Fraser Institute Report Urges Reform of Canadian Food Labeling Policy

A new report from the independent research organization Fraser Institute claims that Canada’s rigid advertising standards leave consumers in the dark about the potential health benefits of certain food products.

“Canadian consumers are being denied,” Brett Skinner, the Fraser Institute’s director of bio-pharma and health policy, was quoted as saying. “They don’t know about the potential health benefits of many food products because information can’t be printed on labels.”

The Consumers’ Association of Canada responded to the report by asserting that Canadians are well-served by the current system. “There’s no reason we should follow American standards,” an association representative said. “Some American consumer groups aren’t even happy with the amount of claims made on labels for foods.” See Fraser Institute Press Release; Canwest News Service, July 20, 2009.