Canada's Food Guide to get much needed makeover

Oct 26 2016, 4:59 am

Canada’s Food Guide is finally getting a makeover.

On Monday, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott announced that Health Canada is looking for the input of Canadians to amend Canada’s Food Guide, which was established in 1942 and last revised in 2007.

“The classic one-size-fits-all guide no longer meets the needs of Canadians,” Philpott said.

“Canadians need a new tool. A tool that they can adapt to meet their own needs and their dietary restrictions. A resource they can take with them on-the-go to help them make healthier choices, whether they are in the grocery store or in a restaurant.”

Health Canada is currently consulting with Canadians online regarding changes they would like to see implemented to the food guide. According to Health Canada, testing of a new policy and consumer tools will take place between 2017 and 2018.

The food guide will be amended to better suit Canadians and their eating habits sometime between 2018 and 2019.

Health Canada will also be updating nutrition labels on pre-packaged foods in order to help consumers gain a better understanding of label information.

According to Health Canada, these changes include:

  • Regulating serving sizes to make it easier to compare similar products
  • Providing more information on sugars in the Nutrition Facts table and the list of ingredients
  • Requiring that all food colours be identified by their common name
  • Making the list of ingredients and allergen information easier to read
  • Allowing a new health claim that associates a diet rich in fruits and vegetables with a lower risk of heart disease

The proposed changes to the nutrition labeling regulations will be finalized by the end of 2016.

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