IARN — New Front of Package nutritional labelling regulations were announced by the Canadian federal government and Health Canada. Affected food manufacturers have until January first of 2026 to comply with the requirements and change their existing labels. For those of you wondering, food package labelling targets foods that have high saturated fats, sugars, and sodium.
Foods that exceed the predetermined threshold for sodium, sugars, and saturated fats will be required to place a symbol on the principal display panel indicating the food product is high in one or more of those categories. The reason behind the Front-of-package nutrition labelling is because it’s a key part of Health Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy. This will improve Canadians’ abilities to make informed and better choices when it comes to choosing their food.
While this is a great step towards a healthier Canada, the Canadian cattle and hog producer associations were shocked when they saw the initial list included ground beef and ground pork. In turn, both products are now exempt from the new labelling regulations due to the successful lobby efforts.
Rick Bergmann of the Canadian Pork Council says his organization is grateful the federal government listened to his sectors and consumer concerns upon receiving news that Health Canada had reversed its decision.
President of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Reg Schellenberg says both the pork and beef industries were concerned that they would not have the time to lobby federal policy makers before Parliament in Ottawa broke for summer recess.
For more on this story visit the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
