Canadian manufacturers will have until January 1, 2026 to update their Front of Package (FOP) labels. The reason behind this addition is to help Canadians avoid health risks associated with high levels of sodium, sugars, and saturated fats. The easy-to-read label will help consumers pick out healthier options more easily while shopping.
In general, most pre-packaged foods that exceed 15% of the standard Daily Value (DV) for sodium, sugar or saturated fats will need to display the new FOP label. Small portions (≤30g) must display the label if they meet or exceed 10% of the standard DV. Large portions or main dishes (≥200g for adult portions, ≥170g for meals intended for children) can contain up to 30% of the DV before needing to include the new label.
Any food that is pre-packaged and exceeds the set threshold will have to display the appropriate label on the front of the package in English and French. There are some exceptions, however:
- Individual portions served by restaurants or commercial sellers (i.e., creamers served with coffee or ketchup packets)
- Refillable glass containers for milk or cream
- Foods in packages too small for labels
- Raw meats packaged in whole cuts which do not display nutrition facts labels
- Ground meats to prevent implying that they are nutritionally inferior to whole cuts
- Plain milk, yogurt and cheese
- Fruits and vegetables with no added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat
- Butter, sugar, or salt and their equivalent counterparts (i.e., vegetable oils, seasoned salt, honey)