On Parliament Hill

Easy to understand nutrition labels help people make informed choices about the foods they eat. Food labels list the best before date, ingredients, and common allergens in foods. The food label may also inform the consumer about the nutritional quality and health effects of certain foods.

Canada has long been a world leader in the field of nutrition labeling and was one of the first countries to require mandatory nutrition labeling on pre-packaged foods. However, there is always room for improvement.

Earlier this year I held a roundtable to consult parents and consumers about ways to further improve information on food labels. The participants at the roundtable brought up many excellent ideas and I was pleased to forward those suggestions to the Hon. Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, for her review.

I’m proud to say that our Government is now proposing changes, based on what we heard at these round tables, to the nutrition information on food labels. The changes will make it easier to read and understand labels and help Canadians make healthy food choices for themselves and their families.

The proposed changes are to the format of the Nutrition Facts table, the list of ingredients, the list of nutrients that must appear in the table, and to the Daily Values.

It also includes changing how ingredients are listed, including grouping sugars together, so parents and consumers have a clearer picture of how much sugar is added to the food and the label is easier to read.

Finally, another key proposal is to provide guidelines to industry to make the serving sizes displayed in the Nutrition Facts table more consistent among similar products.

I want to thank those who have participated with us to help ensure Canadians have the nutrition information they need to make informed decisions about the foods they buy and prepare for themselves and their families.

Click here for further information to the proposed changes.