Globe and Mail

Ottawa drew praise when it announced last year it would label foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat. But when experts came together to make a short list of designs, the complexities of the plan came to the forefront, and the critics raised their voices. Ann Hui breaks down the fight over food labels.

Excerpt: “Health Canada, in response, said the department will continue to take into account all the groups’ views. But it emphasized that its priority is health… This is a public-health crisis, and a lot of this is very significantly related to diet,” said Karen McIntyre, a director-general at Health Canada. “Everything we can do to turn that around is the direction we’re taking.” Read full article…

The Province

Petitpas Taylor said despite numerous health campaigns, Canadians are still eating too much processed food laden with salt, fat and sugar. Under the strategy, the government is hoping to put new warning symbols on the front of processed foods high in fat, salt and sugar…. And, she said her government will support a bill before the House of Commons on unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children 16 years and younger. Read more…

News Wire
Canada is facing a diet-related chronic disease crisis. To address this issue, the Government of Canada is implementing a comprehensive Healthy Eating Strategy that aims to make healthier food choices easier for Canadians and improve the quality of the foods they have to choose from. Read more…

Globe and Mail

Participants have consistently been given high marks for compliance to the rules. But are those rules tough enough? Some influential voices say no.

Health Canada is currently considering new regulations that would impose broader restrictions on food advertising that is targeted at those under 17. One item up for discussion is whether to ban television advertising of certain kinds of foods during times when kids are most likely to be watching TV – weekday mornings, weekday evenings and weekends. In addition, a Senate bill has proposed amending the Food and Drugs Act to tighten rules on food advertising to children.

All of this is a response to a real health crisis: 9.9 per cent of girls and 14.7 per cent of boys in Canada are obese, numbers that have risen sharply since the mid-1970s. The regulation of advertising is seen as one tool in the fight against that trend, not only because children are susceptible to the tactics of persuasive messaging but because they are forming habits that could affect their health for the rest of their lives. Read full article…