Abstract
Both the US Institute of Medicine and the Canadian Standing Committee on Health have called for simple, standardized front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labelling systems on packaged foods. However, despite scientific evidence and expert consensus on the topic, Canada’s Minister of Health has dismissed these recommendations, stating that Canadian consumers already have “the tools they need to make healthy food choices when they shop for groceries”. This is relevant since existing evidence suggests that the current regulated nutrition labelling tools may not meet their intended objectives. Furthermore, Canada’s current FOP labelling environment — characterized by a variety of FOP labels with varying criteria — does not support the objectives of good nutrition labelling defined by Health Canada. Evidence suggests that well-designed FOP systems are capable of positively influencing consumer purchases as well as product reformulations by manufacturers. The US Institute of Medicine suggests a standardized, simple, interpretive, and ordinal FOP symbol as the ideal FOP labelling system. Although additional research is required, such a system should be considered in Canada, as it may be capable of addressing the shortcomings of existing nutrition labelling tools found in the Canadian marketplace.
Résumé
Tant l’Institute of Medicine des États-Unis que le Comité permanent de la santé du Canada ont réclamé des systèmes d’étiquetage nutritionnel «sur le devant de l’emballage» (SLDDE) simples et standardisés pour les aliments emballés. Toutefois, malgré les preuves scientifiques et le consensus des spécialistes sur le sujet, la ministre de la Santé du Canada a rejeté ces recommandations en disant que les consommateurs canadiens possèdent déjà «les outils dont ils ont besoin pour choisir des aliments sains quand ils font l’épicerie». C’est un élément pertinent, car les données existantes portent à croire que les outils actuels de réglementation de l’étiquetage nutritionnel pourraient ne pas respecter leurs objectifs prévus. De plus, l’environnement d’étiquetage SLDDE actuel du Canada — caractérisé par diverses étiquettes SLDDE choisies selon divers critères — n’appuie pas l’objectif d’un bon étiquetage nutritionnel défini par Santé Canada. Les faits montrent que des systèmes SLDDE bien conçus sont capables d’influencer positivement les achats des consommateurs ainsi que les reformulations de produits par les fabricants. Selon l’Institute of Medicine américain, le système d’étiquetage SLDDE idéal est un symbole SLDDE standardisé, simple, interprétatif et ordinal. Il faudrait pousser la recherche, mais un tel système mérite qu’on s’y intéresse au Canada, car il pourrait combler les carences des outils d’étiquetage nutritionnel que l’on trouve actuellement sur le marché canadien.
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Acknowledgements: Stipend support to Teri Emrich funded by the Cancer Care Ontario and the CIHR Training Grant in Population Intervention for Chronic Disease Prevention: A Pan-Canadian Program (Grant #53893). Stipend support to JoAnne Arcand funded by CIHR Strategic Training Program in Public Health Policy. Additional funding from the Earle W. McHenry Research Chair Award to Mary L’Abbé.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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Emrich, T.E., Arcand, J. & L’Abbé, M.R. Front-of-pack Nutrition Labelling Systems: A Missed Opportunity?. Can J Public Health 103, e260–e262 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404231
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404231