OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jan 28, 2014) - Health Canada

The Honorable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and Eve Adams, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health today launched a Canada-wide consultation on ways to improve nutrition information on food labels by hosting a round table discussion with parents and consumers at the Parent Resource Centre in Ottawa.

The consultation will focus on parents and consumers, and will include round table discussions in several Canadian cities, and an opportunity to participate online.

The consultations provide a way for the Government of Canada to listen to Canadians, and to better understand how parents use nutrition information on food labels to make nutritious choices for their families.

Quick Facts

  • Nutrition labelling became fully mandatory on prepackaged foods in Canada on December 12, 2007. This means that food companies have to include nutrition labelling on prepackaged foods.
  • Food labels provide information about the nutritional value of foods through the Nutrition Facts table, the list of ingredients, and health and nutrition claims found on packaging.
  • Canada is a world leader in the field of nutrition labelling and was one of the first countries to require mandatory nutrition labelling on pre-packaged foods.

Quotes

"As stated in the Speech from the Throne, our Government will consult with Canadian parents to improve the way information is presented on food labels. These consultations give our Government an opportunity to hear from parents about how to help families better understand and use food labels to make healthier food choices."

Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health

"The feedback we received today is just the beginning. We heard from parents about how important it is to have the tools they need to make healthy food choices."

Eve Adams
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

"Proper food labelling is essential to make it easier for parents to make the healthiest choices in order to keep their children healthy."

Kelly Paolozzi
Executive Director, Parent Resource Centre

Associated Links

Health Canada - Nutrition Labelling

Health Canada - The Nutrition Facts Table

Healthy Canadians - The Percent Daily Value (%DV)

Healthy Canadians - Healthy and Safe for Canadians Framework

Health Canada - Food Labels

Health Canada news releases are available on the Internet at: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/media