Reading the Nutrition Facts Table on Your Label
Learn how to decipher the nutrition facts table on all packaged foods bought in Canada.
Since January 2003, nutrition labelling is mandatory on most pre-packaged foods in a standard format on their labels. This is great since it allows you to identify the more and less nutritious nutrients found in the foods you eat. The Nutrition Facts table includes serving size, calories, protein, carbohydrates, as well as certain vitamins and minerals.
At first glance, the table may seem easy to read, but upon closer examination you may find it a little more complex to figure out. The following tips will help clarify its content.
The nutritional label information
- A serving corresponds to the size of a portion as it is sold or the size of a portion usually consumed by an adult during a meal.
- The energy is written in calories.
- Also listed are the protein, fat and carbohydrate content. These amounts are interesting in so far as they allow comparison with other foods of the same type.
- Vitamins and minerals must be expressed in a percentage of the Daily Value (% DV).
- The Daily Value (% DV) corresponds to the recommended daily amount for each nutrient listed. The % DV therefore refers to the proportion of a nutrient in a specific food compared to the amount recommended. For calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, for example, aim for a high % DV. For other nutrients, such as sodium, it is preferable to choose a food that has a lower % DV.
Making sense of nutritional claims
For our protection, Health Canada regulates these claims very rigorously. In general, to be able to make the claim:
- "Contains" or "source of" for a particular nutrient, the % DV of the nutrient must be at least 5%. For example, if the % DV of calcium in a particular food is 6%, the claim “source of calcium” can be included on the label.
- "Good source" or "high in", the % DV of the nutrient must be at least 15%.
- "Excellent source" or "very high in", the % DV must be at least 25%.
To facilitate the reading of the Nutrition Facts table, Health Canada developed an interactive tool to help Canadians better understand and learn how to use the information displayed. We invite you to visit their web site by clicking here.
