Canada rolls out mandatory warning labels on packaged foods

The regulations, which took effect on January 1, require a prominent black-and-white symbol on the front of prepackaged foods that meet or exceed set thresholds for these nutrients.

Health Canada has said excessive consumption of saturated fat, sugars and sodium is linked to conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.

“The label must appear on prepackaged foods that meet or exceed set levels for saturated fat, sugars or sodium,” Health Canada said in a statement, as reported by CTV.

Jennifer Lee, an assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Nutrition, said the symbol is intended to make nutrition information easier to understand at a glance.

“The use of the symbol is a different way to represent the information,” Lee told CTV News Channel.

Health Canada generally considers 15 per cent or more of a nutrient’s daily value to be “a lot,” while five per cent or less is “a little."

Products exceeding the higher threshold typically require the warning label, Lee said.

Health officials have warned that diets high in processed foods contribute to rising obesity rates in Canada, including among children, with long-term physical and mental health consequences, CTV reported.