Canada Nutrition Facts table rules

The bilingual Nutrition Facts table is required on most prepackaged foods and has used Health Canada's updated format since December 14, 2021.

What the table declares

The Nutrition Facts table — Tableau de la valeur nutritive — is required on most prepackaged foods under the Food and Drug Regulations and is bilingual in English and French. It declares Calories and the core nutrients: fat, saturated and trans fat, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium and iron, each with a % Daily Value column.

Serving size and reference amounts

The serving size in the table is based on Health Canada's reference amounts, not a portion the manufacturer chooses. Because the serving of stated size also drives the front-of-package symbol, the reference amount for your food effectively sets the numbers a shopper sees on both the back and the front of the pack.

The updated format and footnote

Health Canada updated the format of the table, and the updated version has been mandatory since December 14, 2021. A footnote explains the % Daily Value, noting that 5% or less is a little and 15% or more is a lot. The table appears in one of several standard bilingual formats rather than a free layout.

Getting the numbers right

Every value in the table flows from your recipe, your reference amount and the rounding rules, and the same figures feed the front-of-package symbol decision. Keeping them consistent across the table and the front panel is the point — LabelYog builds it from your recipe.

At a glance

• Use Health Canada's reference amount to set the serving of stated size
• Declare Calories and the core nutrients with a % Daily Value column
• Present the table bilingually in English and French
• Use one of the standard bilingual table formats
• Include the % Daily Value footnote (5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot)
• Confirm you are on the updated format mandatory since December 14, 2021

Questions