On December 14, Health Canada published regulatory amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) under the heading, Nutrition Labelling, Other Labelling Provisions and Food Colours. In a statement, the Canadian Ministry of Health unveiled the new regulatory requirements for nutrition labeling of packaged foods and also eluded to plans to consider front-of-pack food labels.  

Based on the latest scientific knowledge of nutrition, Health Canada initially proposed revisions of the nutrition labeling rules last year. The updated labeling requirements for prepackaged foods include modifications of the Nutrition Facts table, serving sizes, and the list of ingredients.
Under the new regulations, the Nutrition Facts table must highlight certain elements of public health concern, including calories, sodium, and fat. The regulatory amendment has removed requirements to list vitamin A and vitamin C, but now require the declaration of potassium in the Nutrition Facts table. The amounts of potassium, calcium and iron must be listed in milligrams (mg). 

Canada has established a five-year transition period for the food industry to comply with the labeling regulations. During the transition period, food labels can comply with the former regulations or be modified to comply with the new regulations. Additional guidance and industry support tools will be developed by the agency during the five-year transition period.

Our International Labeling Service is available to support in adapting/creating the new labels. 

Since interpretations of the legislation and official guidelines to support compliance with the new provisions may follow, we suggest that you follow regulatory developments. If you wish to receive all the regulatory updates on this legislation, subscribe to our Regulatory Update Online service. Click here for a free trial. 

Source:  Health Canada