Key Takeaways
- Health Canada FOP Labels: New regulations require front-of-package (FOP) labels on foods high in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium, mandatory by January 1, 2026.
- Purpose: Helps consumers quickly identify and avoid unhealthy food options linked to serious health risks like obesity and heart disease.
- MenuSano’s Role: Enables food businesses to generate compliant FOP labels efficiently, promoting transparency and healthier consumer choices.
- Compliance Timeline: Early adoption is encouraged; full compliance is required by 2026.
Health Canada’s new front-of-package labelling rules empower Canadians to make healthier food choices by highlighting products high in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium.
Food manufacturers and businesses can now use MenuSano to generate compliant front-of-package labels. Encouraged by Health Canada, the food industry can start adding these labels to their packages as soon as possible, and they have until January 1, 2026, to be compliant.
What is the new front-of-package FOP regulation?
Introduced in June 2022, FOP labels mandate a symbol on foods exceeding thresholds for saturated fat, sugar, or sodium. This symbol—a magnifying glass—helps consumers make informed dietary choices.
Why Introduce FOP Labels??
Excessive consumption of saturated fats, sugars, and sodium increases the risks of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other serious conditions. FOP labels offer a quick, clear guide for avoiding these risks.
When will Front-of-Package labelling become mandatory?
While enacted in 2022, businesses have until January 1, 2026, to comply. Early adoption is encouraged to align with consumer demands and build trust.
Read more: Nutrition Labeling: Front-of-Package Nutrition Symbol
What foods will be impacted by the new FOP requirements?
Foods high in sodium, sugars, and saturated fats are now subject to new front-of-package nutrition labelling regulations. The new FOP requirements will also be mandatory for prepackaged foods that meet or exceed set sodium, sugar, or saturated fat levels.
- General prepackaged foods that meet or exceed 15% DV of saturated fat, sugars or sodium, for example, deli meats, soups, frozen desserts or puddings.
- Prepackaged foods with a small reference amount (≤ 30 g or mL) that meet or exceed 10% DV of saturated fat, sugars or sodium
- Since these foods are usually eaten in smaller quantities and are often rich in these nutrients, they have a lower threshold. Examples are pickles, salad dressing, cookies, and breakfast cereals.
- Prepackaged main dishes with a reference amount of ≥ 200 g* that meets or exceeds 30% DV of saturated fat, sugars or sodium
- Since foods consumed as a main dish are expected to contribute more significantly to your daily nutrient intake, they have a higher threshold—for example, frozen lasagna, meat pie or pizza.
- This value changes to 170 g for main dishes intended solely for children 1-4 years old.
What foods are exempted from the FOP requirements?
According to Health Canada, some foods do not need to display the new FOP symbol. These foods are:
- Raw, single ingredient whole cuts of meat, poultry and fish that do not carry a nutrition facts label.
- Very small-packaged foods
- Milk and cream sold in refillable glass containers
- Foods intended to be served by a restaurant or other commercial enterprise to accompany meals or snacks, for example, creamers served with a cup of coffee.
- Fruits and vegetables without added sodium, sugars, or saturated fat
- Plain milk, plain yogurt and cheese as they are important sources of calcium that are needed to promote bone health.
- Butter, sugar, salt and other products used for the same purpose as butter, sugar or salt, such as: honey, celery salt, maple syrup, vegetable oils, and seasoning salt.
What the front-of-package nutrition symbol looks like
The front-of-package nutrition symbol is black and white, featuring a magnifying glass indicating whether the food is high in sodium, sugars, saturated fat, or any combination. The words “Health Canada / Santé Canada” are displayed at the bottom of the symbol.
How the nutrition symbol should appear on the front of the package?
The nutrition symbol must consistently appear in the same format for easy recognition and use. It must adhere to specific guidelines regarding its:
- Size: The symbol’s size is proportionate to the package size, ensuring visibility on packages of all dimensions.
- Location: For most package shapes, the nutrition symbol will appear in the upper half of the label. It will appear on the right half of the package label if the label is wider than tall.
- Language: The symbol must be displayed in both official languages, English and French. It could be two separate symbols, one in English and one in French, or both languages on the same symbol.
Read more: The Importance of Accurate Allergen Labeling in the Food Industry
What does this mean for food businesses?
As mentioned, the food industry has until January 1, 2026, to make this change. Canada’s FOP labels can benefit food businesses by enhancing transparency and building consumer trust.
These labels provide clear, easily accessible information about key nutritional aspects, such as high sodium, sugars, and saturated fats, helping consumers make informed choices quickly.
By adopting FOP labels, food businesses can demonstrate their commitment to public health and compliance with regulatory standards, which can improve their brand reputation. Moreover, FOP labels can drive consumer preference towards healthier options, potentially increasing sales for products that meet health-conscious criteria.
This proactive approach aligns with evolving consumer demands and positions food businesses as leaders in promoting healthier eating habits.
The role of MenuSano
MenuSano has just rolled out front-of-package labels, and our clients and food manufacturers can use MenuSano to generate front-of-package labels. If you’re not a client already, you can start a free trial or schedule a free demo to see how you can quickly and easily generate FOP labels.
Accurate labelling of foods high in sodium, sugars, and saturated fats will positively impact the food industry by promoting healthier products. Using MenuSano allows businesses to ensure complete compliance with CFIA and Health Canada standards.
MenuSano is an intuitive software that helps food businesses analyze recipes, calculate nutritional facts, and produce precise nutritional labels that meet regulatory requirements, including FOP labels. It simplifies compliance processes and offers consumers clear, detailed information about the nutritional content of products with its extensive database.
