The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
On January 1, 2003 Health Canada announced changes to the regulations on mandatory labeling of nutrition information on packaged foods. These changes mean that consumers will have access to more information, in an easy-to-find-and-read format, about the nutritional value of packaged foods. The Nutrition Facts Table on packaged goods will help you choose products that fit into a healthy diet. Look for information on serving size, calories and 13 nutrients including: Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans fat, Cholesterol, Vitamin C, Sodium, Calcium, Carbohydrate, Iron and Fibre. The Nutrition Facts table provides information about the energy and nutrient content in a single serving of a packaged food. Two Nutrition Claims can be made on the food label of packaged foods: a nutrient content claim and a health claim. The Ônutrient contentÕ claim (such as no sugar added) tells about one nutrient in a packaged food. If a nutrient content claim is made, information about that nutrient must appear on the Nutrition Facts Table. Use the Ônutrient contentÕ claim to quickly find out about a particular nutrient in a packaged food. ÔHealth claimsÕ describe the relationship between a food or nutrient and the health benefits of a food product condition. Health claims are restricted to these four health conditions: heart disease, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Claims relating to dental caries/cavities may also appear on foods such as sugar-free gum/candies. There are only four claims about specific diet/health relationships, all supported by scientific knowledge, permitted: A healthy diet low in sodium and high in potassium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure. A healthy diet adequate in calcium and vitamin D may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fat may reduce the risk of heart disease. A healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit may reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Health Canada sets the regulations for the wording of the claim and the criteria that a food has to meet to qualify as a claim. For example, a food with a health claim related to osteoporosis would have to contain a specified amount of calcium. Each food label of packaged foods has an ÔIngredient ListÕ which tells what the constituents are in the packaged food. The ÔIngredient ListÕ always appears on the food label unless the product only has one ingredient. This will assist people with food allergies to make food choices that fit in their overall diet. All the ingredients in a food are listed by weight from most to least. In summary, look at the Nutrition Facts Table for the ÒbigÓ nutrition picture. It appears on most packaged foods and always tells you about the serving size, calories and the same 13 nutrients. Look at the nutrient content claims to quickly find out about a particular nutrient in a packaged food. Look at health claims to find out how your diet can benefit your health and look at the ingredient list to find out what is in a packaged food.
