Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising

Section VI: Nutrient Content Claims
Sections 6.1.10 to 6.1.11.3

6.1.10 Light/Lite Claims (Amended 27/08/97)

Proposals for light claims are contained in the consultation documents on Nutrient Content Claims, January 1996, available from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

In most instances, the promotion of "light" foods is directed toward calorie-conscious consumers who expect "light" foods to be lower in Calories. In order to achieve a meaningful and consistent use of "light/lite" and to avoid misleading consumers, the following guidelines have been developed. In general, the use of "light/lite" to describe a food will require complete qualifying information to appear on the label or in the advertisement of the food, grouped together with the most prominent claim which states the food is "light".

a) Historical uses of light/lite

Objection will not be taken to a claim associated with the use of the term "light", when it is clearly understood by consumers through long-established practice. For example, "light" in relation to rum is historically recognized as a reference to colour and/or flavour.

b) Use of light/lite to refer to energy reduction

No objection is taken to the use of "light/lite" on labels or in advertisements for foods meeting the compositional and labelling requirements of "calorie-reduced" and "low-calorie" foods (see Section 6.1.10.1). (B.24.006, B.24.007, B.24.011, B.24.012, FDR)

For foods which do not meet the requirements for "calorie-reduced" and "low-calorie" foods, but which have a significant reduction in energy value compared to an appropriate reference food, the term "light/lite" may be used if it is qualified by a statement meeting the conditions for use of comparative claims in Section 6.2.1.3. Where the term "light/lite" is used as part of the common name of an unstandardized food, the reference food must be an identically named food(s) not described as "light", or where these do not exist, a similar food or foods not so described.

Examples of acceptable claims include:

"Heavenly Light Microwave Popping Corn - 33% fewer calories than our regular microwave popping corn"

"Sandra's Lite Caesar Dressing and Dip - one third the Calories of regular Caesar dressing".

c) Use of light/lite with respect to other nutritional characteristics

i) A food may be described as "light/lite" if it is low in a particular nutrient provided that:

• a statement indicating that the food is "low in (naming the nutrient)" is grouped, in a prominent and discernible manner, with the most prominent claim that the food is "light/lite" or is clearly linked to this claim on the principal display panel; and
• the food meets the criteria for "low (name of the nutrient)" (see Sections 6.1.6 and 6.1.9).

ii) A food may be described as "light/lite" if it is lower or reduced in a particular nutrient(s) provided that:

• there is at least a 25 percent reduction and a significant absolute amount of reduction in the content of that nutrient(s), and there is no increase in energy compared with the reference food; and
• a statement of the amount of difference in the content of that nutrient(s) and a clear identification of the "non-light/lite" reference food is grouped in a prominent and discernible manner with the most prominent claim that the food is "light/lite" or is clearly linked to this claim on the principal display panel.

Notwithstanding c) i) and c) ii) above, "light" may be used to describe the following alcoholic beverages which contain the alcohol levels indicated below:

In the case of the above alcoholic beverages, it is assumed that through long-established practice, most consumers understand "light" to be a reference to a lower alcohol content. No further qualification of "light" is required on labels and in advertisements of these products provided the declaration of the percentage of alcohol by volume appears prominently on the principal display panel of the label, and that "light" is not used to refer to some other aspect or characteristic of these products. If "light" is used to describe a reduction in some constituent other than alcohol, then the claim must satisfy the conditions established in this Guide. (B.02.134, FDR)

d) Reference food for light/lite

i) When "light/lite" is used as part of the common name, the reference food for a comparative energy nutrient statement qualifying light is the same named food not described as "light/lite". For example:

Claim: "Light Microwave Popping Corn"
Qualifying statement: "50% fewer Calories than our regular microwave popping corn" (The basis for "light" should be a reduction in Calories as compared with microwave popping corn not described as "light" and not as compared with another product such as potato chips.)

Claim: "Light Sour Cream"
Qualifying statement: "60% less fat than our regular sour cream"

ii) If "light/lite" is not used as part of the common name but appears as a separate claim on the label, the reference food may be the same named food not described as "light", if it exists, or a similar food. For example:

Claim: "1% Partly Skimmed Milk" with "light" as a separate flash on the label
Qualifying statement: "50% less fat than 2% partly skimmed milk" ("1% partly skimmed milk" cannot be qualified by the term "light" since it meets the standard for partly skimmed milk (B.08.005, FDR) and must bear the prescribed common name "partly skimmed milk".)

Claim: "Cream Cheese Product" with "light" as a separate claim on the label
Qualifying statement: "40% less fat than our regular cream cheese"

e) Use of light/lite to refer to sensory or physical characteristics

No objection is taken to claims such as "light in texture", "light tasting", etc., when these are factual descriptions. However, the term "light/lite" should not be used in the common, trade or brand name of a food whose only light attribute is a sensory or physical characteristic, unless this characteristic is also included in the name(s) in which the term "light/lite" appears.

f) Use of light/lite to describe a meal

A meal, meeting the compositional requirements of section B.01.001 of the Food and Drug Regulations and containing a maximum of 300 Calories, may be described as "light/lite" provided a declaration of the energy value of the meal is grouped together with the most prominent claim which states the food is "light".

g) Light (naming a standardized food)

Where a standard for a food has been prescribed by the Regulations, section 6 of the Food and Drugs Act makes it an offence to label, package, sell or advertise any article in such a manner that it is likely to be mistaken for such food unless the article complies with the prescribed standard. Therefore, in addition to satisfying the foregoing conditions, when "light (naming a standardized food)" is used to refer to food that does not comply with all of the provisions of the standard for the food named in the common name, it must be accompanied by a statement(s) identifying all the factors which make the food so described compositionally different from the standard. In providing this information, it must be made clear to consumers that the food so described does not comply with the standard. To meet the above conditions, this statement or statements should appear on the principal display panel of the label and in any advertisement for the food in a prominent and readily-discernible manner.

If consumers are not informed in a clear and prominent manner of all the factors in which the food described as "light (naming the standardized food)" does not comply with that standard, they are likely to be misled. For example, it is considered misleading under subsection 5(1) of the Food and Drugs Act to describe a particular brand of "light French dressing" as containing 25 percent less fat than another brand of French dressing, without further divulging deviations from the ingredients permitted by the standard.

Where a food, which is modified to the point where it no longer complies with one standard but complies with another, the common name prescribed by the standard with which it complies must be used to describe the food. For example, "skim milk" cannot be described as "light milk".

6.1.10.1 Use of "Light/Lite" to Describe a Food

The following table summarizes conditions for the various uses of "light/lite":

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
1) Energy

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
2) Fat

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
3) Saturated Fatty Acids

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
4) Cholesterol

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
5) Sugar

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
6) Salt (sodium)

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
7) Sensory or physical characteristic (e.g., texture, flavour, colour, etc.)

Constituent or characteristic to which "light/lite" refers:
8) A Meal

Notes:

R* Regulatory requirement -- Food and Drug Regulations

* If "light/lite" appears on the label, the qualifying information must be grouped with or clearly linked to the most prominent "light/lite" claim on the principal display panel. If "light/lite" appears in an advertisement, the qualifying information does not have to appear in the advertisement provided it appears on the label along with any information required by the Food and Drug Regulations, and the advertisement does not contain a nutrition statement or claim.

6.1.11 Lean and Extra Lean Claims (revised 1995)

6.1.11.1 Meat, Including Poultry Meat, Fish and Shellfish Products
(Other Than Ground Meat and Poultry)

a) Composition:

The terms "extra lean" and "lean" may be used to describe meat, including poultry meat cuts and prepared meat products, fish and shellfish products, which contain less than 7.5 percent fat and less than 10 percent fat respectively.

b) Labelling:

The terms "extra lean" and "lean", when used in relation to meat, including poultry meat, fish and shellfish products, other than "ground (naming the species)" meat and poultry, trigger a declaration of the fat content in grams per serving of stated size of the food as sold. (B.01.300, FDR)

Rationale: The term "lean" is currently used in relation to meat, poultry, fish and shellfish products, other than ground products, which contain no more than 10 percent fat, a level consistent with recommended healthy eating patterns. The "extra lean" category is based on a 25 percent reduction in fat compared to lean.

6.1.11.2 Ground (naming the species) Meat Including Poultry Meat

a) Composition:

"Extra lean ground (naming the species)" and "lean ground (naming the species)" are prescribed common names which may be used for ground meat, including poultry meat containing no more than 10 percent fat and 17 percent fat respectively.

b) Labelling:

The terms "extra lean" (no more than 10 percent fat), "lean" (no more than 17 percent fat), "medium" (no more than 23 percent fat) and "regular" (no more than 30 percent fat), are a part of the prescribed common names for "ground (naming the species)" meat including poultry meat (S.94(4) and Schedule I, Meat Inspection Regulations). A declaration of their fat content in grams per serving or as a percentage, although not mandatory, would provide useful information to consumers.

Rationale: The Meat Inspection Regulations (94(4) and Schedule I) were amended in 1990 to prescribe standards for "extra lean, lean, medium and regular ground (naming the species)" at maximum fat contents of 10, 17, 23 and 30 percent respectively.

Although the current Food and Drug Regulations prescribe standards for only regular, medium and lean ground beef, these Regulations are to be amended to reflect the Meat Inspection Regulations in the near future.

6.1.11.3 Prepackaged Meals for Use in a Weight Reduction Diet, or for Use in Achieving Weight Reduction Diet, or for Use in Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight

The term "lean" may be employed in a trade, brand or fanciful name of a prepackaged meal for weight maintenance or for weight reduction if satisfying the requirements of Division 24 of the Food and Drug Regulations.