Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - Canada - Nutrition labelling

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6

 

1.

Notifying Member: CANADA

If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):

2.

Agency responsible:

Department of Health

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:

Canada's Notification Authority and Enquiry Point

Global Affairs Canada

Technical Barriers and Regulations Division

111 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2

Canada

Telephone: (343)203-4273

Fax: (613)943-0346

Email: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca

3.

Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], 3.2 [ ], 7.2 [ ], other:

4.

Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Prepackaged food products (ICS: 67.230)

5.

Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Notice of proposal to update the nutrition labelling: Table of reference amounts for food; (1 page(s), in English), (1 page(s), in French)

6.

Description of content: Health Canada's Food Directorate is proposing three amendments to the Table of Reference Amounts for Food (TRA) based on stakeholder feedback, consumption data, market trends, and to address identified gaps for specific food categories. The TRA sets out the amount of food typically consumed in one eating occasion for different food categories and provides detailed instructions on how to determine and declare the serving size for the Nutrition Facts table (NFt). Reference amounts are used to determine what is considered to be a single-serving pre-packaged product and they serve as the basis for determining the serving size to be declared in the NFt of multiple-serving pre-packaged products. Reference amounts are part of the criteria for making nutrient content claims and health claims and they also factor into the requirements for the new front-of-package nutrition symbol.

The proposed changes include: new serving size instructions for very high fibre cereals (C.3); new reference amount and corresponding serving size instructions for nutritional yeast (M.17); and changing the reference amount for fondue cooking broths (T.2).

7.

Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: The proposed amendments aim to update the TRA based on stakeholder feedback, consumption data, market trends, and to address identified gaps for specific food categories. Given that reference amounts are used to determine the serving size for the NFt and are part of the criteria for making nutrient content and health claims, it is important they are as up to date as possible. Reference amounts also factor into the new requirements for front-of-package labelling, which industry needs to comply with by 1 January 2026. Health Canada is revising the TRA at this time, to provide industry stakeholders time to make the necessary changes to their labels and to implement the new front-of-package nutrition labelling requirements using updated reference amount information, by 1 January 2026.

8.

Relevant documents:

Health Canada's website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/public-involvement-partnerships/notice-proposal-update-nutrition-labelling-table-reference-amounts.html (English)

https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-canada/services/aliments-nutrition/participation-public-partenariats/avis-proposition-mettre-jour-etiquetage-nutritionnel-tableau-quantites-reference.html (French)

9.

Proposed date of adoption: To be determined

Proposed date of entry into force: The proposed changes will come into effect the day on which the Notice of Modification is published on Health Canada's website. Given the nature of the proposed changes, Health Canada is proposing to give industry until 1 January 2026 to implement the changes. During this time, both the updated TRA and the previous versions of the TRA would apply (2016 and 2022).

10.

Final date for comments: 28 February 2024

11.

Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:

Notice of proposal to update the nutrition labelling: Table of reference amounts for food are available at:

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/public-involvement-partnerships/notice-proposal-update-nutrition-labelling-table-reference-amounts.html (English)

https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-canada/services/aliments-nutrition/participation-public-partenariats/avis-proposition-mettre-jour-etiquetage-nutritionnel-tableau-quantites-reference.html (French)