Government proposes changes to labelling requirements

Canadians rely on food labels to make informed decisions on what they buy and eat. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Minister of Health announced that the government is consulting with Canadians on proposed changes to food labels in Canada.

The proposed changes to labelling requirements in the Food and Drug Regulations and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, and are available for consultation. Consumers, industry, and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments on the proposed changes by Sept. 4, 2019.

The proposed changes would make information on food labels clearer. They would improve consumers’ ability to compare products, read and understand labels, and obtain useful product information, such as where imported food comes from, what the food contains, and how long the quality of the food will last.

The changes would also amend outdated and unnecessary regulations and provide Canada’s food industry with some flexibility in how the regulations apply to certain requirements. This is necessary for an evolving food environment and helps promote innovation and facilitate market access for Canadian food businesses. The changes better align Canada’s labelling requirements with international standards, as well as the requirements of key trading partners, which would facilitate trade for Canada’s food industry.

To ensure the industry is given adequate time to make any labelling changes, a phased-in transition period is proposed to reflect industry readiness and align with other Government of Canada labelling initiatives.

The proposed changes are based on extensive stakeholder consultations. Consumers, industry, and other stakeholders were integral in helping the government reach this point.

The proposed regulatory changes are another example of the Government of Canada’s commitment to regulatory reform focussed on supporting innovation under budget 2018 and the 2018 Fall Economic Statement.