monterey, importers must:
- Obtain proof of origin from the exporter demonstrating that the product does not originate from these counties.
2. Romaine Lettuce Originating Within the Salinas Valley Counties
If the romaine lettuce originates from Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito, or Monterey County, or if proof of origin is not available, importers must choose one of the following options:
- Obtain evidence that the supplier participates in the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) Romaine Test & Learn (T&L) Program (new for the 2026 harvest season); or
- Obtain a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) for each shipment demonstrating that the romaine lettuce or salad mix does not contain detectable levels of E. coli O157:H7.
Record Retention Requirements
Importers must maintain the applicable support documentation on file for each shipment, including:
- Proof of Origin;
- Evidence of participation in the LGMA Romaine T&L Program; or
- Certificate(s) of Analysis (CoAs).
These records must be retained to demonstrate compliance with the CFIA SFC licence conditions.
Important Reminder
To help avoid delays during the customs clearance process, Willson International strongly recommends that all applicable supporting documents and attestations be provided to our team before shipment release.
Please note: CFIA has removed the requirement to upload these documents as part of the import declaration process. However, importers remain responsible for maintaining the required records and providing them upon request.
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If you have any questions regarding these requirements, please contact the Canadian Regulatory Team.