Even in CanadaIndeed, in many countries, more sugar, salt, and saturated fat are consumed than recommended by guidelines for proper nutrition. The consequences of this diet’s spread are evident, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health Promotion, with diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, high blood pressure and obesity costing the country an economic burden of 28.2 billion Canadian dollars (21.26 billion euros) per year. are major causes of morbidity and mortality. To promote healthy food choices and reduce chronic health risks, The So the central government has announced That is, from 20 July 2022, a new label on the front of the package will come into effect in the country.

Reporting, in black and white, highlights foods with excessive amounts of at least one element, including sugar, salt and saturated fat, with a magnifying glass, clearly indicating which is high. However, the new labeling basically covers foods that are packaged and prepared with different ingredients. On the other hand, various products are significantly excluded, especially those sold in their raw state (unprocessed or lightly processed) and are otherwise exempted by Health Canada depending on the type of product.

Among the excluded foods This rule includes those considered to be beneficial to health, such as fruits and vegetables (including frozen), dried fruits and vegetable oils. However, these include various products, mainly of animal origin, which should be defined instead. Among dairy products, for example, unsweetened milk and yogurt are recommended sources of calcium, but also cheeses, although these are usually salted during processing and may contain high levels of saturated fat. Whole eggs, raw fish and meat (whole or minced) are exempt from labeling. Finally, we exclude products such as salt, sugar, butter, and the label ‘with lenses’ would be redundant.

solution The concept proposed by the Canadian government may come at the end of a broad discussion with various stakeholders involved in the process, at the end of which the decision-making authorities feel the need to clarify certain aspects. Therefore, the ministry notes that the intention of the new note is not to categorize food as healthy or unhealthy in absolute terms. “We need a quick and easy way to know which are the healthy options,” said Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. In any case, companies will have (three and a half years) to comply as the deadline for applying the new label to all products circulating in the country is January 1, 2026.

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