Nutrient content claims
The nutrient content claims permitted on foods for sale in Canada are outlined in the Table of Permitted Nutrient Content Statements and Claims, incorporated by reference into the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR). The document sets out the conditions for these claims to be made. Nutrient content claims, such as "low in fat" and "trans-fat free", can be made on foods sold in restaurants and food service establishments provided the associated conditions are met. Most foods are required to meet the conditions based on not only the stated serving size, but also for a regulated reference amount (see the Table of Reference Amounts for Food for a list of the reference amounts). For instance, a food that claims to be a "low fat" food, must contain 3 g or less of fat per reference amount and per serving of stated size. The following table shows the requirements of some nutrient content claims that are frequently used at restaurants.
| Claim | Condition(s) for the food | Supporting information |
|---|---|---|
| Source of energy | Food provides at least 100 Calories (or 420 kJ) per reference amount and per serving of stated size | Calories per serving of stated size |
| Free of fat | Food contains less than 0.5 g of fat per reference amount and per serving of stated size | g fat per serving of stated size |
| Low in fat | Food contains 3 g or less of fat per reference amount and per serving of stated size | g fat per serving of stated size |
| Free of trans fatty acids |
|
g trans fatty acids per serving of stated size |
| Source of fibre | Food contains 2 g or more of fibre* per reference amount and per serving of stated size *If the fibre source is identified, then the food must contain at least 2 g of the identified fibre source (for example, oat bran) |
g fibre per serving of stated size |
Supporting information
Where nutrient content claims are made, they must be accompanied, with no intervening material and in the same size type and prominence, by a supporting statement of the amount of energy or the nutrient per serving of stated size. More information on how this information must be provided can be found in the Nutrition labelling regulations for foods sold in restaurants and food service establishments.
Comparative claims
Comparative claims are those claims which compare the nutrient value of a food with another food with the relative reduction or increase of a given nutrient. Three main types of comparative claims are permitted:
- those which discuss the reduction of a nutrient compared to a similar reference food such as a salad dressing which has had its fat content reduced compared to the regular salad dressing
- those which relate that a food has relatively less of a nutrient compared to a reference food of the same food group, such as a vegetarian burger having less fat than a beef burger, and
- those which discuss that a food has relatively more of a nutrient compared to either a similar reference food or a reference food of the same food group, such as bran muffins having more fibre than chocolate chip muffins
Note that comparative claims can only be made for foods compared with either a similar reference food and/or with a reference food of the same food group, depending on the type of claim used. Comparisons cannot be made between dissimilar foods such as a comparison between a salad and a burger or between orange juice and milk. More information can be found in Comparative nutrient content claims.
Where comparative claims are made for foods, the whole claim must be stated, along with the supporting information per serving of stated size, in the same size and prominence, with no intervening material.
Quantitative statements
A quantitative statement is a simple statement of the amount of a nutrient per serving of stated size. These statements are permitted on foods sold in restaurants, but must be shown in the prescribed units and must be shown per serving of stated size.
More information on these statements can be found in the Nutrition labelling regulations for foods sold in restaurants and food service establishments.
Implied claims
For more information, please see the section on Implied nutrient content claims.
Carbohydrate claims
The Table of Permitted Nutrient Content Statements and Claims does not provide for carbohydrate claims on foods sold in Canada. This means that "low carbohydrate" and "reduced carbohydrate" claims are not permitted on foods sold in Canada. Other statements such as "net carbs" and "digestible carbs" are also not acceptable. More information can be found in the information letter on carbohydrate claims.
Originally issued August 25, 2005 (Information Letter To Industry)