Canada will require nutrient warnings on the face of pre-packaged foods high in saturated fat, sugar or sodium from 2026 in an attempt to help grocery shoppers make healthier choices at a glance.
The policy, which has been in place for more than five years, will clearly label products with so-called ‘nutrients of public health concern’, which are linked to conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
“These regulations are designed to make it easier for us to make informed, healthier choices,” Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference on Thursday morning.
Health Canada said the new labels would supplement, instead of replacing, more detailed nutrition information, which is usually on the back of food packaging.
In general, they will be placed on pre-packaged foods that contain more than 15 percent of the proposed daily value of saturated fat, sugar or sodium.
For pre-packaged meals, the warnings will only apply to products with more than 30 percent of the recommended daily intake, and for foods sold in increments of less than 30 grams, the labels will apply if they contain more than 10 percent of the daily recommendation.
The proposed labels were at the center of controversy earlier this month when a group of farmers opposed the government’s plan to include minced meat warnings.
At the time, the Canadian Cattle Breeders Association said the policy would “blacken” minced meat and make people think it was a less healthy choice than whole cuts.
Health Canada has now released minced meat with one ingredient from the warning labels, even if it is high in fat. The product is believed to have health benefits despite “disturbing nutrients”, along with milk, lots of cheese and fruit.
“Canadian families rely on minced beef as a nutritious and affordable food and an important contribution to food security. We are pleased with Health Canada’s decision to omit minced beef from the misleading warning label requirement, “said Reg Shelenberg, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, in a written statement.
Sugar and salt packages will also be released, as the government has said that including labels on such products would be unnecessary.
The plan for placing warnings on the front of food packaging was first presented as part of Health Canada’s “healthy eating strategy” in 2016, and consultations continued in 2018.
But Duclos said the government is allowing companies to implement the change by 2026 to help them manage the cost of major repairs to packaging and possibly reformulate food so that it is not subject to labels at all.
He said that was one of the goals of the program, which took place in Chile when that country imposed similar labels on the front of packaging.
A year after the implementation, Health Canada said the share of products in Chile needed to wear the symbols has been significantly reduced, suggesting that companies have changed their recipes to reduce sugar, fat and salt.
The regulation has stamps for approval by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Diabetes Canada.
Mary L’Abe, a professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Toronto and a nutrition expert in public health, said she was also pleased with the policy.
She said that the buyer, who chooses between two spaghetti sauces, will now be able to quickly find out if one is significantly healthier than the other and make a choice accordingly.
“We know that most consumers don’t spend time in the grocery store turning the packaging over to compare one nutrition chart with another, so that will really help them make those comparisons,” she said.
L’Abbe said research shows that after adding these warnings, people are more likely to choose foods that are lower in sugar, salt and fat.
Although it is too early to say whether this makes a difference in the levels of diet-related health conditions, she said, modeling suggests it will happen if people continue to make that choice.
“Some products people will always consume, even if they have warning labels,” said L’Abbe, citing processed meat, which is a convenient and inexpensive option for many.
“I don’t think people will change all their eating habits, but I think a lot of the categories where food will have labels on the front of the package will make it easy to spot those who do (have a warning label) and such who don’t. And that’s the kind of change that’s happening in other countries. “
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 30, 2022.
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