news & trends

What’s on the MENU? Calorie labelling!

what's on the menu blog march 2017

Have you noticed the new calorie labelling on Ontario chain restaurant menus? Operators, servers and consumers are coming to grips with the new reality of revealing calories in a serving of food. We’ve been busy moderating partnership events and engaging with stakeholders about the challenges of the new menu labelling. The events were in collaboration with Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals (CAFP), Restaurants Canada and Dietitians of Canada.

A shout out to fellow dietitian Donna Bottrell who did a terrific job organizing the events, and to Nancy Hewitt President CAFP Toronto for her support.

CAFP lucia moderator event
From left: Donna Bottrell, organizer of the event; Nancy Hewitt, CFE, President of the CAFP Toronto Branch; Susan Somerville, Dean, from Humber College, and Panelist Jamie Rillet and Moderator Lucia Weiler.

Here is a snapshot of what we heard:

  • ‘Medium and small chains are looking for guidance and consistency from the Government.’ Jamie Rilett, Restaurants Canada
  • ‘It’s challenging for a server to explain the calorie range for a serving size. More support and education would be helpful’ K.B.Bose, Shoeless Joe’s
  • ‘There is the nutrient variable to consider and educate about. How to address the fact that milk has more calories than pop but it’s also more nutritious?’ Katie Jessop RD
  • ‘Collaboration is needed between food professionals: chefs, dietitians and nutritionists.  And we are eating foods- not just one food. Food combinations in menus can help create healthier options. Nutrition professionals can assist operators and consumers.’   Lucia Weiler RD
  • ‘A lot of time was spent by Aramark in the initial analysis…they made sure to standardize recipes and then tested and tested which led to a recipe database.’ Karen Williams, Aramark
  • ‘Menu calorie labelling is just the beginning. There is a future importance for all aspects of nutrition and food, especially sustainable processing. Millennial consumers are very conscious about the’ what’ and the ‘how’ of food.’ K.B.Bose, Shoeless Joe’s

For more stakeholder views and participant feedback please contact us. We would be happy to help your team formulate unique insights that integrate our Registered Dietitian expertise in food and nutrition and provide you with solutions that both foodservice professionals and consumers can use.

New Nutrition Labels are Coming!

nutrition-labels-old-vs-new-bigger

After two years of public consultations, Health Canada has finalized the changes to the Nutrition Facts table and ingredients list on packaged foods. On December 14th, 2016, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health announced that these changes are all part of the strategy to help make healthy food choices the easy choice for all Canadians.

Here’s a quick at-a-glance comparison of the old versus the new Nutrition Facts table as well as Ingredients lists.

The new Nutrition Facts table places a greater emphasis on calories, potassium, calcium and iron. For the first time ever, total sugars will have a % Daily Value (%DV) set at 100 grams:

nutrition-labels-old-vs-new-bigger


All food colours will now be listed by their name rather than collectively listed as “colours”:

ingreds-list-new


Different types of sugars will still be individually identified, and will now also be grouped together as “Sugars”:

ingreds-list-sugars

The food industry has 5 years (until 2021) to make these changes, but you may start seeing new labels as early as next year.

Contact us at: Info@NutritionForNonNutritionists.com for more information about these label changes and to discuss how the proposed regulatory changes to front-of-package labelling will impact your business.

Dare to Compare… Ice cream vs Gelato

gelato ice cream 2016 JuneWith the start of summer, ice cream treats are a staple and gelato is becoming more popular. Do you know the difference between ice cream and gelato? Does gelato contain less dairy or have fewer calories than ice cream? Here’s the scoop!

Ice cream and gelato may look similar but are made quite differently and also have unique textures and different nutritional qualities.

How they’re made:  Ice cream’s first ingredient is cream, followed by added sugar. Ice cream is churned fast, whipping in a lot of air. This is makes ice cream fluffy and light.

Gelato on the other hand is made primarily with milk and added sugar. Gelato is churned very slowly, limiting the amount of air that’s mixed in. This gives gelato a thick and dense texture.

Nutritional qualities:  Gelato is denser than ice cream so a scoop of gelato weighs a bit more than the same size scoop of ice cream. (See chart below.) Calories in gelato are similar to those in ice cream and depend on the type of ingredients used. If you are concerned about fat content, gelato usually has less fat than regular ice cream because it is made with milk rather than cream.  Lactose is a naturally occurring sugar and the major carbohydrate in milk. Both ice cream and gelato contain lactose at about 3-6 grams/125 ml serving. [1]  Overall, gelato has more added sugar than ice cream resulting in higher carbohydrate content compared to ice cream.

Dietitian’s Tip:  Both ice cream and gelato are high calorie treats so stick to a small portion (1/2 cup or 125 mL) per serving.  Where possible, check the ingredient list and nutrition label to help you make informed decisions.

 

Characteristics Ice Cream[2] Gelato[3]
Key Ingredients Cream, sugar Milk, sugar
Churning Fast Slow
Density Fluffier, more air
(serving size weighs less per volume)
Denser, less air
(serving size weighs more per volume)
Serving size ½ cup (125 ml) 90  grams ½ cup (125 ml) 100 grams
Calories 200 200
Fat 12 g  9 g
Carbohydrate 20 g 25 g
Protein 4 g 4 g
Calcium 12 % DV 15 % DV

 

 

[1] Dietitians of Canada, Food Sources of Lactose (2013)

[2] Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File Vanilla Ice Cream Food Code # 4158

[3] Vanilla Gelato Nutrition Facts Label

FDA introduces new Nutrition Facts Table

The Nutrition Facts Table (NFT) in the USA is over 20 years old. On May 20, 2016, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) introduced the new label to help consumers south of our border make informed choices about the food they buy and eat.

NFT old versus new 2016 v2

Here’s a brief summary of the key changes that will take effect by July 2018 on USA food labels:

1. Serving size and servings per container – are now highlighted in larger font and/or bold. Serving sizes have been updated.
LIKE: This underscores the importance of portion sizes.
DISLIKE: The serving sizes are based on the amounts of food and beverages that people are actually eating, not on the amounts that they should be eating. For example, the serving size of ice cream was previously ½ cup but is changing to 2/3 cup.

2. Calories – are now highlighted in extra large font (how can you miss it?)
LIKE: With a global obesity crisis, calories have become the simple currency of weight. We tend to underestimate the calories that we consume.
BUT…Calories does not tell the whole story. Remember to look at the bigger picture of nutrient density and food quality. A Greek yogurt parfait with nuts and fruit may have more calories that a donut – but which is the healthier choice?

3. Calories from fat – have been removed
LIKE: We know that the quality and type of fat is more important that the amount of fat.

4. Added sugars – makes a debut on the new USA NFT. The %DV (% Daily Value) is set at 50 grams.
LIKE: Consumers are hearing more about sugar and health. According to the FDA, research shows that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within caloric limits if you consume more than 10% of your total calories from added sugars. Disclosing the amount of added sugars on the label will help consumers better distinguish between the natural sugars versus the added sugars in the food.

5. Vitamin D and potassium
– are required to be declared on the USA NFT, along with calcium and iron. For each of these, both the actual amount and the %DV amount are listed. Vitamins A and C are no longer mandatory, and can be listed on a voluntary basis.
LIKE: Since many of us are probably not getting enough Vitamin D, potassium, calcium and iron, these nutrients are of public health significance.

6. Footnote – is added to help put the %DV into context for consumers.
LIKE: The %DV is an easy way for consumers to determine whether the food has a little (less than 5% DV) or a lot (15% DV or more) of a nutrient.

The real question now is – will Health Canada follow suit with our NFT?
We’ll keep you posted as it happens!

Senate Report on Obesity

Senate-report-Obesity-in-Canada-p1-normal

Almost 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of kids are overweight or obese. The obesity crisis is a complex issue. What can be done?

In their report Obesity in Canada released earlier this month, the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology made 21 recommendations to chart a course for a leaner, healthier future. Here are some of the key recommendations which are generating a healthy discussion:

– The federal government assess the options for taxation levers with a view to implementing a new tax on sugar-sweetened as well as artificially-sweetened beverages.
– The Minister of Health:

  • immediately undertake a complete revision of Canada’s food guide in order that it better reflect the current state of scientific evidence.
  • reassess the daily value applied to total carbohydrates based on emerging evidence regarding dietary fat and the fat promoting nature of carbohydrates and require that the daily intake value for protein be included in the Nutrition Facts table.
  • assess whether sugar and starch should be combined under the heading of total carbohydrate within the Nutrition Facts table and report back to this committee by December 2016.
  • encourage nutrition labelling on menus and menu boards in food service establishments.

    Obesity is a multi-factorial issue with no easy solution. Join in our upcoming Nutrition for NON-Nutritionists course (April 20, 2016) to get our in-depth POV on these recommendations and issues, or contact us to discuss how these recommendations will impact your business innovations and communications.

  • Health Canada announces proposed changes to the food label and Nutrition Facts table

    On June 12th, Health Canada shared a proposed Nutrition Facts table aimed to improve nutrition information on food labels. As part of the consultation process you are invited to provide comments in writing to Health Canada by August 26, 2015. This is the right time to get involved let your voice be heard! In general, the proposed changes are as follows:

    • Serving sizes will be regulated to make them consistent and reflect what is typically eaten (e.g. a serving of bread will be 2 slices instead of 1 slice)
    • The information about serving sizes and calories will be more prominent
    • Sugars will have a new % Daily Value (%DV) of 100 grams and sugars will be grouped together in the ingredients list
    • The %DV for carbohydrates will be removed
    • A footnote will appear at the bottom of the Nutrition Facts table to explain that 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot
    • Food colours will be identified by their common name in the list of ingredients
    • A new health claim will be allowed, “A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of heart disease”
    • Vitamins A and C will be removed from the Nutrition Facts table, and potassium will be added
    • The actual amounts in milligrams (mg) of potassium, calcium and iron will now be shown in addition to their % DV

    Contact us if you would like to discuss the interpretation of the proposed label changes and how they may impact your business. We can also assist with your comments to Health Canada during the consultation phase which ends August 26, 2015.

    USA Restaurant Menu Labelling – What’s up? What’s Next?

    US national menu labelling is expected to come into force this summer. The new regulations aim to ensure calorie labelling on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants, retail food establishments, and vending machines with 20 or more locations.  We recently joined a US National Restaurant Association info session where we heard insights about what to expect next.

    The intent of the menu labelling law is that: “People need nutritional information to exercise personal responsibility at the point of ordering in restaurants.” As such, the following 3 key features are expected on US restaurant menus and menu boards:

    1. The number of calories will be disclosed with the word “Calories’ or ‘Cal’ posted next to number.
    2. The following statement to help put the number of calories into context: “A 2,000 calorie diet is used as the basis for general nutrition advice; however individual needs may vary.”
    3. Additional nutrients (such as fat and sodium) will be available upon request, but not necessarily posted on the menu.

    Mandatory menu labelling is a controversial issue for reasons that include menu variability and questions about long-term impact. However, health and consumer groups welcome the calorie and nutrient information regulations.

    Research shows that seeing calories on the menu impacts immediate purchase decisions and that consumers tend to underestimate the caloric content of menu items, especially those with higher calories.  It’s important to put calorie education in context so it does not become an issue whether the menu item is 400 or 420 calories. Menu labelling is about providing information so that consumers can make an informed choice between something that’s 1200 calories versus 200 calories.

    Will Health Canada follow the US restaurant menu labelling? Only time will tell, and we’ll keep you posted. More information about next steps in menu labelling is available by contacting us.