Canada Proposes Changes to Nutrition Information on Food Labels

15 Jul 2014 --- Canada’s Minister of Health, Rona Ambrose, has launched a series of online public consultations on proposed changes that are designed to improve the way nutrition information is presented on labels.

The proposed changes are to the format of: the Nutrition Facts table, the list of ingredients, the list of nutrients that must appear in the table, and to the Daily Values.

It also includes changing how ingredients are listed, including grouping sugars together, so parents and consumers have a clearer picture of how much sugar is added to the food and the label is easier to read.

"Earlier this year, our Government consulted with parents and consumers on ways to improve the way information is presented on food labels,” said Ambrose. “Today, we are proposing changes to the nutrition information on food labels, based on what we heard. These changes will make it easier to read and understand labels and help Canadians make healthy food choices for themselves and their families."

Finally, another key proposal is to provide guidelines to industry to make the serving sizes displayed in the Nutrition Facts table more consistent among similar products.

The overall goal of the proposed changes is to provide Canadians with the nutrition information they need to make informed decisions about the foods they buy and prepare for themselves and their families.

These consultations are part of a broader commitment made by the Government of Canada during the 2013 Speech from the Throne to consult with Canadians on how to improve the way nutrition information is presented on food labels.

"Dietitians of Canada is pleased Health Canada is planning to make improvements to the nutrition label,” said Dietitians of Canada’s director of communications, Janice Macdonald. “We will gladly take this opportunity to engage dietitians in the consultation process. Using consistent serving sizes on the food label and updating the percent Daily Value to reflect current Dietary Reference Intakes are two changes that will support dietitians as they educate Canadians to make informed food choices."

The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) has also said it is pleased to hear about the consultations regarding proposed nutrition labelling changes. “Easy to understand nutrition labels help people make informed choices about the foods they eat, that are vital for preventing type 2 diabetes, managing diabetes and preventing complications,” said Canadian Diebetes Association’s president and chief executive officer, Richard Blickstead. “We look forward to participating in these consultations that can help all Canadians make healthier food choices."

The consultations will run for 60 days, from July 14 to September 11, 2014.

Quick Facts:
•The proposed label changes reflect feedback received by Health Canada from parents and consumers during round table sessions and an online consultation in the winter 2014.

•Canada is a world leader in the field of nutrition labelling and was one of the first countries to require mandatory nutrition labelling on pre-packaged foods.

•The results of this current series of consultations will help inform the decisions about changes to nutrition labelling.