In late June 2022, Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos announced that Canada will require nutrition warnings on the front of most pre-packaged food containing high levels of saturated fat, sugar, or sodium.

What You Need to Know About Canada's New Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels

Starting in 2026, many prepackaged foods in Canada will come with new nutrition warnings on the front of the package. This is a major change to food labeling in the country, and it's one that will have a big impact on how Canadians shop for groceries.

Packaged foods with more than 15 percent of the suggested daily value of saturated fat, sugars, or sodium will be required to display nutritional information on the front of the package. Pre-packaged meals have a little more leeway. Those containing more than 30 percent of the recommended daily value of saturated fat, sugars, or sodium must display a warning on the front of the package.

Some products will be exempt from these new food labeling requirements due to their other health benefits despite being high in saturated fat, sugars, or sodium. Exemptions include the following products:

Ground meat

Milk

Many types of cheese

Many fruits

Sugar packages

Salt packages

The new food labels are meant to help Canadians make healthier choices about the foods they eat. By making nutritional information more visible, it's hoped that Canadians will be able to make informed decisions about the foods they purchase.

What the New Labeling Requirements Mean for Canadian Food Producers

The new front-of-package nutrition labeling requirements will go into effect in 2026, giving food producers plenty of time to make the necessary changes to their products. But it's not just a matter of adding a few labels to packages. For many food producers, this will mean reformulating their products to make them healthier.

That could mean reducing the amount of saturated fat, sugar, or sodium in their products. Or it could mean switching to alternative ingredients that don't have the same nutritional drawbacks.

In some cases, the new front-of-package nutrition labels may also lead to changes in how foods are marketed and advertised. Foods that are low in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium may be promoted more heavily than those that don't meet the new labeling requirements.

The new front-of-package nutrition labels are intended to complement the existing Nutrition Facts table that's required on all food labels in Canada. The goal is to make it easier for Canadians to see at a glance whether a food is high in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium.

DuraFast Label Company Has Everything You Need for Food Labeling

The new front-of-package nutrition labels are a major change for the Canadian food industry. And it's one that is sure to have a ripple effect on the way Canadians eat.

If your packaged food products will be required to display a front-of-package nutrition label, start planning now for how you'll need to change either your product or your product packaging. If your food products will not be required to display a front-of-package nutrition label, take this opportunity to review your product labels and consider ways you could make them even more informative for your customers.

DuraFast Label Company is your one-stop-shop for all your food labeling needs. We offer a wide variety of label printers — including flexible packaging printers, color inkjet printers, and thermal printers — label materials, supplies, and label design software to meet the new front-of-package nutrition labeling requirements in Canada.

Contact us today to learn more about our food labeling solutions and how we can help you comply with the new front-of-package nutrition labeling requirements.