The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will be implementing temporary import conditions for romaine lettuce from California for the 2024 growing season, effective for the period from September 26 to December 18, 2024.
During this period, the conditions for import of leafy greens will require importers to provide a Proof of Origin that confirms their imported romaine lettuce and/or salad mixes containing romaine lettuce do not originate from the counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey in the Salinas Valley of California, U.S.
Alternatively, an importer of romaine lettuce and/or salad mixes containing romaine lettuce from the counties of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Benito and Monterey in the Salinas Valley of California, U.S., or an importer of such products without a valid Proof of Origin, must conform to several strict conditions indicated in the linked document below.
Similar temporary import conditions have been implemented since the 2020 fall season. From 2016 to 2019, romaine lettuce from California was linked to outbreaks of E. coli illnesses in the United States and Canada.