CFIA Enforcement of Nutrition Facts Table & Food Labelling
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for protecting Canadians’ health and safety by ensuring that food that reaches customers is safe, nutritious, and correctly labeled. The CFIA enforces federal food safety and labeling laws, such as the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act.
How does the CFIA Enforces the Regulations?
The Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations have rules about how food labels should look. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) makes sure these rules are followed. The CFIA verifies that the industry complies with the regulations through various activities, such as inspections, audits, and investigations.
If the CFIA finds that a company is not in compliance with the food labeling regulations, it may take enforcement action. Enforcement actions can range from issuing a warning to ordering a recall of the products in question. The CFIA also has the authority to issue fines and prosecute companies that do not comply with the law.
Nutrition Facts Table and CFIA Changes
The Nutrition Facts table is one of the most important parts of a food label, as it provides information on the nutrient content of a food. The CFIA requires that all packaged foods sold in Canada include a Nutrition Facts table on their label.
As of December 14, 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency started enforcing the new requirements for food labelling.
Changes to the Nutrition Facts Table:
- The font for the serving size and the number of calories is larger in order to better stand out to consumers. The number of calories also has a bolded line underneath it.
- There is a new percent daily value for total sugars. Originally, the amount of sugar was only listed in grams. The updated table now shows the percent daily value as well as the grams.
- The percent daily values are now based on updated science.
- There is a revised list of minerals and vitamins. When the original Nutrition Facts table came out, Canadians weren’t getting enough vitamin A or C in their diets. But based on new research, Canadians are now more deficient in potassium. Calcium and iron are still present in both versions of the table. The updated table now showcases the minerals and vitamins in milligram amounts as well as their percent daily value.
- There is a new percent daily value footnote at the bottom of the table. It states that, ‘5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot.’
How Alphagreen Resources Inc. can help you TODAY!
Alphagreen Resources Inc. can help with:
Formula review,
Product labeling, and nutrition facts creation.
Registering supplemented foods with TMALs (Temporary Market Authorization License)
Help with Safe Foods for Canadians Regulations (HACCP)
Facility Registration.