Canadian Food Regulations

What are the 3 categories of regulation?

• Food

• Drug

• Natural Health Product (NHP)

Who are the 2 enforcers?

• Health Canada

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

What is the Food and drug Act?

An act that is meant to protect the health and safety of Canadians by making sure that anything we eat, drink, or use (like medicine or cosmetics) is safe, properly labeled, and not misleading.

What is the Safe Foods for Canadians Act and Reg.?

is a Canadian law that makes sure all food sold, imported, or exported in Canada is safe, traceable, and properly handled. It combines several older food laws into one system.

What are the 14 sets of existing regulations?

• Fish Inspection Act

• Meat Inspection Act

• Organic Regulations

• Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act

• Processed Products Regulation

What are the basic labelling requirements?

• Almost all prepackaged foods must
  carry a label

• Includes foodservice items

• Bulk containers

• All labels must be in English and French
  of equal prominence

What is NFT (Nutrition Facts Table)?

It is a label found on most packaged foods that shows important information about the food’s nutrients

What comes with NFT?

• 13 core nutrients

• Other nutrients optional – mandatory if claim made or nutrient added

• Size depends on 15% rule for display surface

• Not allowed on meal replacement, nutritional supplements, infant formula

Why should chefs know what is on a food label?

• Food allergies

• You may work in a healthcare facility

• You need to know this to put together your menu

Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of food. What is the specific amount?

• Servings listed under the nutrition facts title

• Understand how much of a nutrient you are eating

• Compare calories and nutrients between 2 similar food products

What are Percent Daily values?

They are values that show you if a serving size has a little or a lot of a nutrient. (5% DV is too little, and 15% DV is much). They are calculated based on reference values

What does percent DV include?

RDI for vitamins and minerals.

What are the mandatory labelling requirements (MLR)?

• Common Name

With a standard (e.g. mayonnaise, milk chocolate)

    Name that it is commonly known by (e.g. Chocolate cake)

       It must be shown on the main panel (principal display panel)

What is the net quantity for Mandatory labelling requirements?

• Minimum 1.6 mm but increases with label size

• Metric always required with imperial optional

• Must appear on the main panel

Example of a net quantity:

150 g / 150 g 5.3 oz / 150 mL / 150 mL 5.3 fl oz

What does the MLR ingredient statement do?

• It applies to multi-ingredient food

• Ingredients must be declared by their common names

• New formatting requirements (e.g. Colours must be declared by name)

What are some priority allergens?

Mandatory information with “contains” ingredients

MLR: company and address:

• Known as the Domicile

• Manufacturer or importer/distributor

• Should be complete enough for mail delivery

• Must say “imported by” or list the country of origin if a Canadian address is shown

What are the best before date requirements?

• Only mandatory on foods with a durable life of 90 days or less

• However, very good consumer information

• It must follow the bilingual regulated format

What are the rules of making claims?

• Nutrient Content Claims

• Health Claims

• Biological Role Claims

What are priority allergens?

• Tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine, pistachio, walnut)

• Peanuts

• Sesame

• Wheat

• Soy

On what foods is the best before date mandatory for?

Only mandatory on foods with a durable life of 90 days or less

What is the relationship between diet and certain diseases?

• Sodium, potassium and heart disease

• Calcium, Vitamin D and osteoporosis

• Saturated, and trans fat and heart disease

What is natural composition claims?

A claim that must be minimally processed as not to affect the natural composition (grinding)

What is organic composition claims?

• Very strict regulations.

• Must be certified

• Must be at least 95% organic ingredients

What is made in canada composition claims?

Must be mostly made with Canadian sourced ingredients (98%)

What are fortification regulations?

Framework for fortification of foods, including which foods are
required or permitted to be fortified.

What is Front of Pack Labelling?

A label that is required when theres a large threshold of:

• Saturated fat

• Sugar

• Sodium