Canada’s government today (12 June) unveiled the changes it wants to see to the nutrition labels used on food in the country.
Ottawa has put forward changes to the nutrition facts table, the list of ingredients on pack, the stated serving size and information on the level of sugars in food. The changes outlined come after the Canadian government consulted with the food industry, consumers and health organisations last year.
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The government said it is “breaking new ground” on how sugar content is labelled. The proposed changes would give Canadians “clear information about the sugars contained in the foods they eat”, it said.
“The proposed addition of a percentage daily value for sugar and changes to the way sugars are identified in the list of ingredients will make it easier to understand how much sugar is in a product, whether there is a little or a lot of sugar, and what the source of sugar is.”
Minister Ambrose also announced new public education tools, including a My Food Guide mobile application and the Eat Well Plate, to help Canadians apply the dietary guidance of Canada’s Food Guide to build a healthy meal.
The Canadian government has also devised “tools” consumers can use to “build a healthy meal”, including an “Eat Well Plate” to present food proportions and encourages them to make half their plate vegetables and fruit.
Canadians will be consulted on the proposed changes for a 75-day comment period, ending on 26 August.
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