Question Period Note: Healthy eating Strategy

In October 2016, Health Canada launched the multi-year Healthy Eating Strategy, which consists of a suite of initiatives that aim to improve the food environment and help make the healthier choice the easier choice for all Canadians. Recognizing that a healthy population is key to reducing vulnerability to health events, the 2021 Minister of Health mandate letter included a commitment to promote healthy eating by advancing the Healthy Eating Strategy. This included finalizing front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling and supporting restrictions on the commercial marketing of foods to children.

Our Government is committed to protecting the health of Canadians and creating conditions to make the healthier choice easier for all.
Significant progress has been made on healthy eating initiatives by improving nutrition labelling, eliminating industrially produced trans fats from the food supply, releasing a new Canada food guide, publishing revised sodium reduction targets for processed food and introducing front-of-package nutrition labelling regulations.
Earlier this year, Health Canada consulted on an approach focusing restrictions on television and digital media, areas where children are highly exposed to food advertising, which will inform a future regulatory proposal.
IF PRESSED ON FRONT-OF-PACKAGE NUTRITION LABELLING…
Front-of-package nutrition labelling aims to help reduce risks to health by providing consumers with quick and easy-to-use information on foods high in saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium.
Average intakes of these nutrients remain above recommended limits in the Canadian population. Unhealthy diets with high levels of these nutrients are risk factors for diet-related chronic diseases.
The front-of-package nutrition symbol complements existing food labelling and other initiatives, such as Canada’s food guide.
Some products on the market have already updated their labels to include the front-of-package nutrition labelling symbol.
IF PRESSED ON EXEMPTIONS FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS…
To ensure front-of-package nutrition labelling is effective, exemptions are only provided in specific circumstances.
Due to inadequate calcium intakes among Canadians, cheese, yogurt, kefir and buttermilk meeting a certain calcium threshold are eligible for an exemption.
In July 2023, Health Canada proposed to expand the exemption eligibility for foods that are important sources of calcium. The Department aims to publish final regulations by next spring.
Health Canada will continue to include unsweetened, lower fat and lower sodium dairy products as examples of nutritious protein foods in our food guide tools and resources.
IF PRESSED ON THE TRANSITION PERIOD…
In alignment with the Food Labelling Coordination Policy, regulated parties have been given a transition period ending on December 31, 2025, for the front-of-package nutrition labelling requirements.
Health Canada considers that the compliance date of January 1, 2026, provides sufficient time to make necessary label changes, while ensuring that the benefits of the initiative are not delayed. In fact, some products on the market have already updated their labels to include the front-of-package nutrition labelling symbol.
IF PRESSED ON CANADA’S FOOD GUIDE…
The food guide provides Canadians with easier access to information about healthy eating. It provides advice on what to eat and recognizes that healthy eating is more than food choices, by encouraging healthy eating habits.
Health Canada continues to develop new resources for various audiences to increase reach, integration, and use of the food guide.
IF PRESSED ON EVIDENCE…
Health Canada follows a rigorous scientific process in reviewing pertinent evidence when developing policies related to the Healthy Eating Strategy.
Health Canada focuses on the strongest evidence, where there is a well-established evidence base on public health need, and where the evidence is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.

Health Portfolio Initiatives
Unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which are becoming more and more common in Canada. This places a significant burden on the health of Canadians and our healthcare system. Health Portfolio’s healthy eating initiatives aim to improve the food environment and help make the healthier choice the easier choice for all Canadians.
Improve nutrition information and literacy
Canada’s food guide
Canada’s food guide is based on a rigorous scientific process using the best available evidence and extensive consultation.
The 2019 Canada’s food guide provides Canadians with easier access to dietary guidance.
The revision strengthens healthy eating recommendations and communicates guidance in ways that better meet the needs of different users, such as the public, policy makers and health professionals.
The food guide snapshot provides a summary of the dietary guidelines and healthy eating recommendations, and is available in 31 languages, including nine Indigenous languages, making it more accessible for Canadians.
Health Canada continues to work and engage with interested parties and the public to make sure that guidance and resources are relevant and useful. This includes integrating a diversity and inclusion lens into food guide content and supporting Indigenous partners in the development of Indigenous-led healthy eating tools.
Improve the Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients
In December 2016, Health Canada published final amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations on nutrition labelling and food colours, to make the Nutrition Facts table (NFt) and list of ingredients (LOI) on packaged foods easier for Canadians to use and understand.
The food industry was given until December 2021 to comply with these changes, however in recognition of challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, those with a compliance plan in place will have until December 2023.
Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling
On July 20, 2022, Health Canada published FOP nutrition labelling regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part II.
FOP nutrition labelling aims to help reduce risks to health by providing consumers with quick and easy-to-use information on foods high in saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium.
Regulated parties have been given a transition period for the FOP nutrition labelling requirements, ending on December 31, 2025. However, regulated parties can implement the FOP label changes prior to that date.
Facilitate healthier food options
Reduce sodium in processed foods
In 2012, Health Canada established voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed foods and encouraged the food industry to achieve these targets by the end of 2016.
In 2018, Health Canada released a progress report that showed that Canadians daily sodium intake was reduced from 3400 to 2760 mg which remain above the goal of 2300 mg per day.
In December 2020, Health Canada released revised voluntary sodium targets for several processed food categories to encourage the food industry to further reduce sodium in foods by 2025.
Eliminating industrially produced trans fats in the food supply
On September 17, 2018, Health Canada prohibited the use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of industrial trans fat, in Canada. The prohibition included a two year phase-in period; therefore, as of September 2020 no foods sold in Canada are permitted to contain PHO.
Health Canada’s prohibition will help maintain total trans fat intake by the great majority of Canadians at less than 1% of total energy intake, as recommended by the World Health Organization to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Diet-related chronic disease is a critical issue for Canadians and the Canadian health care system.
There is a strong body of evidence showing that healthy eating patterns can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes, and associated conditions including obesity and high blood pressure.
Since 2016, our Government has taken a number of steps to help make it easier to choose heathier foods.
Significant progress has been made in recent years on healthy eating initiatives by improving nutrition labelling, eliminating partially hydrogenated oils (the main source of industrially produced trans fats) from the food supply, releasing a new Canada’s food guide, publishing revised voluntary sodium reduction targets for processed foods and introducing front-of-package nutrition labelling regulations.
The 2019 Canada’s food guide provides Canadians with easier access to information about healthy eating.
Health Canada also continues to advance work on restricting food advertising to children.