She's too busy scanning the package for one thing: the ingredient list.įoy says much information gets missed when you just look at the Nutrition Facts table, packaging or promotional messages. When she shops for food, Foy's not particularly interested in whether or not the product is labelled "reduced calories" or "fat-free." And those "contains antioxidants," "all natural," "boost your child's immunity" claims on the front of the packages? She doesn't give them a second glance. In the meantime, how can you best decode nutrition labels, health claims and nutrient content claims and make wiser choices for a nutritious, well-balanced diet? Ciara Foy, a Toronto-based certified nutritionist and weight loss expert, has some advice. There's no word yet on when any of these changes will be made. Among the sweeping recommendations in the Senate of Canada's Mareport on Obesity in Canada was a call to move the nutrition label to front of food packages. In 2015, the federal government proposed changes to the nutrition label, including listing total sugars and added sugars on nutrition tables, and making suggested serving sizes more consistent among similar foods. Many felt that a bit of mathematical wizardry was required to figure out just much of the product they should reasonably consume. In a 2012 Nielsen Global Survey of Food Labeling Trends, only 49% of Canadian respondents reported "mostly" understanding the information on labels. But reading the label doesn't always mean understanding it. After the Internet, labels are their second-favourite source of information. With so many tempting labels and claims vying for your attention, how do you know if a product is actually good for you, or just sounds healthy to get you to throw it in your shopping cart?Īccording to Health Canada, about 70% of Canadian consumers view food labels as an important source of nutrition information. The average grocery store sells more than 20,000 products.
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