. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CAN/123 
11 May 2005 
 (05-1925) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English/ 
 French 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
Canadian Enquiry Point 
200-270 Albert Street Ottawa Ontario 
Canada, K1P 6N7  
Tel: (+1 613) 238 3222 
Fax.: (+1 613) 569 7808 E-mail: info@scc.ca 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Food labels  
(ICS:  67.020, 67.040) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   Proposed Amendment 
to the Food and Drug Regulations (1416 — Nu trition Labelling, Nutrient Content Claims 
and Health Claims) (pages 1570-1620, in English and French) 
6. Description of content:   On December 12, 2002, the Government of Canada promulgated 
regulatory amendments to the  Food and Drug Regulations to make nutrition labelling 
mandatory on most prepackaged foods, upda te nutrient content claims, and introduce 
provisions for the use of diet-related health claims.  These amendments were published in 
the Canada Gazette , Part II, on January 1, 2003 (the proposed amendments were notified 
under G/TBT/N/CAN/8). 
Health Canada recognized, through the process of  assisting the industry in implementing the 
December 2002 Regulations, that additional re gulatory amendments were required to bring 
more flexibility to the regulato ry framework, clarify the intent  of these requirements, correct 
inconsistencies between labelling provisions, a nd address items that were not included in 
the previous amendments. G/TBT/N/CAN/123 
Page 2  
 
 The proposed amendments are described below.  
Nutrition Labelling: Amendments are proposed to the sections of th e Regulations dealing with exemptions from 
the mandatory nutrition labelling requirements and format requirements for the Nutrition 
Facts table.  
Nutrient Content Claims: 
Amendments are proposed to adjust certain provisions related to the use of claims. 
Although most changes would add flexibility for manufacturers wishing to include claims on the labels of their products or would simply  bring clarity to some of the requirements, 
other new requirements are proposed. Additiona l reference amounts are also proposed for 
different categories of foods.  
Health Claims: Amendments are proposed to adjust certain provi sions related to the use of health claims.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health 
8. Relevant documents:   Canada Gazette, Part I, 7 May 2005 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
 
Proposed date of entry into force:    Normally within 6 to 8 months of publication 
in the Canada Gazette, Part I. 
On the date the measure is adopted. 
10. Final date for comments:  21 July 2005 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:   
 http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2005/20050507/pdf/g1-13919.pdf  
The electronic version of the Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations 
(Nutrition Labelling, Nutrient Content Claims and Health Claims) (final rule to 
TBT/N/CAN/8; SOR/2003-11) can be downloaded at: 
 http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partII/2003/20030101/pdf/g2-13701.pdf