Ted Falk, Member of Parliament for Provencher, recently hosted a round table discussion with parents on ways to improve nutrition information on food labels.
The discussion at was part of a Canada-wide consultation regarding nutritional information on food labels. The consultation focuses on parents and consumers, and includes round table discussions in several Canadian cities.
“The consultations, as promised in the Speech from the Throne, provide a way for the Government of Canada to listen to Canadians, and to better understand how parents and consumers use nutrition information on food labels to make nutritious choices for themselves and their families,” said MP Falk. “Our government will use the information received to develop specific suggestions for change that will be the focus of a future round of consultations.”
Over two million Canadians are living with diabetes and nearly two million have heart disease or are living with the effects of a stroke. Cardiovascular disease is one of the top contributors to health care costs in Canada, and has a major impact on Canadian families.
Food labels are an important public health tool. 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 a food.
Canada was one of the first countries in the world to require mandatory nutrition labelling on pre-packaged foods. This means that these foods must have a Nutrition Facts table in a consistent format that lists the amount of calories as well as 13 core nutrients such as sodium and fat.
Since mandatory nutrition labelling came into full effect in 2007, the Government has continued to look at how to make the nutritional information on food labels clearer and more useful to Canadian, both in terms of content and presentation. The input from this round table discussion today will help guide future nutritional labelling practices.
