Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling Comes To Life in Canada

On June 30th, 2022, Health Canada introduced the Front-of-Package (FOP) nutrition labeling regulations for prepackaged foods high in saturated fat, sugars, and/or sodium. The new FOP nutrition labeling regulations are a key part of Canada’s Healthy eating strategy, which aims to help Canadians quickly and easily identify foods high in these nutrients and make more informed food choices. 

This regulation will come into force on July 20th, 2022, meaning all regulatory requirements for the regulations are to be released that day or earlier. All food manufacturers selling their products in Canada are given a transition period until Jan 1^st, 2026, to make this change on labels.

Basics of the FOP Nutrition Symbol

An FOP nutrition symbol, in black and white and including a magnifying glass, highlights what food has a high concentration of saturated, sodium, sugars, or any combination of these, and the word “Health Canada” at the bottom of the symbol. This symbol must be in English and French and placed in the upper half of the label, proportional to the size of the food label.

What Food Requires an FOP Nutrition Symbol?

Prepackaged foods that require a nutrition facts table on the label will require an FOP nutrition symbol when saturated fat, sugars, or sodium in these foods meets or exceeds the following thresholds*:

• 15% DV for most foods, i.e., soup, deli meat.
  
  
• 10% DV for foods with a small reference amount (≤ 30 g or mL), i.e., pickles and salad dressing.
  
  
• 30% DV for main dishes (with some exceptions) with a large reference amount (≥ 200 g), i.e., pizza, meat pie.

*The thresholds correspond to a percentage of the daily value (DV) per reference amount or serving size, whichever is greater.

What Foods Are Exempt From an FOP Nutrition Symbol?

Certain prepackaged foods do not require an FOP nutrition symbol for health-related, technical, and practical reasons. For example,

• 2% milk and frozen whole/cut vegetables and fruits have recognized health protection benefits for the whole population.
  
  
• Prepackaged foods that do not require a nutrition facts table on the label, like raw, single-ingredient whole meats and poultry.
  
  
• Sugar, salt, and butter are commonly known to have a high sugar, sodium, or saturated fat content.

What Can Mérieux NutriSciences Do for You?

Mérieux NutriSicences provides various Regulatory Services for FOP nutrition labeling. Contact our labeling experts to learn more.