Canadians will begin seeing warning labels on thousands of grocery store products starting January 1, as Health Canada pushes ahead with new rules to curb consumption of sugar, salt and fat — despite industry complaints the plan will cost roughly half a billion dollars.Blacklock's Reporter says focus group research commissioned by the Department of Health found most Canadians supported the move. “Most reacted positively and believed it was important for the federal government to be providing this type of information to Canadians,” said a report titled Continuous Qualitative Data Collection Of Canadians’ Views. A few participants said the labels were redundant, arguing that “most people already knew products such as chocolate bars and popcorn could pose health risks if consumed in excess.”.Others said the government should go further by restricting ingredients outright. “Action should also be taken by Health Canada to reduce the amount of dangerous ingredients and additives allowed in Canadian food products to begin with,” said the report.Under the new regulations, processed foods that exceed 15% of the daily recommended amount of sugar, salt, or fat will carry front-of-package warnings identifying them as “high” in those nutrients. The findings were based on focus groups conducted nationwide by The Strategic Counsel under a $1.6 million contract.Health Canada has studied the idea for nearly a decade. .A 2016 Senate report, Obesity In Canada, called for front-of-package labeling and found per capita sugar consumption had reached 151 pounds a year. “We believe very clearly there has to be front-of-package labeling,” said then-committee chair Sen. Kelvin Ogilvie at the time.The department estimated in 2016 that compliance would cost food processors $554.8 million and affect some 80,000 different products. .“The costs to industry are anticipated to be significant,” said a federal Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement.Health Canada said the goal is not to frighten shoppers but to inform them. “The ‘high-in’ approach does not categorize a food as healthy or unhealthy,” said a 2022 government overview of the regulations.“Rather it provides information about high levels of nutrients of public concern.”According to federal data, more than half of all pre-packaged foods in Canada are “high in nutrients of concern” such as sodium, sugars and saturated fat. The department said there is “clear evidence” that excessive intake contributes to obesity and chronic disease.
