Proposed changes to Canadian food labelling practices could have a big impact locally

For immediate release:

Perth—Wellington M.P. John Nater says those concerns were voiced in a recent visit to Parmalat’s Mitchell operations and at the Perth County Federation of Agriculture Roundtable in March.

Huron-Perth’s Representative from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario Henry Wydeven says “warning labels suggesting products like yogurt and cheese are unhealthy over products such as diet soda or potato chips could be misleading to Canadians.”

Local producers and other commodity organizations such as the Dairy Farmers of Ontario and the Palmerston Dairy Group say the changes could have an impact on the local economy, as the dairy sector helps to provide financial stability and jobs in the region.

The labelling changes are part of Health Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy. It proposes warning labels will be placed on products which contain more than 15 per cent of the recommended daily intake of any saturated fat, sugars and/or sodium.

M.P. Nater is encouraging you to weigh in on both proposed changes to the Canada Food Guide and front-of-package labelling practices, with consultations ending on April 26th.

More information on Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy can be found here and you can give feedback on proposed front-of-package labelling changes here.

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Media Contact

Gregory Rosser
Office of John Nater, M.P.
john.nater@parl.gc.ca
(519) 273-1400