Notice of proposal regarding front-of-package buffer zone

The supplemented foods regulations, which came into force on July 21, 2022, require supplemented foods that have associated cautionary statements to carry a supplemented food caution identifier (SFCI). Some supplemented foods may be required to carry both symbols on their principal display panel (FOP). In addition, prepackaged products that contain an assortment of foods may be required to carry more than one FOP nutrition symbol and/or the SFCI.

Background – Health Canada published FOPs for food and then published a requirement for supplemented foods to have a supplemented foods FOP if certain ingredients were above thresholds – and then they realized oops!!! there isn’t enough room on some packages to carry both symbols (a high sugar beverage with caffeine will have to carry both – unless it is a high sugar beverage with caffeine that is carbonated. Health Canada hasn’t developed policy to manage large carbonated beverage brand-owners.

The simplest option is to allow the two symbols together! Send in your comments.