All natural health products (NHPs) sold in Canada are
subject to the Natural Health Products Regulations, which came into force on
January 1, 2004. To be legally sold in Canada, all natural health products must
have a product licence, and the Canadian sites that manufacture, package, label
and import these products must have site licences. All natural health products
must have a product licence before they can be sold in Canada. To get a
licence, applicants must give detailed information about the product to Health
Canada, including medicinal ingredients, source, dose, potency, non-medicinal
ingredients and recommended use(s). Once Health Canada has assessed a product
and decided it is safe, effective and of high quality, it issues a product
licence along with an eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic
Medicine Number (DIN-HM), which must appear on the label. This number lets you
know that the product has been reviewed and approved by Health Canada.