Foods intended solely for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age
All formats for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age may be used only on foods that are promoted and sold solely for infants 6 months to less than 12 months old. Products that are also marketed to young children or adults are not subject to the special provisions in the regulations that apply to food for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age. For example, arrowroot cookies that are typically consumed by both young children and infants 6 months to less than 12 months old are not eligible for the formats described in this section.
This section is not complete on its own. It should be used in conjunction with the Information within the Nutrition Facts table section and with the specific nutrition labelling regulations pertaining to foods intended solely for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age found in the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR).
Unless exempted, prepackaged foods intended solely for infants 6 months to less than 12 months old are required to carry a Nutrition Facts table (NFt) [B.01.401(1), FDR].
Prohibitions
The following foods intended solely for infants 6 months to less than 12 months old are specifically prohibited from declaring a Nutrition Facts table [B.01.401(4), B.01.401(5), FDR]:
The same exemptions from displaying a Nutrition Facts table and reasons for losing the exemptions that apply to all other foods also apply to prepackaged foods intended solely for infants 6 months to less than 12 months old.
Manner of declaring
Mandatory information in the Nutrition Facts table
Note: % DVs for these minerals must be calculated based on the daily value for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age, which are set out in column 2 of Part 2 of the Table of Daily Values
the % DV interpretative statement
There are several major differences between nutrition information requirements for prepackaged food for consumers and prepackaged foods for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age [B.01.403, FDR]. These differences are:
Nutrients listed in the top part of the Nutrition Facts table (fat, fibre, sugars, cholesterol, sodium and the sum of saturated and trans fatty acids) are declared in absolute units only (g, mg). Percent daily values (% DV) are not declared for these nutrients.
Certain core nutrients may be omitted: saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids and cholesterol. However, if cholesterol is declared, then saturated and trans fatty acids must also be declared.
The Nutrition Facts table formats are modified to reflect these differences. For example, there are no dual formats for foods for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age.
Serving size
Serving sizes are based on the product as sold and are closely aligned with regulated reference amounts. The Table of Reference Amounts for Food provides reference amounts on which most serving sizes are based, for various categories of food, including "Foods intended solely for children under 4 years of age". It also provides instructions on how to determine and express the serving size to be declared in the Nutrition Facts table.
For more information on reference amounts, refer to the Reference amount section.
Additional information in the Nutrition Facts table
Additional information included in the table following B.01.402 of the FDR may be shown in the Nutrition Facts tables for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age. When shown, the additional information shown in the NFt must be presented as illustrated in the figure below [Figures 33.1(E) and(F) or Figure 34.1(B), Nutrition Facts table formats for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age section. An example of the standard format in both English and French is also shown below. The additional information must be shown in both English and French, unless otherwise exempted from bilingual labelling requirements.
Standard format – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age
Additional information – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age
Note: this image does not display a format choice.
Nutrition Facts table formats for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age
Sections B.01.461 through B.01.465 of the FDR set out the criteria for each of the formats of the NFt for foods intended solely for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age. The formats and versions (sizes) are specified in the Considerations for selecting an appropriate Nutrition Facts table section. They are selected in the same manner as for other consumer foods, with some exceptions. For example, there are no dual formats for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age.
The acceptable formats of NFt for foods solely for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age can be found in the Directory of Nutrition Facts Table Formats, specifically Figures 20.1(E) to 34.1(B).
Steps for choosing a Nutrition Facts table
Step 1: measure the available display surface (ADS) of your package
Sections B.01.461 to B.01.464 of the FDR set out "families" of formats applying to infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age. Each family provides format options for presenting nutrition information in a specific manner.
The table below entitled "Which Nutrition Facts table format family should I use?" is a tool for selecting the appropriate format family for a prepackaged product. Once the appropriate family is determined, the decision tree diagrams provide guidance on the specific template that should be chosen.
Table: Which Nutrition Facts table format family should I use? – for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age
an assortment of food of the same type, serving consisting of more than 1 food; declared as a single composite value
prepackaged product containing assortment of similar foods, where 1) serving consists of only 1 of the foods, and 2) information for serving size, energy and core nutrients is the same for all individual items
foods whose nutrient value is "0", as reported in the NFt, for 5 or more of: Calories, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, sugars, protein, sodium, potassium, calcium and iron
package containing separately packaged ingredients or foods that are intended to be eaten together
prepackaged products containing assortment of foods of the same type, when a typical serving consists of more than 1 food; declared as separate values for each food
prepackaged product containing assortment of foods of the same type, when 1) serving consists of only 1 of the foods, and 2) information for serving size, energy and core nutrients is different for all individual items
cases where it is suitable to provide nutrition information for a food in more than 1 amount, to reflect different uses or different units of measure of a food
N/A (always optional)
serving of baby cookies which may be 1 cookie or 2 cookies
Step 3: choose the appropriate Nutrition facts table using decision trees
Before using the decision trees below, please refer to the Guide to using decision trees in the NFt formats section.
Standard, horizontal, linear formats – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age [B.01.461, FDR]
Simplified formats – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age [B.01.462, FDR]
When used, the simplified formats for foods for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age must include the following information [B.01.403(5), FDR]:
the serving of stated size, the energy value and the amounts of fat, carbohydrate and protein
the amount of any nutrient which is the subject of a nutritional or health-related claim or representation as described in the Nutrient Content Claims and Health Claims sections
the amount of any sugar alcohol, vitamin or mineral nutrient added to the food, except fluoride added to prepackaged water or ice
the amount of fibre, sugars, sodium, potassium, calcium and iron, when these cannot be declared as "0"
the amount of any vitamin or mineral nutrient declared as a component of 1 of the product's ingredients (except if the ingredient is flour) and
the statement "Not a significant source of (naming any excluded core nutrients)". Saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol are not required to be listed in this statement as their declaration is only triggered when the amount of cholesterol is provided. A shorter version of the above statement is permitted to be used for Nutrition Facts tables in 3rd level options in the decision tree: "Not a significant source of other nutrients"
The % daily value interpretative statement is not required in any figures of the simplified formats – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age [B.01.401(8), FDR].
Aggregate format – different kinds of foods – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age [B.01.463, FDR]
Aggregate format – different amounts of food – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age [B.01.464, FDR]
Small packages – infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age
Foods intended solely for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age in small packages with an ADS < 100 cm2 are exempt from carrying a Nutrition Facts table as long as the information is provided as outlined in the small packages < 100 cm2 section.
Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol
Foods intended solely for infants 6 months of age or older but less than 1 year of age are prohibited from carrying an FOP nutrition symbol on their label [B.01.350(15)(a), FDR].
This section deals with the requirements of prepackaged foods for use in manufacturing other foods and it identifies the major differences in the presentation of nutrition information for this class of foods as compared to prepackaged foods for the consumer.
Foods for use in manufacturing other foods are prepackaged products that are intended for use as an ingredient [B.01.404 (1), FDR]:
in the manufacture of other prepackaged products intended for sale to a consumer at the retail level, or
requires cooking before consumption, or
Note: while these may not strictly be ingredients in the preparation of other foods, their nutrition information may change after cooking or they may be combined with other ingredients (for example, oil) during the cooking process
is to be combined with another ingredient to prepare a food
Examples of foods in this category include: unbaked lasagna, raw seasoned fillets, dry noodles, frozen fries, unbaked pies, canned pie filling, instant potatoes, dried soup mix, corn starch and sugar.
Not all bulk containers of food are considered to be "solely" for use in the manufacturing of other foods. This is determined by the intended use of the ingredients. For example, if the contents are intended to be repacked from bulk at the retail premises or sold directly to consumers from bulk bins, these products require a standardized Nutrition Facts table format.
Nutrition labelling requirements
The nutrition labelling requirements for foods for use in manufacturing other foods are similar to those of prepackaged foods sold to the consumer, with some differences. The following rules apply:
Required nutrients
nutrition information for energy and the same core nutrients as required for prepackaged foods for the consumer in B.01.401 of the FDR must be included [B.01.404(3)(a), FDR]
additional information for the same nutrients as required for prepackaged foods for the consumer in section B.01.402 of the FDR must also be provided when triggered [B.01.404(3)(a), FDR]
additional information permitted in section B.01.402 of the FDR may also be included [B.01.404(3)(b), FDR]
Format
the information does not have to appear in a Nutrition Facts table format as prescribed by B.01.401(1) of the FDR. Information is not required to be in a box, nor must it obey the formatting requirements [B.01.401(7)(b), FDR]
the information may simply list the nutrients and their values
No exemption from providing nutrition information
Nutrition labelling exemptions found in B.01.401 of the FDR do not apply to these products [B.01.404(2), FDR]. For example, while prepackaged fresh apples sold in a retail store are generally exempt from carrying a Nutrition Facts table [B.01.401(2)(c)(i), FDR], prepackaged apples intended solely as:
an ingredient for use in the manufacture of other prepackaged consumer foods (for example, apple sauce), or
an ingredient (for example, sliced apples) for use in the preparation of food (for example, an apple pie) by a commercial or industrial enterprise or institution
must be accompanied by written nutrition information upon delivery [B.01.404(2), FDR].
Nutrient declarations
Nutrients must be declared:
per gram (g) or 100 grams (100 g) if the net quantity is declared by weight or count [B.01.404(3)(c)(i)(A) and (ii)(A), FDR], and
per millilitre (ml) or 100 millilitres (100 ml) if the net quantity of the food is declared by volume [B.01.404(3)(c)(i)(B) and (ii)(B), FDR]
Units of measure
vitamins must be declared in the units set out in subsection D.01.003(1) of the FDR (that is, mg, µg, µg DFE) [B.01.404(3)(c)(i), FDR]
minerals must be declared in milligrams for sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, chloride, copper and manganese and in micrograms for iodide, chromium, selenium and molybdenum [B.01.404(3)(c)(i), FDR]
the information for the other nutrients and energy must be declared in absolute units as set out in column 3 to the tables to B.01.401 and B.01.402 of the FDR (for example, Calories, g, mg)
the declaration of % daily value and information on "serving of stated size" may be omitted [B.01.404(3)(c)(iii), FDR]
The table in Annex 1: Vitamin and mineral declarations summarizes the units of measure to be used when providing nutrition information for vitamins and minerals for foods for use in manufacturing other foods.
Precision of nutrient declarations and rounding
all information must be stated with a degree of precision (that is to say, same number of significant figures) corresponding to the accuracy of the analytical methodology used to produce the nutrition information [B.01.404(3)(c)(iv), FDR]
since the nutrient information provided to the manufacturer may be used to create a Nutrition Facts table for another food, it must not be rounded
it is also acceptable to declare < (the limit of detection) as opposed to declaring 0, where the declaration is to be to the "degree of precision that corresponds to the accuracy of the analytical methodology used". For example, < 10 mg is acceptable if the nutrient is not detected but the limit of detection is 10 mg
Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol
The following are fully exempt from the FOP labelling requirements:
products intended only to be used as ingredients in the manufacture of other prepackaged products to be sold to consumers at retail, or
products intended only to be used as ingredients in the preparation of food by a commercial or industrial enterprise or institution
These products are always exempt from the need to assess the saturated fat, sugars and sodium content against the appropriate threshold. Therefore, they are never required to carry the symbol, even if the nutrient content meets or exceeds the threshold [B.01.350(5)(e), FDR].
For more information, refer to Which foods have a full exemption? in the Front-of-package nutrition symbol labelling guide for industry.
Voluntary claims and statements
Nutrient content claims
The provisions set out in the Food and Drug Regulations for making a nutrient content claim is intended to apply specifically to products sold to consumers at the retail level and where a Nutrition Facts table is required as per B.01.401 of the FDR. However, there is no prohibition from making a nutrient content claim, such as "trans fat free", on foods intended for further manufacture. These types of claims may be made at the manufacturer level provided that the amount of the nutrient subject to the claim, per serving of stated size, is given and the product meets the criteria set out for the claim. Refer to Nutrient content claims for specific requirements regarding these types of claims.
Note: the final product must be assessed independently for compliance with any given claim. Variation in the amount of the ingredient used or the effect of other ingredients used may have an impact on the final product meeting the criteria for the claim.
Documentation for purchaser
In the case of foods that are shipped to a purchaser on a continual basis, with no change to the formulation, documentation may be provided to the purchaser on the basis of the first shipment, without having to provide the information on an ongoing basis provided the purchaser agrees in writing to this arrangement (see Accompanying documentation for nutrition labelling, letter to industry).
Any change to the nutrition information as a result of formulation changes or other influences would have to accompany the modified product with its first delivery after the change has occurred. It is recommended that a reference system be set up to ensure a match between the nutrition information and the incoming material for document control purposes. The purchaser should retain relevant hard copies of the information on file for ingredients that have been used in existing production lots still on the market.
Foods for commercial or industrial enterprise or institution
This section deals with the requirements of ready-to-serve multiple-serving prepackaged products served in a commercial or industrial enterprise or institution. It identifies the major differences in the presentation of nutrition information for this class of foods as compared to prepackaged foods for the consumer.
This category of foods applies to prepackaged products that are [B.01.405 (1), FDR]:
in multiple servings in a package
ready to serve (may be shipped frozen or thawed but must be precooked, if required)
able to be served without the addition of other ingredients (but may be served in conjunction with other foods), and
intended solely to be served in a commercial or industrial enterprise or institution (for example, a restaurant, cafeteria or hospital)
Examples of this category of foods include: cooked lasagna, gravy, cooked seasoned filets, fresh pasta, pasta sauce, beverages, cherry pie, bagels, cereals, jam, lunch meats, condiments and dressings.
Nutrition labelling requirements
There are many similarities between this category and foods for use in manufacturing other foods. For example, they have the same nutrition labelling requirements with some flexibility in the manner by which nutritional information is provided for a shipment of food (documentation for purchaser) [B.01.401(7)(b), B.01.405(2), B.01.405(3), FDR].
Note: the Nutrient declarations section of foods for use in manufacturing other foods does not apply to ready-to-serve multiple-serving prepackaged foods intended solely to be served in a commercial or industrial enterprise or an institution. Instead, the manner in which the nutrients are declared is the same as for consumer prepackaged products:
units of measure, rounding and daily values for consumer foods are used
Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol
Ready-to-serve multiple-serving prepackaged products, intended only to be served in a commercial or industrial enterprise or an institution, have a full exemption from the FOP nutrition labelling requirement. These products are always exempt from the need to assess the saturated fat, sugars and sodium content against the appropriate threshold. Therefore, they are never required to carry the symbol, even if the nutrient content meets or exceeds the threshold [B.01.350(5)(d), FDR].
For more information, refer to Which foods have a full exemption? in the Front-of-package nutrition symbol labelling guide for industry.