Health claims: what they mean
![](/web/20131016233821im_/http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/images/eating-nutrition/label-etiquetage/health_claims-allegations_sante.jpg)
To make a health claim about ...
potassium, sodium and reduced risk of high blood pressure, the food
- must be low in (or free of) sodium
- may also be high in potassium
- must be low in saturated fatty acids
- must be limited in alcohol
- must have more than 40 Calories if the food is not a vegetable or a fruit
- must have a minimum amount of at least one vitamin or mineral
To make a health claim about ...
calcium, vitamin D and regular physical activity, and reduced risk of osteoporosis, the food
- must be high (or very high) in calcium
- may also be very high in vitamin D
- cannot have more phosphorus than calcium
- must be limited in alcohol]
- must have more than 40 Calories if the food is not a vegetable or a fruit
To make a health claim about ...
saturated and trans fats and reduced risk of heart disease, the food
- must be low in (or free of) saturated fat and trans fat
- must be limited in cholesterol, sodium and alcohol
- must have more than 40 Calories if the food is not a vegetable or a fruit
- must have a minimum amount of at least one vitamin or mineral
- must, if it is a fat or an oil, be a source of omega-3 or omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids
To make a health claim about ...
vegetables and fruit and reduced risk of some types of cancers, the food
- must be a fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruit or vegetable; fruit juice; vegetable juice
- must be limited in alcohol
To make a health claim about...
plant sterols and lowering cholesterol, the food
- must contain a minimum level equivalent to 0.65 g of free plant sterols or stanols per reference amount and per serving of stated size;
- must contain at least 10% of the weighted recommended nutrient intake of a vitamin or mineral per reference amount and per serving of stated size;
- must contain 100 mg or less of cholesterol per 100 g of food;
- must NOT contain more than 0.5% alcohol;
- must contain 480 mg or less of sodium per reference amount and per serving of stated size, and per 50 g if the reference amount is 30 g or 30 mL or less;
- must meet the criterion "low in saturated fatty acids."
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