That's correct.
Evidence of meeting #103 for Health in the 42nd 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.
Evidence of meeting #103 for Health in the 42nd 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.
4:05 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
That's correct.
4:05 p.m.
Conservative
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
When could we reasonably expect to have a regulation in place to protect Canadians?
4:05 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
We're anticipating we'll have a regulation ready for the fall.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank the officials from Health Canada for being with us today.
By the end of this meeting, the questions that will be asked by the three parties represented around the table will probably be along the same lines. As Quebec MPs, we were very shaken by the tragedy of this teenager, Athéna Gervais. We want to assume our responsibility as parliamentarians and prevent this from happening again.
If the advertising for these sugary, high-alcohol drinks sold in convenience stores and grocery stores is based on the theme of break week, then presumably I am not being targeted. Since we have teenagers at home, we are familiar with the break week phenomenon: it is an opportunity to celebrate.
In your opinion, if we aren't supposed to sell alcoholic products to teenagers, how is it that an advertisement with a spring break theme in which people are encouraged to go and buy a flashy can for themselves is authorized?
4:05 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
The approval of advertising campaigns and marketing tactics is the responsibility of the provinces. The Régie des alcools in Quebec is responsible for pre-approving marketing for these types of products, so I think that you may want to refer that question to them.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
In other words, Health Canada has no authority over this.
4:10 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
We have no authority there.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
That's too bad because this concerns the health of our kids.
Could you explain what effect a drink that combines a high sugar and a high alcohol content has? In this case, the alcohol level could be up to 12%, which is equivalent to four glasses of alcohol per can. These cans are large, barrels practically. What effect does such consumption of sugar and alcohol have on a 14- or 15-year-old?
4:10 p.m.
Director, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Department of Health
If I understand the question correctly, the question is do we know the impact on the health of young people of the combination of the alcohol and the sugar.
The sugar, from what we see, seems to mask or impact the flavour of the alcohol. You're not tasting the malt or the alcohol in it to the same extent as you would, say, a spirit or a beer. That's the benefit or the impact of adding sugar to these high-alcohol products. In addition, they're also being sold, as you said, in a high volume, equivalent to four glasses or drinks in one can. That's the combination that creates the concern, and why we're out with this notice of intent, trying to figure out how we're going to manage this. That's a concern for us too.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
You said a little earlier that there wasn't much guarana, a natural caffeine, in the drink connected to the Athéna Gervais tragedy.
Even though it was a small quantity, is the effect of this natural caffeine combined with the mix of sugar and alcohol significant?
4:10 p.m.
Director, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Department of Health
The impact of the guarana and the amount of caffeine in that guarana is negligible. It is basically marketing and advertising the word “guarana”.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
You are drafting changes that will be made to the regulations next fall, but I would like to know more specifically when these changes will be implemented.
From a public health perspective, shouldn't we simply ban the sale of these sugary, high-alcohol drinks, rather than change the regulations? Is there a way to say they aren't products we want to see in our stores?
4:10 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Through the regulatory amendment process, we will be banning the way these products are currently made available on the market. You won't be able to see these large cans with high alcohol anymore. They'll have to do one of two things: either they could reduce the can to a smaller size, which is something we did with our caffeinated energy drinks to control the amount of caffeine that people were getting and we would use the same approach here, so they would get less alcohol because it's in a smaller can; or they could reformulate and have products that are the same size, but the concentration of alcohol is much less.
4:10 p.m.
Director, Bureau of Chemical Safety, Food Directorate, Department of Health
Perhaps I could add one other thing. Part of the purpose of the notice of intent, too, is to get an understanding of how much of this type of product is out there and what the implication is. We know of certain products, but we're trying to get a better handle on the scope of this particular group of products.
4:10 p.m.
NDP
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Are you talking about the size of the cans and percentage of alcohol they contain? Do you have any intentions regarding labelling or warnings, or will it not be necessary when the first measures have been properly implemented?
4:10 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
As I mentioned in my opening remarks, there are a number of measures. We have certain levers that we can exercise under the Food and Drugs Act, and we are using our full authorities there to do what we can to mitigate this issue. However, the provinces and territories also have their jurisdictions with regard to these products, including marketing, advertising, and accessibility. That is why we're working very closely with them to come up with a suite of measure that will fully address this problem.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
John Oliver Liberal Oakville, ON
Thank you for your testimony today.
I did read through the notice of intent to issue a regulation and the work that you're doing there. I certainly support and encourage that proposal. Is there anything you need from the committee to help submit this work, or would confirmation from the committee that we would support that type of regulatory amendment be helpful?
4:15 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
Yes, your support would be very much welcomed.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
John Oliver Liberal Oakville, ON
Okay.
On another question I have, if I go to the corner store and buy a Clamato juice, there is a nutrition facts table on that so I know exactly what I'm getting. If I buy a Coca-Cola, I think there's information on it about the RDAs. If I buy a premixed Clamato juice at the liquor store, I get no information. If I buy a premixed rum and cola at the liquor store, I get no RDA information. I was looking at the food and drug regulations and there's an exemption in there: a beverage with an alcohol content of more than 0.5% is exempt from nutritional facts table disclosures, or RDA disclosures. Why wouldn't we change that? With the significant explosion, I would almost call it, of premixed drinks or sugar drinks, why would we exempt alcoholic beverages from having a disclosure of the RDA?
4:15 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
That was done a number of years ago. You're not the first one to raise this to us, and it certainly is on our radar. Going forward, we will be considering the fact that it's currently exempted and we may be moving forward with changing it.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
4:15 p.m.
Director General, Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Department of Health
No, it would be an amendment to the regulations.
