FOOD LABEL SERVICES
CFIA has certified organic regulations in place as of Feb. 26th 2011. Contact us if you would like more information.
What are the Food Labelling Regulations?
On January 1, 2003, Health Canada published a regulatory amendment to the Food and Drugs Act - the largest amendment in the history of Health Canada. The Act includes new regulations for:
- Nutrition Labelling
- Nutrient Content Claims
- Diet-Related Health Claims
These new regulations offer the food industry great marketing opportunities, as well as some significant challenges in implementing these new requirements. The new regulations require most food labels to carry a mandatory "Nutrition Facts" table listing Calories and 13 key Nutrients. However, there are some exemptions.
Why implement these changes?
Better labels than your competition - including the NEWLY ALLOWABLE PHRASES for HEALTH CLAIMS on foods and food supplements. Examples include being able to link certain nutrients in your products to 5 Diet - Related Health Claims. These include the relationship(s) between:
- Potassium and Sodium and high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease
- Calcium and Vitamin D and osteoporosis
- Saturated and Trans fat and heart disease
- Various forms of veggies and fruit and cancer
- Chewing Gum and Tooth decay (cavities)
As well as 47 Nutrient Content Claims, such as:
- how one can now claim omega-3 and -6 fatty acids on the label
- claiming a product is a "source of Nutrient X" vs. "high source of X" vs. "excellent source of X"
- how to claim your product has "50% more of Nutrient X than your competitors" products
- More / improved diet and health information for the consumer
- Improved marketing advantage over the present labels
ICS experience and expertise in this area
Our Regulatory and Quality Assurance team consists of people with various scientific and marketing, education and experience. The majority of staff available to work on your projects have a minimum of a B. Sc. All staff have many years of practical industry experience and have prepared hundreds of food labels. For more about our background go to About Us.
In March, 2003, Dale Enright (of ICS) attended a 4-hour workshop on these new regulations, which was hosted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). In addition he did a one hour presentation to the BC Functional Food Network (www.bcfn.ca) on behalf of CFIA. Dale also attended a second nutrition labelling workshop, performed by the Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA), which provided a series of practical examples of products which are common to most households.
Following this afternoon workshop, Dale stated:
"This AFPA Workshop was one of the most practical and informative and applicable workshops that I have attended in at least the past five years."
ICS has been an active member of the Saskatchewan Nutraceutical Network (SNN) and has presented at previous SNN Conferences over the past few years. ICS is also a member of the Alberta Food Processors Association (plus other associations specific to pharmaceuticals etc.).
Over the past few years, we have assisted about 50 companies to ensure that their (approx.) 200 different food and supplement labels and marketing and advertising materials comply with the CFIA and Health Canada regulations.
Since ICS deals with the food regulations and their corresponding marketing and advertising guidelines on a daily basis, we have come to know them exceptionally well.
ICS food oriented services available
Our service for food labels, typically employs (but is not necessarily limited to) the following strategies:
- Search through all of the Canadian Food and Drug Act and its regulations, to determine whether all of the ingredients and/or their extracts are allowed in Canada
- Ensure that none of the ingredients are not automatically classified as a Drug or Natural Health Product (whether or not any label claims are made about that ingredient)
- Determine if any of the ingredients are classified as a Novel Food (for which CFIA may first require safety testing)
- Determine if any of the ingredients or their extracts have any maximum allowable concentrations associated with them
- Determine what plant nutrients can (or can not) be mentioned on the label (which essential fatty acids can be mentioned directly by name, reference to antioxidants, etc.)
- If required by the new regulations, locate the most appropriately qualified lab to perform the nutrient testing. An unqualified lab’s test results, will be a waste of both time and money. This includes addressing critical aspects, such as:
- Pricing, level of service, geographic location of potential labs, competency, specific types of equipment and test methods used, reputation within the industry, and accreditation
- Ensuring only validated test methods are used. These tests may be for purity, potency for nutrients or bio-markers, levels of chemical and biological contamination and physical properties, etc.
- Working on behalf of the client, negotiate with the lab on what types of tests should be performed and which tests may just be waste of time and money, based on our knowledge of what type of nutrients are typically found (or not) found in those specific types of products
- Determine whether a "Nutritional Facts" table is necessary or exempt. If it is required, we will then develop this table (taking full advantage of those claims which are now allowable)
- Of the almost 20 different label formats available, determine which format CFIA states you must use (which is also based on package size and available display space)
- If applicable, determine each nutrient's "% Daily Value"
- Determine the universal "serving size" for the product
- Locate any general health claims that may be allowed to be attributed to each of the chemical / nutritional constituents within this food
- Determine if references to certain nutrients must be placed outside of the "Nutritional Facts" table (i.e. lycopenes, carotenoids, etc.)
- Outline which parts of the label must also have french translations and which parts are optional for french
- Then, based on the results of the above activities, develop the new label or marketing and advertising material content and email or fax it to you
- Finally, submit the proposed label to the appropriate personnel within CFIA, for their review and eventual approval
- Should CFIA request revisions to the drafted label, we will then perform those revisions and resubmit those labels to CFIA on your behalf
Literature searches on various nutrients
Do you want to educate your customers on the benefits of your product?
We are frequently requested by companies throughout the world, to obtain the latest research on the health benefits of various products and/or specific nutrients. This information is often used to sell the value of their product to technical purchasers for various wholesalers, importers / exporters, health food store owners, and other key decision makers.
Market research
We can address the following:
- Is the sales volume trending upwards for "a granola / snack bar" that you are considering carrying?
- Is the market share for Organic Foods increasing over other sectors?
- How are "Meal Replacements" sales doing, compared to "Sports Products"?
- Which countries have increasing sales volumes of Functional Foods and which countries are in decline?
- Where are the majority of herbs and botanicals sold? (big box grocery stores? health food stores? internet? multi-level-marketers?)
- Who are the most likely purchasers of your probiotic or beverage product? (Men between 18-35 or women who are 45+?)
- What are the decision factors that consumers take into consideration when purchasing a food, functional food, nutraceutical or supplement? (cost, advertising, brand name?)
Our team of specialists subscribe to numerous electronic scientific newsletters from around the world. This provides us with the very latest research findings.
Locating sources of funding
Please see our Funding Services web page.
Future workshops
If either yourself or your company are interested in attending any future 4-hour workshops on Mandatory Nutrition Labelling Regulations, please contact us.
