Evidence of meeting #41 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was products.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Director General, Health Products and Food Branch, Food Directorate, Department of Health
The criteria for content claims are set out in regulation, and they're measured against the information provided on the nutrition facts panel. The accuracy of those claims is enforced by CFIA.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
As you know, we heard some testimony from the United Kingdom regarding their labelling system. Have you considered a similar system to what's been introduced in the United Kingdom?
Director General, Health Products and Food Branch, Food Directorate, Department of Health
Health Canada hasn't formally considered or examined this issue in detail. We are certainly aware of the myriad of programs that are available around the world, but haven't done a formal policy analysis to determine what would be an enhancement to nutrition labelling here in Canada.
Conservative
Director General, Health Products and Food Branch, Food Directorate, Department of Health
I'd say certainly we're aware of activities in the U.K. and Australia and with other regulators through our regular contacts. At this point, our priority is to finish implementing the nutrition labelling regulations. They're not fully in force. Those for small and medium-sized businesses won't come into force until later this year, and we have a tremendous priority on working with companies and continuing to do education at this point.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Ms. Bryanton, you are the enforcement branch, I guess. I know you had a question about enforcement and whether or not it was voluntary compliance, and the investigated complaints, and so on. What is the penalty or the disincentive if somebody isn't following the rules?
Executive Director, Food Safety, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
There are provisions in the regulations if we do move to the point of prosecutions, but our approach is generally to work with the company to see the label corrected. So if the label represents a violation that has a health and safety impact--for example, there's an incorrect statement on one of the key areas that we do look at, such as trans fats or salt--in some cases we would even request that the product be withdrawn from the marketplace. So we do require that the label be corrected immediately for products where there could be a more immediate health impact.
Where it is more related to the format on the label, we do permit a longer period of time for that to be corrected, sometimes with the next printing of a label. So it really does depend on the nature of the violation.
What we do ask of companies when we are verifying labels is what method they have used to verify the nutrient content in the product, in particular on those where they are making nutrient content claims. So we do look at the validity of the laboratories that they have used to test the products and at other aspects relating to that to verify compliance. Although we have not begun a sampling program as of yet, because it's in the early stages of implementation, we will be incorporating that aspect into our compliance program as well to do that final cross-check on some of the claims.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Mr. Jeffery, you talked about two other systems, I think--a Swedish system and a U.S. system. Are either of those something you would recommend we look at, or do you think that what we have is superior to these other systems?
National Coordinator, Centre for Science in the Public Interest
We certainly don't advocate abandoning the Canadian nutrition facts panel. It's very important. It provides a lot of useful information for consumers that are interested in the details. Both the Swedish keyhole system and the Hannaford Bros. experiment, if you want to call it that, have features that are desirable. Obviously the Swedish example was established by government, so it has a little more credibility, I guess, and so acceptance of it may be broader.
The Hannaford Bros. approach actually rates virtually all of the processed foods in the store, which is an advantage over the other systems, over the U.K. system or the Swedish system. Consumers can see which foods have unfavourable designations and which ones have favourable designations, and they can make the decision on the basis of both types of information.
Conservative
NDP
Penny Priddy NDP Surrey North, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the presenters.
. I'm wondering if, when using language such as “67% of Canadians”, we might think about saying “67% of Canadians polled”, because it really isn't 67% of Canadians.
I'm wondering if you have any idea as to whether the polling was done solely in English or whether it was done in other languages. In the Chinese community, the South Asian community, the Korean community, whatever, the first language may not be English, although the labels are. Can we have some sense of whether that is included in the polling? What we often have is a poll of English-speaking people only.
Anybody can answer.
Chief Executive Officer, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
Our Health Check polling we do ourselves, as opposed to looking at polling that's done by somebody else. They're done in French and English and no other language.
NDP
Penny Priddy NDP Surrey North, BC
Okay, and for the Ipsos Reid poll that is used in your presentation?
Director General, Health Products and Food Branch, Food Directorate, Department of Health
On the tracking of nutrition trends, I'm sorry, I don't have the language profile handy.
NDP
Penny Priddy NDP Surrey North, BC
Okay, because often that is a fairly major problem. When I saw “67% of Canadians”, I thought, no, no. I guess the language is just a bit misleading.
Secondly, my challenge is that when I see “67% of Canadians” or even, let's say, “67% of Canadians polled”—and I would agree with Ms. Brown that people probably over-report good behaviour—I have this vision of people in the grocery store. Now I have my reading glasses on, which I would never have on at the grocery store, which I don't go to as much as I used to, so let me honest about that. But I would have to see accelerated music and pumped-in oxygen, because if everybody had to take out their reading glasses in order to read the nutritional facts, which I do, we'd have a very slow-moving grocery store. That would be my guess. So with only the nutrition facts, I have difficulty believing that 67% of folks would find this useful.
Secondly, when I look at the vitamin A in a can of Heinz beans—I'll use that example--and this is 2% of the daily content that I'm supposed to have, it's very difficult for me. I'm not sure that having a red or green light, or even the Heart Check, would necessarily make a difference. Because then, as I run down the isle, I have to ask myself, if this is 2% of my vitamin A today, then what else is it that I'm having to keep track of on my tally as I go through the grocery story?
The likelihood of any of that happening, by the way, is fairly unusual; at least I think it would be at my house, but I'm sure all of the rest of you do it rigorously.
I'd also be interested to know how many prosecutions we've had in the last 12 months.
NDP
Penny Priddy NDP Surrey North, BC
Thank you.
So the comment I would make is that I would not believe a label that was done by the product producer. It may be my natural cynicism or whatever, but I would certainly believe a third party validator. Whether that's government, whether it's Health Check, whatever, I'd certainly prefer to look at a third party validator.
I think that's the end of my questions. It's probably the end of my time, too.
Conservative
Conservative
Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Schaeffer, you'll be pleased to know that my university buddies feel that french fries are an actual food group. Perhaps after the meeting, I'll tell you what they think about alcohol.
I wonder if I could ask the researchers this. Mr. Jeffery brought up two other labelling systems, and I wonder if we could get some more information on that for the committee to consider in the report.
I'm going to just ask my questions right off the bat, so I don't get cut off.
Ms. Brown, Mr. Jeffery was highlighting some of the shortcomings that exist in the United States system, with their check mark system, and I'd like to hear your impressions of that. I liked the Count Chocula example. I think my colleague Dave Batters will probably have to do something with his cereal supply item, I'm not sure.
Conservative
Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB
Cocoa Puffs, okay, sorry. I didn't mean to misrepresent.
In regard to the labels that Ms. Priddy was describing, I wonder if we could get some feedback perhaps from you, Mr. Schaeffer, and maybe from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. If we were to put a colouring system over the top the actual labels, so it doesn't add any more room to the label but it does provide a visual indication, as well, within the label, that might be a compromise between the red light/green light suggestions that we've heard.
Finally, for Mr. Schaeffer, in regard to trade, how does it work? You respect the jurisdictional regulations, but if New York has a regulation and Buffalo has a regulation—and the way the United States is going, there are going to be hundreds of regulations—and then Toronto has a different set, how do you deal with that, as far as exports are concerned?
Those are my questions.
Chief Executive Officer, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
I can start, Mr. Chair. Carol will then speak to your question about the colouring system, if that's okay, Mr. Fletcher.
Please don't confuse us with the AHA heart check. The AHA is a wonderful organization that does incredible things in the United States. We looked at their heart check program and we specifically did not copy it. We don't agree with it. In addition to having it exclusively for the heart, it's not a full health check program. You can actually buy exclusivity in a certain category of food, and we absolutely will not allow that. We think our program is superior.
They didn't have a food guide to base it on. I believe they developed their own criteria, as was done in the Australian program. We were fortunate in Canada. We looked to see whether or not we should develop our own criteria. We were strongly advised by CFIA and Health Canada to use Canada's Food Guide. We have subsequently been quite surprised that they didn't publicly say that we are the best third party unbiased program.
I should say that because the food guide does not have criteria for dessert, junk food, and condiments, neither does Health Check. You will not see a Health Check label on those products.
Carol.
Carol Dombrow Nutrition Consultant, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
In terms of the colouring system, I think it's a very interesting proposal. I think you're still going to have the difficulty of deciphering whether or not it's a healthy food, because you'll have a variety of colours on the nutrition facts table. You're still going to have to turn over the package to review it.
For example, you can look at the Health Check symbol. Our slogan is: “It's like shopping with the Heart and Stroke Foundation's dietitians.” We've reviewed the whole food for you, and we can tell you this food is part of healthy eating. It's a very simple and quick little tip.
