Canadian Front-of-Pack Labeling

At the end of 2025, a new front-of-pack nutrition labeling system will go into effect in Canada for most packaged foods that meet or exceed percent daily value (DV) thresholds for saturated fat, sodium, and/or sugar. 

These new regulations align with Canada's Healthy Eating Strategy and aim to help consumers make healthier food choices while addressing diet-related chronic diseases. While the basics are clear - foods high in the targeted nutrients are labeled as such - the triggers can be more complicated. Understanding the labeling guidelines is important, especially for small food and beverage manufacturers.

What are the Basics of the Labeling Guidance?

The thresholds for labeling are based on the reference amount or serving size of the food in question, whichever is greater.

For most prepackaged products, the symbol must appear on the label when the amount of saturated fat, sodium, or sugar is equal to or greater than 15% DV.

There are two exceptions:

• For prepackaged products with a reference amount ≤ (equal to or less than) 30 g or 30 mL, the symbol must appear when the amount of saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium is ≥ 10% of the applicable DV
• For prepackaged main dishes with a reference amount ≥ 170 g (when intended solely for children one to four years) or ≥ 200 g (when intended for children and/or adults), the symbol must appear when the amount of saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium is ≥ 30% of the applicable DV.

How Should the Symbol Appear?

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The symbol itself is subject to several rules about its presentation:

• The nutrition symbol can be printed directly on a label or applied to it as a sticker. In the latter case, the sticker must be able to withstand any of the normal conditions that the product may be exposed to until such time the product reaches the consumer.
• The symbol must be clearly visible and distinguishable from all other information appearing on the PDP of the product.
• The symbol must be presented in both official languages (English and French) unless otherwise exempt from bilingual labelling. Product labels can carry two separate unilingual symbols, one in French and one in English, or bilingual symbol(s). In a bilingual symbol, the order of languages may be reversed from the order shown in the applicable format (in other words, English before French or French before English).
• The symbol must be oriented in the same manner as most of the other information that appears on the principal display panel.
• The size of the symbol is proportional to the size of the packaging, in accordance with the Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications and similar to the hierarchies for Nutrition Facts tables.

What Exemptions Apply?

Some foods do not need to display a nutrition symbol. These include:

• foods exempt for technical reasons, such as:
  
  • packaged individual portions that are only intended to be served by a restaurant or other commercial enterprise to accompany meals or snacks (for example, individually portioned crackers served with soup or creamers served with a cup of coffee)
  • milk and cream sold in refillable glass containers
  • foods in very small packages
  • raw, single ingredient whole cuts of meat, poultry and fish that do not carry a nutrition facts table
• foods with a protective effect on health, such as fruits and vegetables without added saturated fat, sugars or sodium
• certain dairy products, such as plain milk, plain yogurt and cheese because they are important sources of calcium that is needed to promote bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis
• raw, single ingredient ground meats and poultry to avoid giving the impression that they are nutritionally inferior to whole cuts that do not carry a nutrition symbol
• butter, sugar, salt and other products used for the same purpose as butter, sugar or salt, such as:
  
  • honey
  • celery salt
  • maple syrup
  • vegetable oils
  • seasoning salt

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What information can I share about the front-of-pack symbol?

If you are subject to the labeling requirements - or if your product is not and you want to explain to the consumer why your packaging is compliant - Health Canada has helpful resources for social media and an online course available here.

While the front-of-pack labeling system may be a change for businesses selling products in the US and Canada, this is a good exercise for brands preparing for the possibility of US front-of-pack labels, or looking into doing business throughout South America or the EU where front-of-pack is an ongoing part of the labeling conversation.