Health Canada Revises Nutrition Labels to Emphasize Added Sugars

Health Canada has proposed nutrition labeling changes as part of an ongoing
effort to make food and beverage labels easier for consumers to read. Based
on a public consultation, the conclusions of Canadian Food Inspection
Agency’s Food Labelling Modernization Initiative and a technical review
of current labels, the amendments would revise the Nutrition Facts table,
ingredient list and suggested Daily Values to take into account “the most up
to date scientific information and consumption habits.”

In particular, the proposed changes would (i) adjust serving sizes to reflect
“the amounts of food that Canadians actually eat in one sitting,” (ii) update the
Daily Values and nutrients displayed in the Nutrition Facts table; (iii) refresh
the appearance of the Nutrition Facts table and ingredient list to emphasize
calories, added sugars and other nutrients of concern to Canadian consumers,
and (iv) create “an optional information box highlighting the presence of
certain bioactive components, such as caffeine.”

Health Canada has also recommended grouping together “all sugar-based
ingredients added directly to a food,” so that ingredient lists would place each
individual sugar type (e.g., “sugar, glucose-fructose, honey, fancy molasses”) in
parentheses after the common name “Sugars.” In addition, the Nutrition Facts
table would highlight the amount of added sugar as well as establish a Daily
Value for total sugar consumption at 100 grams.

“These changes will make it easier to read and understand labels and help
Canadians make healthy food choices. Over the coming months, we’ll be
conducting face-to-face and online consultations to gather information about
what Canadians think about the new proposed food labels,” said Minister of
Health Rona Ambrose in a July 14, 2014, statement. The agency will accept
comments on the proposal until September 11, 2014.

Issue 531