Making a nutrient content claim on food labels
Conditions for making a nutrient content claim
There are some general conditions related to the wording and visual representation of nutrient content claims which are outlined below.
Note: Conditions for making a quantitative declaration outside the Nutrition Facts table can be found in the appropriate section.
Language
When a nutrient content claim as set out in the table following B.01.513 of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) is made, it must be in both English and French, unless a bilingual labelling exemption applies to the product [B.01.501, FDR].
Altering the wording of permitted nutrient content claims
The wording for nutrient content claims set out in the table following B.01.513, FDR is prescriptive and word-sets shown in quotations must not be altered unless permitted. The table below shows acceptable and unacceptable ways of making claims [B.01.511, FDR]:
| Nutrient Content Claim Alteration | Examples |
|---|---|
|
Words, numbers, signs or symbols may accompany a label or advertising claim, providing they precede or follow the statement or claim, but are not interposed between the words of the statement or claim (subject to the requirements set out in the next three rows in this table) [B.01.511(1), FDR]. |
Unacceptable: |
|
Words such as "very", "ultra" and "extra" and other words, numbers, signs or symbols that change the nature of the statement or claim are prohibited [B.01.511(2), FDR]. |
Unacceptable: |
|
The brand name of a food may not accompany a claim regarding a food that has not been processed, formulated, reformulated or otherwise modified in order to meet the conditions set out for that claim [B.01.511(3), FDR]. |
Unacceptable: |
|
Any claim regarding a food that has not been processed, formulated, reformulated or otherwise modified in order to meet the conditions set out for that claim, shall relate to all foods of that type and not only the specified food [B.01.511(4), FDR]. |
Unacceptable: |
|
When more than one of the claims in column 4 of the table following Section B.01.513, FDR are made on the label or in the advertisement for a food, the common elements of the claims may be conjoined rather than repeated [B.01.512, FDR]. |
Acceptable: |
Size, prominence, location
Claim Conditions
When a claim is made on the label or in any advertisement, all of the words, numbers, signs or symbols that are part of the claim must be of the same size and prominence [B.01.503(3), FDR]. This includes all words of the claim having the same font, height, colour and bolding.
This requirement is for words, numbers, signs and symbols of each individual claim. When multiple claims are present, or the same claim in English and French is present, the size and prominence of the claims (including words, numbers, signs or symbols that precede or follow the claim) do not have to match.
Accompanying Information Conditions
When a claim is made on the food label, the information required to accompany the claim must be adjacent to (without intervening material) the most prominent claim on the principal display panel; or when the claim is not on the front label, grouped with the most prominent claim elsewhere on the label, and in letters of the same size and prominence as the claim [B.01.504, FDR]. A box around the words of a claim or around the accompanying information is considered intervening material and is not permitted.
When multiple claims (as set out in the Specific Nutrient Content Claim Requirements section) are conjoined, the accompanying information can also be conjoined, as long as it remains adjacent to the associated claim or statement, without any intervening material, and is shown in letters of at least the same size and prominence as those of the statement or claim.
For more information, please refer to the Decision Trees for Nutrient Content Claim Advertising Requirements.
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