Health Canada proposed new nutrition labeling changes which include mandatory front-of-package indicators for pre-packaged foods high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat. The foods that will require such labeling vary for prepared foods with ten-to-thirty percent or more of the daily value of sodium, sugar, or saturated fat. There are three exemptions for the new labeling regulation: (i) health-related exemptions for some foods, including vegetables, two percent and whole milk, eggs, and food with healthy fat profiles; (ii) technical exemptions for foods that do not require a Nutrition Facts table, such as single ingredient products; and (iii) practical exemptions for products where the label would be redundant, such as packaged sugar, salt, butter, etc. Although the changes initially proposed would have required a warning label for ground animal meats (e.g. beef and pork), Health Canada reversed its position to exempt ground animal meats after industry pushback. The new regulations will come into effect on July 20th 2022, but industries have until January 2026 to make the required changes. Read the changes here, and read more here.
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