The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will develop and implement an online self-assessment labeling tool for producers, manufacturers and retailers to create compliant labels. The tool can also be used by consumers to learn more about labeling and the rules companies are required to follow.
Expected to launch in 2014-15, the tool aims to create industry awareness, understanding and compliance with labeling requirements for a broad range of information pertaining to net quantity, date markings, nutrition labeling, bilingual labeling, and legibility and location.
Risk-based label verification activities will be performed by CFIA inspectors to check that the information on the labels reflects what is actually in the product; for instance a product labeled as containing '0 grams of trans fat' per serving will be verified to see if it truly contains that level.
CFIA will continue to perform the verification through investigations into complaints, facility inspections, inspections at the retail level and laboratory testing of products. It will also verify the nutrient content or calories in the food at manufacturers, importers and retailers.
The agency will also remove regulations that restrict the sizes of containers for food, besides developing the tool. Removing regulations will provide more options for consumers and industry alike, the agency said.