ice is food
Higher Quality, Safer Packaged Ice
The International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA) is an association of over 400 packaged ice manufacturers and distributors with locations across North America with a mission to promote superior business practices for the packaged ice industry.
In Canada, the Canadian Ice Association (CAII), a chapter of the IPIA, has taken steps to advance packaged ice safety.
our history
History of the Canadian Ice Association
James Fairhead founded the Springwater Ice Company in 1876 to cut ice from Lake Simcoe because the water was so clean and pure. The name of his company was changed in 1894 to the Lake Simcoe Ice and Fuel Company.
Belle Ewart Ice Company was founded in 1891 by Elias Chapman and was bought by Lake Simcoe Ice in 1906. Knickerbocker Ice was founded in 1894 by Willliam Burns and bought by Lake Simcoe Ice in 1914. These companies all cut ice from Lake Simcoe following the success of James Fairhead.
upcoming events
2025 IPIA Grand Event!
Mark your calendar for the IPIA Grand Event at the Renaissance Nashville, November 10-14, 2025!
Online attendee registration to open in 2025
The CAII is proud to be a member of the IPIA
The IPIA’s mission is for our members to provide the retailer and consumer with a safe, high-quality, consumable food product.
IPIA members recognize that ICE IS A FOOD and meet mandatory safe packaged ice accreditation standards.
The CAII is proud to be a member of the Food and Beverage Ontario
The CAII is proud to be a member of the Food & Beverage Atlantic
Members
Associate Members of the Canadian Packaged Ice Association
The packaged ice industry in canada
Ice...(is still) the forgotten food
Every food code in Canada and the U.S. defines ice as a food yet there is little oversight over packaged ice.
As a food product, packaged ice is not only important for consumers maintaining today’s active lifestyle and health, but also critical for food processing and emergency relief operations. Ice…the Forgotten Food is a slogan borrowed from the International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA). The IPIA has used this slogan for many years in an attempt to draw the attention of all government officials, both Canadian and U.S., and to develop legislation that creates food safety standards for the packaged ice industry.
The finished document was approved for implementation in the spring of 2005 at a meeting in Ottawa.
The Role of the IPIA
The IPIA, founded in 1917, is an association of over 400 packaged ice manufactures and distributors with locations in North America that serves all provinces in Canada and states in the US.
Food Safety Program
In the fall of 2002, the CAII was approached by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to fund the writing of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) food safety program for the packaged ice industry.
Safer Packaged Ice
We discussed the many food safety aspects of processing and producing packaged ice including water quality, the freezing process, the packaging, the warehousing and the distribution of the end product.
In the news
Blog & Articles
ABC News: Bacteria Found in Ice at Several Restaurants
ABC News: Bacteria Found in Ice at Several Restaurants An ABC News affiliate in Salt Lake City, Utah, finds that many restaurant owners are...
University Study Finds Certain Packaged Ice Could Pose Health Risks
University Study Finds Certain Packaged Ice Could Pose Health Risks TAMPA, FL -- In the most comprehensive and important study to ever look at...
Hotel ice, air hold potential hazards, CBC test finds
Hotel ice, air hold potential hazards, CBC test finds CBC Marketplace tests found coliform bacteria, including one case of E. coli, on ice machines...