Public involvement

The Food and Nutrition Directorate provides opportunities for people in Canada to become meaningfully involved in informing our policies, regulations and programs. We also work closely with partners, stakeholders and international bodies to advance our food safety and nutrition objectives, as well as our scientific knowledge.

On this page

• Consultations, notifications and engagement activities
• Public involvement through awareness and education
• Stay informed
• Contact us

Consultations, notifications and engagement activities

In this section, you will find information on public involvement opportunities and consultations related to food and nutrition.

Table of recent consultations, summary of comments, calls for data, notifications, engagement activities

Please note: This table doesn't include all public involvement activities undertaken by the Food and Nutrition Directorate. It only highlights recent activities.

Table of recent consultations, summary of comments, calls for data, notifications, engagement activities

Topic	Type	Year	Title	Current status
Shortages Foods for a special dietary purpose Infant formula Human milk fortifiers Formulated liquid diets	Notice of intent	2025	Updated Proposal – Ministerial class exemption order for the exceptional importation and sale of certain foods for a special dietary purpose to mitigate a shortage or risk of a shortage	Closed
Foods for special dietary use Infant foods	Consultation	2024	Consultation: Proposed compositional requirements for infant foods and foods currently regulated as foods for special dietary use	Closed
Foods for special dietary use	Notice of intent	2024	Notice of intent to make a ministerial class exemption order for the exceptional importation of certain foods for a special dietary purpose to mitigate a shortage or risk of a shortage	Closed
Foods for special dietary use	Notice to stakeholders	2024	Notice to stakeholders: transition strategy to prepare for the expiration of Health Canada's interim policy to mitigate infant formula shortages	NA
Foods for special dietary use	Notice to stakeholders	2024	Notice to stakeholders: Health Canada's strategy to manage shortages of infant formula and other foods for a special dietary purpose and to modernize related regulations	NA
Marketing authorizations Food additives	Notice of intent	2024	Notice of intent to repeal sixteen food-related marketing authorizations	NA
Foods for special dietary use Infant foods	Consultation	2023	Consultation: Regulatory modernization of foods for special dietary use and infant foods	Closed
Regulatory modernization Food additives Compositional standards Microbiological criteria Methods of Analysis for Food	Consultation	2023	Consultation on the proposed Regulations Amending Certain Regulations Concerning Food Additives and Compositional Standards, Microbiological Criteria and Methods of Analysis for Food	Closed
Food labelling Food fortification Marketing authorization	Notice of intent	2023	Notice of intent regarding the Minister of Health's intention to publish marketing authorizations to permit vitamin D fortification of yogurt and kefir and expand the eligibility for the dairy-related exemption from the front-of-package nutrition labelling requirement	Closed
Foods for special dietary use	Notice to stakeholders	2023	Notice to stakeholders: Health Canada's strategy to manage shortages of infant formula and other foods for a special dietary purpose and to modernize related regulations	NA
Food advertising to children	Consultation	2023	Consultation: Restricting food advertising primarily directed at children	Closed
Food labelling Food allergies and intolerances	Summary of comments	2023	What we heard report: Consultation on the development of voluntary guidance for providing food information for foods sold to consumers through e-commerce	Closed
Food additives	Notice of intent	2022	Notice of intent to the modify the List of permitted food additives with other accepted uses to revise the use of caffeine and caffeine citrate in cola type beverages	Closed
Novel foods	Notice of intent	2022	Notice of intent to propose amendments to Division 28 of the Food and Drug Regulations (Novel Foods)	NA
Food labelling Food allergies and intolerances	Consultation	2022	Consultation on the development of voluntary guidance for providing food information for foods sold to consumers through e-commerce	Closed
Novel foods	Summary of comments	2022	Consultation summary: Proposed guidance for Novel Food Regulations focused on plant breeding	NA
Food labelling	Summary of comments	2021	Food labelling coordination: Summary of comments received on the draft joint policy statement	NA
Marketing authorization Food fortification Food labelling	Notice of intent	2021	Notice of intent regarding the Minister of Health's intention to publish a marketing authorization to permit increased vitamin D levels in milks and margarine	NA
Pathogens	Call for data	2021	Call for data: Request for scientific data and information on Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in various food commodities	Closed
Supplemented foods	Consultation	2021	Consultation: Proposed regulations for supplemented foods	Closed
Novel foods	Consultation	2021	Consultation: Proposed new guidance for Novel Food Regulations focused on plant breeding	Closed
Market authorization Food additives	Notice of intent	2021	Notice of intent to issue food marketing authorization - marketing authorization amending two marketing authorizations for food additives	NA
Food labelling	Consultation	2021	Consultation on proposed joint policy statement on food labelling coordination	Closed
Market authorization Food additives	Notice of intent	2019	Notice of intent to issue food marketing authorization	NA
Pathogens	Call for data	2019	Health Canada request for input and scientific data: Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oyster shellstock intended for raw consumption	Closed
Food labelling Partially hydrogenated oils Food fortification	Consultation	2018	Consultation on proposed front-of-package nutrition labelling	Closed
Food labelling	Public opinion research	2017-2018	Consumer research on front- of- package nutrition labelling	NA
Food advertising to children	Summary of comments	2017	Consultation report: Restricting marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children in Canada	NA
Food labelling	Engagement	2017	Front-of-package nutrition labelling: September 18, 2017 stakeholder engagement meeting	NA
Food advertising to children	Consultation	2017	Restricting unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children	Closed
Chemical contaminant	Summary of comments	2017	Summary of comments received as part of Health Canada's 2013-2014 call for data to assess the effectiveness of acrylamide reduction strategies in food	NA
Food labelling	Consultation	2016	Consultation on front-of-package nutrition labelling	Closed
Marketing authorization Food additives	Notice of intent	2016	Notice of intent to issue a food marketing authorization amending the marketing authorization for food additives with other generally accepted uses	NA
Marketing authorization Food allergies and intolerances	Notice of intent	2014	Notice of intent to issue a food marketing authorization - Proposed marketing authorization to allow gluten-free claims for specially produced 'gluten-free oats' and products containing such oats under certain conditions	NA
Food labelling	Summary of comments	2014	Consulting Canadians to modernize and improve food labels: What we heard	NA
Food allergies and intolerances	Summary of comments	2012	Summary of comments received on Health Canada's proposed policy intent for revising Canada's gluten-free labelling requirements	NA
Chemical contaminant	Summary of comments	2010	Summary of comments received as part of Health Canada's 2010 call for data on ochratoxin A	NA
Chemical contaminant	Summary of comments	2010	Summary of comments received on Health Canada's proposed maximum limits for ochratoxin A in certain foods - August 2008 to June 2009	NA

You can also visit:

• The Canada Gazette for new and proposed changes to the Food and Drug Regulations
  • All interested parties have the opportunity to submit comments on regulatory proposals published in the Canada Gazette, Part I using an online commenting feature. We make all comments received through the online system, by email or by regular mail, publicly available after the consultation period.
  • Summaries of consultation comments are also included in the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) when amendments are published in the Canada Gazette, Part I (proposed regulations) and Part II (final regulations), as appropriate.
• Notices of proposal and notices of modification for information on proposed or completed changes to food-related documents incorporated by reference (IbR) into the Food and Drug Regulations
  • Notices of proposal inform of our intent to modify an IbR document and provide an opportunity for you to comment
  • Notices of modification announce that we have modified an IbR document and provide details of the changes
• Consulting with Canadians for consultations at Health Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada and other federal departments and agencies

Public involvement through awareness and education

The Food and Nutrition Directorate also provides opportunities for the public to inform its awareness and education initiatives. Through these initiatives, we help people in Canada, including educators, health and industry professionals, and the public, to better understand:

• food safety
• healthy eating
• food labelling
• safe cooking practices

To ensure these initiatives meet the needs of their intended audiences, we use public involvement tools, including:

• user-testing
• consultations
• public opinion research

Explore some of our resources:

• Food safety education
• Nutrition labelling course
• Canada's food guide toolkit for educators
• Information about supplemented foods
• Information about front-of-package nutrition labelling
• Common food allergy pamphlets

Stay informed

Stakeholder registry

Health Canada's stakeholder registry (CSIMS) is the main Health Canada registry where you can stay informed on food and nutrition topics that matter to you, including learning about new consultations and engagement opportunities.

You can register as a member of an organization, as an individual or both. When asked for your areas of interest, be sure to select all topics listed under "food safety and nutrition." Click the "Register" button to create your profile or log in to your account.

Register

Topic-specific subscriptions

In addition to CSIMS, you can subscribe for information on specific topics:

• Canada's food guide monthly newsletter
• Food allergies e-Notice
• Food additives e-Notice
• Chemical contaminants e-Notice
• Compendium of analytical methods mailing list

Social media

You can connect on social media where we regularly share information on food safety and nutrition.

Contact us

E-mail: food-aliment@hc-sc.gc.ca

Related links

• Public engagement: Health Canada
• Food and Nutrition Directorate
• International activities
• How Health Canada engages and informs Canadians
• Public opinion research
• Health Canada's transparency
• Transparency of stakeholder communications for healthy eating initiatives
• Transparency and privacy: Consulting about new regulatory guidance for novel foods focused on plant breeding
• The Canadian Laboratory Information Network (CANLINE)
• Guidelines on public engagement 2023