Canadians feel misled by food labels: survey
Food in Canada
Packaging Bake & Snack Food Beverages Confectionery Dairy Fruit & Vegetables Ingredients & Additives Meat &Poultry Pet Food Seafood Specialty Foods sodium reductionHypertension Canada conducted a survey that found Canadian consumers want to see better labels on foods and not just improvements to the Nutrition Facts table
Calgary, Alta. – Canadian consumers say they are often confused and misled by food labels, says a recent survey conducted by Hypertension Canada.
The survey measured public support for a variety of diet-related issues that are 
responsible for 80 per cent of all hypertension cases.
Respondents say they want to see better labels on foods that go beyond improvements to the Nutrition Facts table.
Hypertension Canada says more than four out of five Canadians support health warnings on unhealthy foods, legislated sodium reduction and subsidies on fruits and vegetables.
The organization goes onto say that the federal government still lacks a food and nutrition strategy in spite of repeated calls for one by the public and Canada’s leading health and scientific groups such as the College of Family Physicians.
Dr. Norman Campbell, president of the World Hypertension League, has launched a campaign to get the government to make nutrition a priority.
“The food and beverage industry is big, but the cost of doing nothing is bigger,” says Campbell.
According to Hypertension Canada, the food processing and restaurant industries generate more than $164 billion in sales annually and employ nearly 1.5 million people. Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that chronic diseases cost Canada $190 billion (nearly 10 per cent of GDP) annually and affect many millions more.
For more on the issue, visit: hypertensiontalk.com.
Images courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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