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Tag Archives: food labelling

Navigating Health Canada’s New Supplemented Food Facts Table

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Health Canada aims to enhance your awareness of the revised labelling on supplemented foods, providing valuable information for making informed dietary choices.

Understanding Supplemented Foods: Supplemented foods are prepackaged items with added specific ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, or caffeine, for purposes beyond basic nutrition. Some may have consumption limits or may not be suitable for certain individuals, especially when combined with other supplemented foods or supplements containing similar ingredients. Examples include – beverages or bars with added vitamins and minerals and beverages with added caffeine (for example, caffeinated energy drinks).

What’s Changing? Starting in 2024, a standardized Supplemented Food Facts table will replace the nutrition facts table on all supplemented foods, with full implementation required by December 31, 2025. Some supplemented foods will also carry a caution identifier on the front of the package and related caution box on the back or side of the package. This is because certain supplemented foods contain supplemental ingredients that can pose a risk to health if you consume too much of them or are pregnant, breastfeeding, under the age of 14 or sensitive to caffeine.

Be on the lookout when you go grocery shopping – some foods already carry these new labels!

Help Spread the Word: Join us in sharing this important information with your family, friends, and colleagues. Health Canada has developed messages and resources, including a new factsheet, to aid in distinguishing supplemented foods from other products and interpreting cautionary information accurately.

Connect with Us: For any questions or comments, please contact us! You may also reach out to Health Canada or contact Health Canada’s Supplemented Foods team with the subject line: Supplemented Foods Awareness Initiative. Let’s work together to ensure everyone stays well-informed!

If you have questions or comments about this story, please contact us. 

References:
Health Canada, Supplemented Foods (2023)

This article was written by Lucia Weiler, BSc, RD, PHEc – Award-winning dietitian and Owner, n4nn.

New Food Label Reading Tool – Health Canada Update

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Health Canada recently unveiled an updated food label reading resource on it’s website, featuring clear graphics and simple 3 step process to understand food labels. Those who completed our n4nn course have gained valuable insights into interpreting food labels, empowering them to make healthier dietary choices. Using food labels can help you compare and choose products so you can make an informed choice. Below is the information on Health Canada’s new 3 step method to interpret food labels.

If you are interested in learning more about label reading, our n4nn tutorials cater to lunch and learns and professional development activities. Additionally, the n4nn online course is an invaluable resource for further exploration and understanding. If you’re interested in expanding your nutrition knowledge, please reach out to us.

Use these three steps to understand food labels

  1. Find the amount of food: 

The amount of food listed in the nutrition facts table is called serving size. The information in the nutrition facts table is based on this amount of food.

  1. Use % daily value:

The % daily value (% DV) tells you if a food product has a little or a lot of a certain nutrient:

  • 5% DV or less is a little
  • 15% DV or more is a lot
  1. Read the list of ingredients: 

The list of ingredients lists all of the ingredients in a food product in order of weight. This means that the food product contains:

  • more of the ingredients found at the beginning of the list
  • less of the ingredients at the end of the list

 

Make a healthier food choice

When making a food choice or comparing two similar food products, choose those with less:

  • sugars
  • sodium
  • saturated fats

Some nutrients you may want more of include:

  • iron
  • fibre
  • calcium
  • potassium

Written by Lucia Weiler, BSc, RD, PHEc, Award-winning dietitian and Owner, n4nn

Source Heath Canada (2023) https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/use-food-labels-make-healthier-choices/

Health Canada Policy Update – Restricting Food Advertising to Children

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Health Canada is seeking your feedback on their policy update on restricting food advertising primarily directed at children before June 12, 2023. The policy update was published on April 25, 2023. For food makers, it’s time to start thinking about whether their ongoing and upcoming advertising campaigns meet the proposed regulations.

Regulators at Health Canada want to hear from everyone including the public, health professionals, researchers, academics, organizations, governments, industry stakeholders, First Nations and other interested parties. The key questions for feedback include:

  • Defining advertising that is primarily directed at children
  • Targeting restrictions to advertising on television and digital media
  • Restricting advertisements for foods that contribute to excess intakes of sodium, sugars or saturated fat

We are joining the webinar discussion with Health Canada on May 11, 2023  and complied the following background information for your business and advertising insights. Let us know  if you have any questions. Here is more information on  how you can participate and where you can register for the  English Webinar

Purpose of Health Canada’s Policy Update

Health Canada intends to amend the Food and Drug Regulations to restrict advertising primarily directed at children for foods and beverages that contribute to excess intakes of sodium, sugars and saturated fat.

Health Canada’s latest scientific evidence review found convincing relationships between the increased intakes of these nutrients of public health concern and health issues such as increased blood pressure (sodium), overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes (sugars and saturated fat), dental decay (sugars) and cardiovascular disease (saturated fat).

Children see and hear food advertising throughout their day, across a range of media platforms (such as television, social media and gaming) and settings (such as retail food stores, theaters, and recreation centers). The focus of this policy proposal is about exposure to food advertising on television and digital media however, Health Canada acknowledges that Canadian children are also exposed to food advertising in other types of media, settings, and techniques such as brand advertising, food packaging and labelling and sports sponsorships. Health Canada will continue to monitor food advertising in these areas to inform any future restrictions.

Details of the policy update are available at this link: Policy update on restricting food advertising primarily directed at children: Overview

Position Statements from Associations

Many organizations and associations have released policy or position statements on the issue of restricting food advertising directed at children. The position papers from associations provide valuable insights and references. Here are some examples:

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada published: “Protecting our Children: Restricting Food and Beverage Marketing to Kids.”  in December 2021.

Stop Marketing to Kids Coalition advocates for restricting food and beverage marketing to kids. They provide an Inventory of Position Statements.

Advertising Standards Canada has made attempts to inform the industry and self regulate by creating a “Food and Beverage Advertising Code” in August 2022. However, the Code is not a replacement for regulation. The Code is aimed at prepackaged products as well as restaurant and food service meals. The criteria are generally focused on saturated fat, sodium and sugar content. More information is available at this link:  Food and Beverage Advertising Code

Stay Informed with Us!

In our work as health professionals and consulting dietitians, we examine current credible evidence and translate the science into meaningful expert advice for Canadians. Connect with us to stay informed and shape your nutrition strategy. If you have questions about nutrition related to food and beverage marketing please reach out to us! (info@n4nn.ca )  ‎

Catch up on our most popular n4nn blogs about nutrition for kids and teens:

Healthy eating at school – insights for menu planning and nutrition programs
How to raise kids to have a positive relationship with food
Kids are Back to School…and Eating Better

Written by Lucia Weiler, BSc, RD, PHEc – Award-winning dietitian and Co-Founder, n4nn