Food Labelling

New Nutrition Labels
January 2003

In January 2003 Health Canada published amendments to the Food and Drugs Act, expanding the nutrition information on pre-packaged foods sold at retail. Food manufacturers had until December 12, 2005 to include the new nutrition label on their products. However, it will take a few months for all products on shelves to reflect the new label. There are some minor exemptions from the labelling regulations, including single ingredient products such as fresh fruit and vegetables, and raw meat and poultry that are not ground. Small businesses with less than $1 million in sales have an extension until December 12, 2007. The regulations consist of three components–nutrition labelling, nutrient content claims and health claims.

FCPC supports providing clear, concise, accurate nutrition information to consumers to help them make more informed food choices. In fact, the food manufacturing industry has been voluntarily providing nutrition information on its packaged food products since the early 1980's. With the introduction of these regulations, manufacturers can now respond to consumer demands for more nutrition information and innovative products that will meet their dietary needs. And, with the introduction of health claims, manufacturers are able to educate consumers about the connection between food and disease reduction, particularly with the rise of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, in North America.

Nutrition LabellingFood Label
According to the new regulations, manufacturers are required to provide Nutrition Facts information on all pre-packaged foods (with minor exceptions). The Nutrition Facts table has a standardized format that is consistent from product to product and includes a mandatory list of calories plus an expanded list of 13 core nutrients. The list includes: Calories, Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Carbohydrate, Protein, Fibre, Sugars, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron.

The following Nutrition Labelling Toolkit and Compendium of Templates for "Nutrition Facts" tables are provided to assist companies in complying with the new regulations on Nutrition Labelling.

  • The Nutrition Labelling Toolkit is intended to be a practical aid to the interpretation of the nutrition labelling provisions of the Food and Drug Regulations. The toolkit, originally designed for inspectors of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), provides food manufacturers with information on:
    - Products requiring a Nutrition Facts table and products which are exempt;
    - Requirements of the Nutrition Facts table;
    - The technical and graphic requirements of Nutrition Facts tables; and
    - Calculation the Available Display Surface on different types of food packaging.
    The toolkit also contains the CFIA’s Nutrition Labelling Evaluation Standard.
    Nutrition Labelling Toolkit
  • The Compendium of Templates for "Nutrition Facts" tables includes 270 templates which correspond to the full size graphic illustrations of the various versions of the Nutrition Facts table permitted by the Food and Drug regulations on Nutrition Labelling. These templates will assist label designers in complying with the format specifications of the regulations.
  • The Compendium of Templates for "Nutrition Facts" tables was created in QuarkXPress 4.1. Since a limited number of designers are using QuarkXPress, an Adobe Illustrator version will be made available at a later date. A note will be posted upon release of this new version. In the meantime the Acrobat (pdf) file of the document is provided for illustrative purposes.
    English PDF/639kb | French PDF/650kb

For more information on how to read the label, visit the Healthy Eating is in Store for you Website at www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca/pdf/Fact_ENG.pdf

Nutrient Content Claims
Nutrient content claims, which describe the level of a nutrient in a food (e.g. "high fibre"), are already in use today by Canadian food marketers. The new regulations more clearly define the criteria for making these claims. For example, when linked to nutrients, "light" claims are only allowed on products, which are reduced in fat or reduced in calorie.

For information on specific nutrient content claims please visit the Healthy Eating is in Store for You Website at:
www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca/pdf/FAQ_ENG.pdf

Health claims
Five diet-related health claims have been introduced for the first time in Canada. Health claims highlight the characteristic of a diet that reduces the chance of developing a disease such as cancer or heart disease. They also tell consumers how a food fits into a diet.

The regulations specify the wording of the claims and the criteria a food has to meet to qualify. For example, a food with a health claim related to heart disease must be low in saturated fat and trans fat.

The five health claims are:

  • a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may reduce the risk of heart disease;
  • a healthy diet with adequate calcium and Vitamin D, and regular physical activity, help to achieve strong bones and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis;
  • a healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer;
  • a healthy diet containing foods high in potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, a risk factor for stroke and heart disease; and
  • dietary sugar alcohols do not promote tooth decay.

For more information:

Additional Documentation:

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