Health Canada, in hand with the Government of Canada, is currently asking Canadians everywhere for feedback on a potential system of food labels.
The feedback is in response to Health Canada’s proposal for mandatory, front-of-package nutrition symbols.
Specifically, the labels are to help consumers recognize, target, and identify foods that are:
- High in saturated fat
- High in sugar
- High in sodium
- Any or all of the above
The potential labels are as follows:
The labels are meant to be a warning to consumers. Frequently eating foods high in saturated fat, sugars, or sodium can lead to increased health risks, like obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The ideal scenario is that these mandatory labels will let people make more informed choices about their meals, while inherently improving the nutritional quality of packaged foods.
Feedback is welcome from consumers, industry members, and health professionals everywhere on both the front-of-package symbols and proposed regulations.
Canadians will be able to give their feedback up until April 26, 2018. Information on whom to contact, and how, can be found online.