Nutrient content claims are statements or expressions which describe, directly or indirectly, the level of a nutrient or energy in a food or a group of foods. The regulations apply whether foods are sold to the trade, at retail, at restaurants or to other food service establishments.
The objectives of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) are to help consumers make informed dietary choices in order to prevent injury to health. These regulations limit the types of claims that can be made and prescribe the conditions that a food must meet in order to make claims. This allows consumers to easily compare foods based on consistent information. Permitted nutrient content claims and related conditions are outlined in the Table of Permitted Nutrient Content Statements and Claims, incorporated by reference into the FDR.
Below are the general steps associated with making a compliant nutrient content claim. Each step provides a link to the appropriate section for further information.
Step 1: Check the requirements for making a nutrient content claim to ensure that the claim is permitted on a given product.
Step 2: Pick the desired claim category and ensure it meets the specific nutrient content claim requirements as laid out in the Table of Permitted Nutrient Content Statements and Claims:
- energy and calorie claims
- protein claims
- fat claims
- saturated fatty acid claims
- trans fatty acid claims
- omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid claims
- cholesterol claims
- sodium (salt) claims
- potassium claims
- carbohydrate and sugars claims
- dietary fibre claims
- vitamin and mineral nutrient claims
- "light" claims
- quantitative declarations outside the Nutrition Facts table or Supplemented Food Facts table
Step 3: Ensure the claim meets the conditions for making a nutrient content claim.
Step 4: Ensure the claim is not an implied nutrient content claim.
Step 5: Verify if there is information triggered by making a claim on your product.
Step 6: If making the claim in an advertisement, ensure the applicable advertising requirements for nutrient content claim are met.