Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising

Section VI: Nutrient Content Claims

[PDF Section VI]

1. General Principles:
   1. Definition
   2. Basis for Criteria -- Consistency in Terminology and Use; Serving Size and Reference Amount as Basis for Nutrient Content Claims
   3. Legal Basis
   4. Nutrition Information Required When a Claim is Made
   5. Synonyms
   6. Negative Claims -- Low, Free; % (Name of the Nutrient) Free; Non-Addition
   7. Positive Claims -- Contains, Good Source, Excellent Source, High, Very High; Protein; Vitamins and Mineral Nutrients; Source of Nutrients; Fortified, Enriched and Vitaminized
   8. Claims for Food Combinations
   9. Comparative Claims
   10. Light/Lite Claims -- Use of "Light/Lite" to Describe a Food
   11. Lean and Extra Lean Claims -- Meat, Including Poultry Meat, Fish and Shellfish Products (Other Than Ground Meat and Poultry); Ground (naming the species) Meat Including Poultry Meat; Prepackaged Meals for Use in a Weight Reduction Diet, or for Use in Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight
2. Specific Nutrient Requirements:
   1. Energy -- How to Declare Energy; Energy Claims; Summary Table of Energy Claims
   2. Protein and Amino Acids -- How to Declare Protein; Summary Table of Protein and Amino Acid Claims
   3. Fat, Fatty Acids and Cholesterol -- How to Declare Fat, Fatty Acids and Cholesterol; Claims for Fatty Acids and Cholesterol; Summary Table of Fat Claims; Summary Table of Fatty Acid Claims; Summary Table of Cholesterol Claims
   4. Carbohydrate, Sweeteners and Dietary Fibre -- How to Declare Carbohydrate and Sweeteners; No Sugar Added, Unsweetened, Not Sweetened; Less Sweet, Lightly Sweetened; Sweet, Sweetened; Summary Table of Carbohydrate Claims; Dietary Fibre and Novel Fibre; Dietary Fibre Sources in the List of Ingredients; Dietary Fibre Content Claims; Bran, Oat Bran, Corn Bran; Wheat Bran; Oat Bran; Corn Bran; Rice Bran; Summary Table of Dietary Fibre Claims; Information on Fibre Sources
   5. Sodium (Salt) and Potassium -- How to Declare Sodium and Potassium; Sodium and Potassium Claims; Salted; No Salt Added, Unsalted; Less Salt, Lightly Salted; Summary Table of Sodium (Salt) Claims; Summary Table of Potassium Claims
   6. Vitamins and Mineral Nutrients -- How to Declare Vitamins and Mineral Nutrients; Nomenclature, Order of Listing, and Highlighting; Recommended Daily Intakes of Vitamins and Mineral Nutrients; Minimum Vitamin and Mineral Nutrients for Making Claims on Foods for Persons 2 Years of Age and Over; Minimum Vitamin and Mineral Nutrients for Making Claims on Foods for Infants and Children Under Two Years; Summary Table of Vitamin and Mineral Nutrient Claims
3. Compliance for Nutrient Content Declarations and Claims:
   1. General Principles
   2. Definitions
   3. Nutrient Definitions
   4. Methods of Analysis
   5. Tolerances for Nutrient Declaration
   6. Databases
   7. Use of the Canadian Nutrient File
   8. Commodity-Specific Compliance Policy for Nutrient Content Declaration and Claims
4. Calculating the Nutrients
1. Energy -- Converting Calories to Kilojoules; Examples of Energy Calculations; Energy Values of Isomalt, Sugar Alcohols and Polydextrose; Energy Value of Dietary Fibre; Energy Value of Bran
2. Calculating Protein Rating
3. Calculating Fat -- Calculating Fatty Acids
4. Calculating Carbohydrates -- Sugars; Sugar Alcohols; Dietary Fibre
5. Calculating % Recommended Daily Intakes of Vitamins and Mineral Nutrients
6. Calculating Specific Vitamins -- Vitamin A; Vitamin D; Vitamin E; Vitamin C; Thiamine; Riboflavin; Niacin; Pyridoxine; Folacin; Vitamin B12; Pantothenic Acid
5. Calculating Vitamins and Mineral Nutrients with no Recommended Daily Intakes
6. Annex 1 - ScheduleK (Reasonable Daily Intake)
7. Annex 2 - Foods to Which Vitamins, Mineral Nutrients and Amino Acids Can be Added
8. Annex 3 - The Measurement of Nutrients in Canadian Foods