In June 2022, Health Canada published amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), creating a new requirement for packaged foods. The new regulation, Front-of-Package (FOP) nutrition labelling, requires that foods high in saturated fat, sugars, and/or sodium must include a symbol on the front of the package. Consumers will be able to use the symbol, which will include a magnifying glass, as a quick reference to better inform their dietary choices.
In our blog, we’ll go over the updated regulations, and include a list of the impacted foods and associated label requirements.
For foods sold in Canada, a front-of-package (FOP) symbol of a black and white magnifying glass is required for most prepackaged foods that meet or exceed set levels in one or more of these nutrients: sodium, sugars, and/or saturated fat. The FOP symbol will complement the Nutrition Facts table on the back of the package but will be easier for consumers to identify on the shelf. There are some exceptions to this regulation for prepackaged food (more on this below).
The regulation standardizes the size, location, and language of the symbol. Health Canada has provided two figures of the symbol as examples: a larger symbol for easy visibility and a smaller symbol for smaller packages.
Note that the symbol is in both English and French for Canadian consumers, and the governing body of “Health Canada / Santé Canada” is listed on the bottom. The English and French languages can be split into either two symbols (one for each language) or combined on the same symbol, as shown above, but both languages are required.
The symbol must be included on packages of any size and located in the upper half of the front label for most shapes. If the label is wider than it is tall, then the label should be included on the right half of the package.
September 2023 Update: Health Canada has released a proposed update regarding buffer space for supplemental foods and prepackaged foods that requires multiple FOP symbols on packaging. The change would allow for a buffer as small as 0 mm between FOP nutrition symbols and supplemented food caution identifier (FSCI) symbols. You can read a summary of this guidance on Health Canada's website.
Similar to health policy changes in the U.S., Health Canada is considering how to best inform consumers of their diet choices. FOP symbols have worked well in other countries, like Chile, and Canada is hoping to see success with their regulation as well. Diets that are high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fats can often lead to health complications, like a stroke, heart disease, certain cancers, or type 2 diabetes.
While the symbol will highlight nutrients that should be consumed in moderation, Health Canada is hoping it will serve a dual purpose of acting as a quick reference for consumers and supporting health professionals in educating people about dietary choices. Health Canada chose the magnifying glass symbol based on consumer research and feedback from people living in Canada.
While the rule went into effect in July 2022, the food industry has until January 1, 2026, to fully comply. However, food manufacturers are encouraged to adopt this new regulation as soon as possible.
The new FOP symbol is required for most prepackaged foods that meet or exceed thresholds set for saturated fats, sugars, or sodium. The thresholds Health Canada created correspond to a percentage of daily value (% DV) per reference amount or serving size (whichever is greater) for those nutrients. Foods that fit these thresholds are broken into three categories:
Some prepackaged foods are exempted from displaying the new FOP symbol. These foods are exempt for three different reasons: health-related exemptions, technical exemptions, and practical exemptions. Health Canada explains each exemption in detail:
*Health Canada notes: “many cheeses are exempt from requiring a nutrition symbol for sodium since sodium is required in the cheese-making process. For these products to benefit from an exemption they must contain a specific percentage of the DV for calcium. The ongoing need for this exemption will be reassessed after ten years.”
Hungry for more knowledge? Lucky for you, Health Canada has provided the entire FOP regulation online, which includes other labelling provisions, definitions, and essential nutrients to declare.
Genesis R&D Foods helps users comply with Health Canada FOP regulations by evaluating each nutrient of concern and calculating whether or not each nutrient meets or exceeds the threshold. A Front-of-Package symbol will appear next to the Nutrition Facts table on the View Label screen for each nutrient that meets or exceeds the threshold.
And last but not least, our team of compliance gurus are always available for a chat and regulatory review. To find out more about our services and their cost, fill out our contact form and a consulting representative will reach out to you.