New nutrition labelling regulations for packaged foods to encourage informed food choices was announced by The Government of Canada. These regulations will require a new symbol to be displayed on the front of packaged foods that are high in saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium.
Manufactures will have until January 1, 2026 to comply with the new requirement.
“Mandatory, front-of-package nutrition labelling is a policy tool that can provide the whole population with prominent, reliable and easy to understand nutrition information to help identify healthier choices and reduce the consumption of foods and beverages high in sodium, sugars and saturated fat,” said Doug Roth, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
The nutrition symbol includes a magnifying glass and text to draw attention to certain ingredients. The symbol will complement the nutrition facts table displayed on the back of food packages.
Front-of-package nutrition labelling is a part of Health Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy, which aims to improve the food environment in Canada and lower the risk of diet-related chronic diseases.
