Nutrition Labelling... Get the Facts!

Return to the Factsheet Listing

What Do Nutrition Claims Mean?

Consumers can have confidence in nutrition claims because regulations, from Health Canada, specify the criteria that a food must meet to qualify for a claim and regulations specify the wording that must be used in nutrition claims to ensure that they are consistent and are not misleading.

Nutrient Content Claims and Their Meaning

View the table that provides a list of some of the more common nutrient content claims and what they mean.

Other Key Points

• A food with a claim about saturated fat or cholesterol must also be restricted in trans fat.
• Claims are allowed for trans fat and for omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.

Diet-related Health Claims

View the table that provides information about foods and making a health claim

Examples of Health Claims

A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruit may help reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may reduce the risk of heart disease. (Naming the food) is low in saturated and trans fats.