Allergen Labelling
For those with food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances, avoiding specific foods and ingredients is an important health challenge. An allergic individual coming into contact with an undeclared allergen such as peanuts in a food product may have symptoms that develop quickly and rapidly progressing from mild to severe, including anaphylactic shock and death. For those suffering from celiac disease, the only current treatment is to maintain a strict gluten-free diet.
Proposed Amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations
The Food and Drug Regulations require that most prepackaged foods carry a label and that the ingredients appear on labels in decreasing order of proportion. However, some ingredients used in food products are currently exempted from declaration in the list of ingredients, e.g., components of margarine, seasoning and flour.
Based on consultations with stakeholders, including allergy associations and the medical community, Health Canada is developing amendments to the Regulations to enhance labelling requirements for specific priority allergens, gluten sources and sulphites in prepackaged foods sold in Canada. See previous letters to stakeholders: February 2004, September 2004.
Health Canada's intention is to recommend that the proposed regulatory amendments be published in Canada Gazette, Part I, by December 2007 to allow for public comment. Health Canada will then take the comments received into consideration before bringing the final regulations forward for adoption by the Government and publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II. For information on the federal government's regulatory process, see  www.regulation.gc.ca
Other information
Health Canada is reviewing its policy on the use of food allergen precautionary statement on pre-packaged foods.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued notices reminding food manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of their responsibility to ensure that the foods they sell are safe for all consumers, including those with food allergies.
See Declaration of Food Allergens - Pre-packaged Foods
Information on Food Allergies and Intolerances
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