Health Canada and Industry must work together to support product labels that work for Canadians
Health Canada recently launched a public consultation and online consumer survey aimed at determining the best front-of-package (FOP) food labelling approach for Canadians. Understanding nutrition information is critical to empowering Canadians to make food choices that are right for them and their families.
Health Canada is considering four symbols to highlight food and beverage products that are high in sodium, sugar and/or saturated fat, as these are nutrients of public health concern. This would mean that products that contain more than 15% of the daily value of sodium, sugar and/or saturated fat would be required to carry a front-of-pack symbol.
Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) reviewed the proposed regulations and believes that there are some technical challenges that may lead to unintended consequences, including consumer confusion. Applying the proposed criteria, for example, a 20g piece of cheese and a 100g cup of strawberry yogurt would both carry a front-of-pack warning symbol, whereas a 100g cup of chocolate pudding would not. Does this help consumers make better informed food choices? Does this imply that one food, in and of itself, is better than another? Dietitians believe in helping consumers build healthy eating patterns that are focussed on variety and balance rather than individual foods and/or nutrients.
FCPC is encouraged to see that Health Canada is conducting research to inform the proposed and final FOP labelling regulations. The success of FOP labelling requires that it be simple, fact and science-based, informative and transparent and, as such, we are also conducting research aimed at helping determine the most effective labelling options to support Canadians. We intend to share those insights with government and look forward to a continued collaborative dialogue on front-of-pack labelling.
As the primary consumer touchpoint, Canadian food and beverage manufacturers offer a valuable perspective on this critical issue. These include sharing insights on the food behaviours of Canadians; food product development and reformulation to produce foods consistent with healthy eating guidelines; and, collaborating with other sectors to ensure labelling communications and educational messages are “on pulse” with Canadians.
Canada’s food manufacturers have a proud history of collaboration with Health Canada on numerous files across government. Leveraging stakeholder expertise allows for constructive dialogue and will help ensure regulations, such as front-of-pack labelling, are informed and achieve their intended goals.
Experienced executive in health policy, regulatory and science programs. I place a high value on collaborations, diversity and inclusion to achieve results. My motto is: lead with you heart, act with your mind
6yThe food industry is always welcome to provide comments and insights on regulatory proposals. A couple of points for clarification: 1) Health Canada is consulting on the proposed FOP symbols and associated requirements, rather than on the FOP labelling approach per se 2) The proposed thresholds are based on the largest of the stated serving size, the reference amount of food or 50 g. This is to account for both food composition and the contribution of an amount of food typically consumed to the amount of nutrient intake. In the case of chocolate pudding, the assessment for FOP symbol requirement would be made based on 130 g (reference amount) and not the stated serving size (100 g). Chocolate puddings sweetened with sugar and commonly found on the market contain about 15-16 g of sugar / 100 g, which translates into 20 g per reference amount. In both cases, the chocolate pudding would require a high in sugar FOP symbol. If manufacturers lower the sugar content of their pudding by a teaspoon, not only would they avoid the FOP symbol, but would also help reduce sugar intake of Canadians. We encourage FCPC members to participate in Health Canada’s technical webinar on March 1 to learn more about the proposals.