What We’re Reading | For Health Canada, some saturated fats are more equal than others

By Sylvain Charlebois

Looks like we will all see different symbols on food packaging soon, telling us whether a food product at the grocery store has too much fat, sugar or sodium.

Health Canada is likely going forward shortly with a policy requiring front-of-package nutrition symbols on foods high in saturated fat, sugars and sodium. It’s a concept that will provide clear, easy-to-read labels, but one part of Health Canada’s plan is a headscratcher.

The threshold Health Canada intends to apply is quite simple. For prepared food or processed foods, and foods intended solely for children one to four years of age, it’s 15% DV (Daily Values). This means that if a product’s serving exceeds 15% of the maximum daily allowance for saturated fat, sugar or sodium, a label will be predominantly placed on the package for the consumer to see right away. For prepackaged meals and dishes, the threshold is 30%.

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‘What We’re Reading’ is a quick look at some of the issues and insights Alberta Beef Producers’ content creators and editors are reading to stay up-to-date, to broaden perspectives, and to explore issues relevant to the agriculture industry.