We made improvements to the nutrition facts table and list of ingredients on food labels.
These amendments improved the Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients to make them easier to understand, helping Canadians make informed choices.
A five-year transition period ended on December 14, 2021, giving industry time to update labels and use up existing stock. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) focused on education and compliance promotion through December 14, 2022. As of December 15, 2022, these requirements are fully enforced — CFIA applies enforcement discretion only for non-compliant companies that can show a documented plan and timeline to come into compliance.
The following is a summary of the changes made to Canadian food labels:
Food Labeling Updates (finalized by CFIA):
The two label change proposals mentioned above were under consideration, but are not yet finalized: Front of Pack Labelling (Health Canada initiative under Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations), and Food Labelling Modernization.
- Use of class names – Group names for similar ingredients, such as vegetable oil, flavour, or milk ingredients, supported by international standards.
- Test Market Food – A standardized process and criteria now apply to short-term exemptions allowing companies to test new products on the market.
- Shelf life – Requirements that previously applied only to foods with a best-before date of 90 days or less now apply to all foods.
- Company information – Alternate methods of communication are allowed (phone number, email, or website address).
- Country of origin of imported food – An indication of the country or state of origin is required for wholly imported foods.
- Product/service specific labelling – Requirements now describe the true nature of the food, replacing many commodity-specific rules.
- Legibility and location of type size – Consistent font size and placement requirements apply across food types.
- Pictorials – Claims or pictures highlighting key ingredients must reflect actual content percentage (e.g., flavoured is used when food is added only in flavouring amounts).
You can find the full overview here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-labelling-changes.html
Front of Package (FOP) Nutrition Labelling — Now in Effect
Health Canada finalized these regulations in July 2022. As of January 1, 2026, most prepackaged foods sold in Canada, whether produced domestically or imported, must carry a black-and-white magnifying-glass FOP symbol on the principal display panel if the product meets or exceeds 15% Daily Value (%DV) of saturated fat, sugars, or sodium per serving. Food products made, imported, or packaged before January 1, 2026, under the previous regulations can continue to be sold, even after the compliance deadline. However, any new products produced after that date must meet the new labelling requirements. BLG
CFIA has confirmed there is no enforcement discretion beyond the January 1, 2026 deadline, so this now applies in full.
You can find an overview of the proposed changes here: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-labelling-changes.html and here: https://www.inspection.gc.ca/consultations-and-engagement/proposed-regulatory-changes/eng/1560907775533/1560907775762.
Front of Package Nutrition Labelling
The proposal is to add logos or pictorials on the Principal Display Panel for food products high in saturated fat, sugars, and sodium. The method of alerting the consumer on which pictorial to use is still not finalized. The proposed labelling values are 15% Daily Value for these three items. The amount is to be considered as per the serving size.
Summary
The 2016 labelling changes and the 2022 FOP nutrition symbol regulations are now both fully in force. All marketers of packaged food should confirm their labels meet both sets of requirements, as CFIA compliance verification is now active and ongoing.
Linda Beach is the founder, sole owner, and Director of Canadian Natural Health Product Registry (CNHPR), operating under Medical Botany Research. Based on Canada’s west coast, Linda has been providing regulatory consulting and compliance expertise to Canadian and international companies since 2004, when Canada’s Natural Health Products Regulations first came into effect.
A Certified Herbalist with a degree in Botany and Medical Research, Linda also holds certifications in several natural and complementary healing modalities. This combination of scientific training and hands-on herbal expertise gives her a unique perspective on the products she helps bring to market — from vitamins and herbal remedies to nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and sports supplements.
Over her two decades working directly with Health Canada, Linda has built strong working relationships with regulators that have translated into consistent success in securing Natural Product Numbers (NPNs) for her clients. Her advocacy work has had industry-wide impact — including playing a key role in Health Canada’s decision to reinstate hempseed oil to its approved ingredient database after it had been removed, restoring a path to market for products containing the ingredient.
Through CNHPR, Linda guides clients through every stage of the licensing process: developing a tailored regulatory strategy, compiling required documentation, and managing submissions from signing through to Health Canada approval.
