news & trends

Call to action: protecting people with allergies


Food Allergy Canada 2018-07-15_16-41-56Concerned about food allergy? It can be deadly and is something we all need to be more aware of. Students with food allergies are particularly vulnerable as they start college or university because of the big transition to more independent eating and living.

Food Allergy Canada just released a reference guide focusing on the challenges and recommended best practices for managing food allergies in post-secondary institutions. Protecting people with food allergies is a big responsibility in every food environment.

In our work as dietitians and food safety trainers, we know managing food allergies is a top priority for foodservice professionals who dedicate much time and effort to supporting people who live with food allergies. Based on our experience and the terrific insights in the Food Allergy Canada report, here are three key actions for foodservice operators to help reduce food allergy risks:

  1. Educate and Train
  • Help your team understand the seriousness of food allergies – they can be deadly – and what can be done to reduce the risks.
  • Offer allergy related training and in-service updates to foodservice staff and community leaders.
  • Work with a qualified professional, such as a Registered Dietitian to provide certified continuing education to your team.
  1. Create a Food Allergy Policy & Management System
  • Create leadership driven policies and procedures help guide the actions of all individuals to ensure the well-being of everyone with a food allergy / sensitivity.
  • Involve cross functional teams including people / students with a food allergy.
  • Build a food-allergen aware culture to significantly reduce the risks.
  1. Offer Allergen-Safe Food choices
  • AVOIDING the specific foods responsible is the BEST way to prevent allergic reactions.
  • Always READ the Ingredients list from start to end. Food labelling for pre-packaged food is regulated in Canada. If a priority food allergen, gluten source or added sulphite is an ingredient or part of an ingredient of a food it must be listed either in the ingredient list OR in a “Contains” statement that follows the list. When you review food labels for allergens, “Triple Check” and read the label three times: 1. Before buying, 2. Before putting away, 3. Before serving.[1] Encourage students to read food labels too!
  • Managing allergens in foodservice follows similar procedures as food safety. In addition to checking the Ingredients List, cross contact / cross contamination is a key focus.

For more information, check out this important resource for professionals and families.  Food Allergy Canada’s new Managing Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis: A Guide for Post-Secondary Institutions is available for download at http://foodallergycanada.ca/campusguide. Please share with your colleagues, students and campuses! Questions? Shout out to us info@NutritionForNonNutritionists.com

[1] Food Allergy Canada, Food Labelling 101 http://resources.allergyaware.ca/download/food-labelling-101.pdf

New Nutrition Labels are Coming!

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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:

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

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

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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.

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.