100% Canadian Milk
100% Canadian Milk FAQs
Q. How do I know if the dairy products I’m buying are made from Canadian milk or milk ingredients?
A. Look for the 100% Canadian Milk symbol on dairy products in your local grocery store. It is a seal of origin – a confirmation that these dairy products are made entirely from 100% Canadian milk. Buying products that bear the 100% Canadian Milk symbol supports local dairy farmers and the economy.
Q. What can I do, as a consumer, if my retailer is not carrying brands that bear the symbol?
A. Ask for it and encourage your local grocery store to carry dairy products bearing the 100% Canadian Milk symbol. You can help the industry by keeping up the demand.
Q. What requirements does Dairy Farmers of Canada have for the contents of dairy products that bear the 100% Canadian Milk symbol?
A. All the milk or milk ingredients used in producing a dairy product bearing the 100% Canadian Milk symbol must be made entirely from Canadian milk produced by Canadian dairy farmers.
Q. Do all dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk bear the symbol?
A. Not yet. The program is offered to processors via a license agreement that is voluntary and optional. While many dairy processors have chosen to adopt the 100% Canadian Milk symbol on their packaging, there are others who have not. This means that not all dairy products made from 100% Canadian milk carry the symbol.
The 100% Canadian Milk symbol is your guarantee that the dairy products you are buying are made entirely from 100% Canadian milk.
Q. If the milk I buy doesn’t carry the symbol, does it mean it’s not produced in Canada?
A. With the exception of chocolate milk, all milk sold in Canada must be produced in Canada, so even if it does not display the symbol, it is Canadian.
In addition to milk, all cream sold in Canada must be produced using Canadian milk.
Q. What if the butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream I buy don’t have the symbol?
A. Butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream can contain milk ingredients or modified milk ingredients imported from other countries such as the United States, Europe, Australia or New Zealand.
To ensure you’re getting butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream made entirely from Canadian milk and milk ingredients, look for the 100% Canadian Milk symbol.
Q. Will Canadian consumers have to pay a premium for products that bear the 100% Canadian Milk symbol?
A. Absolutely not. These dairy products already exist in the market; dairy processors who choose to adopt the symbol are simply making their products more visible by clearly labeling them as being made from 100% Canadian milk.
Q. How will Dairy Farmers of Canada verify that processors are using only Canadian milk and milk ingredients?
A. For each product that bears the 100% Canadian Milk symbol, processors are bound by a legal licensing agreement signed with Dairy Farmers of Canada that guarantees the product is made from 100% Canadian milk. The license agreement processors sign is based on good faith.
