The following is available in its entirety on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website.
Please be advised that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed Phase III of the Food Labelling Modernization consultations and a “What We Heard Report” has been published. We collected feedback from consumers, industry, CFIA staff and other stakeholders on proposals to modernize Canada’s food labelling system.
We would like to thank all stakeholders for their participation and valuable contribution to the Food Labelling Modernization consultations.
The “What We Heard Report” can be found on the CFIA’s Consultations – Food Labelling Modernization Initiative web page.
Food Labelling Modernization Initiative
Summary of What We Heard
- Overall, stakeholders supported modernizing the food labelling system, and welcomed the opportunity to provide comments and feedback to this initiative. The following is a high level summary of what we heard.
- Consumers supported proposals that enhance their access to and understanding of the food labelling information that helps them make their food purchasing decisions.
- Industry supported proposals that provide them with flexibility and allow innovation. They supported more outcome-based approaches, alignment with international standards and trading partners, and more streamlined regulations.
- While a majority of stakeholders supported all of the proposals, the level of support varied. For all of the proposals, a number of considerations and suggestions were raised.
Alignment of the various ongoing labelling modernization initiatives is important to minimize impacts to industry. A longer transition period helps reduce cost of compliance.