Health Canada's Technical Consultation on Proposed Changes to the Daily Values (DVs) for Use in Nutrition Labelling

Background

Health Canada's Food Directorate has completed a review of the Daily Values (DVs), which are used to calculate the percent DV (% DV) declared beside some nutrients on the Nutrition Facts table (NFt). This consultation document outlines the rationale for Health Canada’s proposed changes to the DVs and their subsequent impact on the % DV declaration in the NFt.

Consultation Document

Health Canada's Proposed Changes to the Daily Values (DVs) for Use in Nutrition Labelling.

How to get Involved

This consultation is open for comment starting July 14, 2014 until September 12, 2014 (60 calendar day period). Comments on Health Canada's Proposed Changes to the Daily Values (DVs) for Use in Nutrition Labelling may be submitted in writing by regular mail or electronically at the address indicated below. If you are submitting your comments electronically, please use the phrase “Proposed Changes to the DVs” in the subject box of your email.

Food Directorate, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0K9

Email:nut.labelling-etiquetage@hc-sc.gc.ca
Fax: 613-941-6636

Submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on September 12, 2014.

Consulting with Canadians

On January 28, 2014, the Minister of Health announced that Health Canada was beginning a process to consult Canadian parents and consumers on ways to improve nutritional information on food labels, in response to a commitment identified in the 2013 Speech from the Throne. The initial phase of this consultative process includes a series of roundtable discussions with Canadians across the country along with an online questionnaire. A What We Heard report has been prepared to provide an overview of the feedback received.

Health Canada is now entering the second phase of consultations which focuses on various technical aspects of the Nutrition Facts table (NFt), including this technical consultation on proposed changes to the DVs for use in nutrition labelling. Additional proposed changes to the NFt, such as changes to the serving size declaration, reference amounts, core nutrients and format are being consulted on as part of this phase. Input from all of these consultations and earlier feedback from Canadian parents and consumers will be used in conjunction with other data sources in the development of proposed amendments to the nutrition and food labelling regulations.