Health Canada, through the Food and Drugs Act (“FDA”) regulates food labelling, which helps Canadians make healthy and informed choices about the foods they buy and eat. The Food and Drug Regulations of the FDA (the “Regulations”) makes nutrition labelling mandatory on most food labels and outlines requirements for nutrient content claims. Food products can also be subject to additional federal and provincial regulations and be subject to commodity-specific requirements. The Regulations require that most pre-packed foods carry a label. Some of the key core labelling requirements are outlined below.
Ingredients and Allergens
The ingredients of a pre-packaged food must appear on the label in common name in decreasing order of proportion by weight. In addition to the list of ingredients requirements, any sweetners used must be declared.
Labelling requirements are in place for specific priority allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites in prepackaged foods sold in Canada. The allergy statement about ingredients that may be contained that can induce dangerous allergic reactions (like peanuts, milk and eggs) is mandatory to make it easier for Canadians to eat safely and with confidence.
Nutrition Labelling
A Nutrition Facts table (NFT) is required unless the product is exempt to provide information to the consumer about the nutrient content of a food, including energy (calories) and the 13 core nutrients in a standardized format with a reasonable serving size.
Irradiated Foods
Irradiated foods must be identified as “irradiated,” “treated with radiation” or “treated by irradiation.” Irradiated foods which may be sold in Canada include: potatoes and onions (to inhibit sprouting during storage), wheat, flour, and whole wheat flour (to control insect infestation in stored food), and whole or ground spices and dehydrated seasoning preparations (to reduce microbial load). Health Canada receives a number of inquiries about food irradiation and has posted answers to frequently asked questions about food irradiation on its website.
Date Markings and Storage Instructions
Date markings are required for foods with a shelf life of 90 days or less. A “best before” date, “packaged on” date, “use by” date, or expiration date is required. Storage instructions are also required. Keep in mind that these dates do not guarantee product safety and instead provide information about the freshness, taste or appearance of unopened foods.
Common Name and Net Quantity
The label must be printed with the common name of the food and with the amount of food contained in the package on the Principal Display Panel (PDP). The PDP is the part of the label that is normally displayed or visible and is usually the front panel.
Country of Origin
The country of origin must be appear in the label. A “Product of Canada” label means that all, or nearly all the food, processing and labour used to make the food is Canadian. It also allows for small amounts of imported food, such as spices, food additives, vitamins and flavourings.” A Canadian company is involved if a product label says “Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients” or “Made in Canada from imported ingredients.”
Bilingual Labelling
All mandatory labelling information must be provided in both English and French, except the dealer name and address which may be provided in either official language.
