- Canadian Food Label -
The Nutrition Label Gives the Nutrition Facts
A food label is required on all Canadian food that is sold in packages. The
nutrition label must give information about the nutritional content of food.
A label that includes specific information about the nutritional value of the food
in the package is now mandatory making it easier for Canadians to make healthy and informed choices about the foods they buy and eat.
Through the Food and Drugs Act, Health Canada
regulates the labelling of food products in Canada.
Why is a nutrition label important for Canadians?
With more and more Canadian food being processed and offered in packages Canadians were becoming vulnerable to the effects
of diet induced health problems such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Canadians are consuming more and
more foods that have been highly processed and the labelling requirements up until 2007 were not adequate enough to meet the needs of
Canadians on special diets with specified dietary limitations for salt, potassium and other nutrients.
Under the mandate of
public protection
the Canadian government increased the requirements for the nutrition label to
include more nutrition facts including the expected serving size, amount of trans fats, and the percentage of calories
that area derived from fat.
You are a registered nurse, can you read and interpret this nutrition label for your patients?
Would you recommend this food for a patient on a low sodium diet?
If you want to improve your chances of success on the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam you will need to be
familiar with Canadian food.
More information for Internationally Educated Nurses preparing to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam
More about
Canadian food
a recipe for
Nanaimo Bars!
Go to the list of
high potassium food
Read about the
DASH diet
Go from this article explaining the Canadian
food label to an article on a low sodium diet
Go back to Canadian Food and Nutrition Information for IEN's
