Health Canada's Proposed Revisions to Reference Amounts in Schedule M of the Food and Drug Regulations
Updating reference amounts to support proposed new serving size guidelines
July 14, 2014
Table of Contents
Purpose
The purpose of this consultation document is to outline Health Canada's proposed changes to the reference amounts set out in Schedule M of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), and to solicit feedback from stakeholders.
Current Context
On January 28, 2014, the Minister of Health announced the launch of a consultation with 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, which closed April 30, 2014, focused on hearing the general views of Canadian parents and consumers with respect to nutrition labelling, and included an online questionnaire and face-to-face roundtable discussions in selected locations across Canada. 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 reference amounts set out in Schedule M of the FDR. Additional proposed changes to the NFt, such as changes to the serving size declaration, Daily Values, core nutrients and format are being consulted on as part of this phase. Input from all of these consultations will be used in conjunction with other data sources in the development of proposed changes to the NFt.
Background
Reference amounts represent the amounts of food typically eaten at one sitting, and are set out in Schedule M of the FDR for 153 categories of food. Presently, reference amounts are primarily used as the criterion to determine whether the package size of a food requires the nutrition information to be shown for the whole package (single serving package) and as a criterion for nutrient content claims and health claims.
As described in Health Canada's Technical Consultation on Proposed Serving Size Guidance, Health Canada is proposing that reference amounts be used as the basis for setting the serving size declaration in the NFt for multi-serving packages of food. Specifically, two of the three guidelines outlined in the proposed serving size guidance use the reference amount as the basis for determining the serving size declared in the NFt. This proposed guidance will help bring consistency to serving size information, and is in line with Health Canada's intended approach that the information shown in the NFt reflect what an average Canadian eats.
Proposed Updates to Schedule M Reference Amounts
With the finalization of Health Canada's proposed serving size guidance, food manufacturers will be further utilizing the list of reference amounts for the purpose of determining the appropriate serving sizes to be declared in the NFt of their products. The proposed changes to the reference amounts listed in Schedule M are necessary to ensure they are comprehensive and reflect the current consumption habits of Canadians.
Proposed changes to the reference amounts were developed based on market analysis (including the review of labels found in grocery stores and by searching Mintel Global New Products Database), consumption data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), comments received since the introduction of the current nutrition labelling regulations in 2002, and consideration of the United States Food and Drug Administration Proposed Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label.
Include Changes from 2005 Proposed Regulatory Amendment
A number of changes to Schedule M had been proposed in an earlier regulatory amendment proposal published in 2005 in the Canada Gazette, Part I (Vol. 139, No. 19 - May 7, 2005) and are included in the table below. New reference amount categories for foods for children under two years of age were proposed at that time.
Include Additional Examples of Foods
While the list of foods within the current 153 categories is not intended to specifically mention all foods, it would benefit from the inclusion of more examples of foods that fall within respective reference amount categories in order to facilitate use of the table by the food industry and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). For example, there have been a number of questions since the implementation of mandatory nutrition labelling as to which reference amount would apply to smoothies. Health Canada is proposing to add smoothies as an additional example in item 50 of Schedule M, within the Dairy Products and Substitutes category. This and other proposed additional examples have been included in the table below.
Update Reference Amounts to Reflect Amounts of Food Typically Eaten at One Sitting
In addition, there is a need to update certain reference amounts to more accurately represent the amount of food typically eaten by a person at one sitting. For example, Health Canada is proposing to change the reference amount of ice cream from 125 mL to 175 mL based on the most current CCHS consumption data. The table below shows proposed changes to a number of reference amounts where intake or market data indicate a change is warranted.
Process for Future Updates to Schedule M
Over the past few years, the CFIA has made administrative changes to the table of reference amounts posted in their former Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising following agreement by Health Canada, as a means to help the food industry in complying with the regulatory requirements associated with nutrient content claims and health claims. This strategy was used given the challenges regarding the ease and timeliness in making regulatory changes to the FDR under the current system. Health Canada is exploring options for strengthening the efficiency and timeliness of the process for implementing reference amount decisions.
Item | Product Category | Reference AmountTable 1 footnote 1 |
---|---|---|
Table 1 footnotes
|
||
BAKERY PRODUCTS | ||
1 | Bread, excluding sweet quick-type rolls | Proposing: 75 g instead of 50 g |
2 | Tea biscuits, scones, rolls, buns, croissants, tortillas, soft bread sticks, soft pretzels and corn bread Proposing: To remove 'Bagels' and to add 'English muffins' |
55 g |
new | Bagels, pita, naan, flat bread | Proposing: 85 g |
3 | Brownies | 40 g |
4 | Heavy weight cake: 10 g or more per 2.5 cm cube, such as cheese cake, pineapple upside-down, cake with at least 35% of the finished weight as fruit, nuts, or vegetables, or any of these combined Proposing to add: Pound cake |
125 g |
5 | Medium weight cake: 4 g or more per 2.5 cm cube but less than 10 g per 2.5 cm cube, such as cake with or without icing or filling, cake with less than 35% of the finished weight as fruit, nuts or vegetables or any of these combined; light weight cake with icing; Boston cream pie, cupcakes, eclairs, or cream puffs | 80 g |
6 | Light weight Cake: less than 4 g per 2.5 cm cube, such as angel food, chiffon, or sponge cake without icing or filling | 55 g |
7 | Proposing to combine with item 11 and to remove 'muffins' Coffee cakes, doughnuts, danishes, sweet rolls, sweet quick-type breads and flaky type pastries, with or without filling or icing |
55 g |
new | Muffins | Proposing: 115 g |
8 | Cookies, with or without coating or filling; graham wafers | 30 g |
9 | Crackers, hard bread sticks and melba toast | 20 g |
new | Cracker chips, crackers and cheese dip pack | Proposing: 30 g |
10 | Dry breads, matzo, and rusks | 30 g |
11 | Proposing to combine with item 7: Flaky type pastries, with or without filling or icing | 55 g |
12 | Toaster pastries | 55 g |
13 | Ice cream cones | 5 g |
14 | Croutons | 7 g |
15 | French toast, pancakes, and waffles | 75 g |
16 | Grain-based bars with filling or partial or full coating | 40 g |
17 | Grain-based bars, without filling or coating | 30 g |
18 | Rice cakes and corn cakes | 15 g |
19 | Pies, tarts, cobblers, turnovers, other pastries | 110 g |
20 | Pie crust | 1/6 of 20 cm crust or 1/8 of 23 cm crust |
21 | Pizza crust | 55 g |
22 | Taco shell, hard | 30 g |
BEVERAGES | ||
23 | Carbonated and non-carbonated beverages Proposing: To remove 'wine coolers (provided they contain < 0.5% or less of alcohol)' and to add 'iced tea, flavoured and sweetened and iced coffee and specialty coffee' |
355 mL |
new | Alcoholic beverages: | Proposing: |
a. wine | 175 mL | |
b. beer | 341 mL | |
c. wine coolers | 341 mL | |
24 | Sports drinks and water Proposing to add: Energy drinks |
500 mL |
25 | Coffee: | Proposing: |
a. regular, instant and specialty, including café au lait, flavoured and sweetened | 250 mL | |
b. espresso | 175 mL | |
26 | Tea and herbal tea, including regular and instant (hot), and flavoured and sweetened, prepared from mixes |
250 mL |
Proposing to remove: (a) regular and instant (hot) (b) flavoured and sweetened, prepared from mixes, such as iced tea |
Proposing to remove: 175 mL | |
27 | Cocoa and chocolate beverages (hot) | Proposing: 250 mL instead of 175 mL |
CEREALS AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS | ||
28 | Hot breakfast cereals, such as oatmeal, or cream of wheat | 40 g dry, 250 mL prepared |
29 | Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, puffed and uncoated (less than 20 g per 250 ml) | 15 g |
30 | Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, puffed and coated, flaked, extruded, without fruit or nuts (20 g to 42 g per 250 ml), very high fibre cereals (with 28 g or more fibre per 100 g) | 30 g |
31 | Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, fruit and nut type, granola (weighing 43 g or more per 250 mL) and biscuit type cereals | 55 g |
32 | Bran and wheat germ Proposing to add: Milled flax seeds and milled hemp seeds |
15 g |
33 | Flours, including cornmeal | 30 g |
34 | Grains, such as rice or barley | 45 g dry 140 g cooked |
35 | Pastas without sauce Proposing to add: Gnocchi |
85 g dry 215 g cooked |
36 | Pastas, dry and ready-to-eat, such as fried canned chow mein noodles | 25 g |
37 | Starch, such as cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch or wheat starch | 10 g |
38 | Stuffing | 100 g |
DAIRY PRODUCTS AND SUBSTITUTES | ||
39 | Cheese, including cream cheese and cheese spread, except those listed as a separate item | 30 g |
40 | Cottage cheese | 125 g |
41 | Cheese used as an ingredient, such as dry cottage cheese or ricotta cheese | 55 g |
42 | Hard cheese, grated, such as parmesan or romano | 15 g |
43 | Quark, fresh cheese and fresh dairy desserts | 100 g |
44 | Cream and cream substitute, except those listed as separate item | 15 mL |
45 | Cream and cream substitute, powder | 2 g |
46 | Cream and cream substitute, aerosol or whipped | 15 g |
47 | Eggnog | 125 mL |
48 | Milk, evaporated or condensed | 15 mL |
49 | Plant-based beverages, milk, buttermilk and milk-based drinks, such as chocolate milk Proposing to add: Drinkable yogurt |
250 mL |
50 | Shakes and shake substitutes such as dairy shake mix Proposing to add: Smoothies (if whey/dairy or plant-based beverage is a main ingredient), including those with coffee or juice |
250 mL |
51 | Sour cream | 30 mL |
52 | Yogurt | 175 g |
DESSERTS | ||
53 | Ice cream, ice milk, frozen yogurt, sherbet Proposing to add: Non-dairy desserts, frozen, sold in tubs |
Proposing: 175 mL instead of 125 mL |
54 | Dairy desserts, frozen, such as cakes, bars, sandwiches or cones | 125 mL |
55 | Non-dairy desserts, frozen, such as flavoured and sweetened ice or pops, frozen fruit juices in bars or cups | 75 mL |
56 | Sundaes | 250 mL |
57 | Custard, gelatin and pudding | 125 mL |
DESSERT TOPPINGS AND FILLINGS | ||
58 | Dessert toppings, such as maple butter and marshmallow cream | 30 g |
59 | Cake frostings and icings Proposing to add: Streusal topping |
35 g |
60 | Pie fillings | 75 mL |
EGG AND EGG SUBSTITUTES | ||
61 | Egg mixtures, such as egg foo young, scrambled eggs, omelets | 110 g |
62 | Eggs Proposing to add: including eggs in the shell, liquid eggs and liquid egg whites |
Proposing: 100 g instead of 50 g |
63 | Egg substitutes | 50 g |
FATS AND OILS | ||
64 | Butter, margarine, shortening, lard Proposing to add: Butter-flavoured spread |
10 g |
65 | Vegetable oil | 10 mL |
66 | Butter replacement, powder | 2 g |
67 | Dressings for salad | 30 mL |
68 | Mayonnaise, sandwich spread and mayonnaise-type dressing | 15 mL |
69 | Oil, spray type | 0.5 g |
MARINE AND FRESH WATER ANIMALS | ||
70 | Canned anchovies, anchovy paste and caviar | 15 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
71 | Marine and fresh water animals with sauce, such as fish with cream sauce or shrimp with lobster sauce | 140 g cooked |
72 | Marine and fresh water animals without sauce, such as plain or fried fish or shellfish, or fish or shellfish cakes, with or without breading or batter | 125 g raw 100 g cooked |
73 | Marine and fresh water animals, canned | Proposing: 85 gTable 1 footnote 2 instead of 55 |
74 | Marine and fresh water animals, smoked or pickled, or spreads | 55 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
FRUITS AND FRUIT JUICES | ||
75 | Fruit, fresh, canned or frozen, coated or uncoated, except those listed as a separate item Proposing to add: Apple sauce |
140 g 150 mL cannedTable 1 footnote 2 |
new | Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries | Proposing: 80 g |
76 | Candied or pickled fruit | 30 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
77 | Dried fruit, such as raisins, dates or figs | 40 g |
78 | Fruit for garnish or flavour, such as maraschino cherries | 4 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
79 | Fruit relishes | 60 mL |
80 | Avocado, used as an ingredient | 30 g |
81 | Cranberries, lemons and limes, used as ingredients | 55 g |
82 | Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and other melons | 150 g |
83 | Juices, nectars and fruit drinks represented for use as substitutes for fruit juices Proposing to add: Juice-based smoothies |
250 mL |
84 | Juices, used as ingredients, such as lemon juice or lime juice | 5 mL |
LEGUMES | ||
85 | Bean curd (tofu) or tempeh | 85 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
86 | Beans, peas and lentils, such as white beans, kidney beans, romano beans, soybeans or chick peas | 100 g dry, 250 mL cooked or cannedTable 1 footnote 2 |
MEAT, POULTRY, THEIR PRODUCTS AND SUBSTITUTESTable 1 footnote 3 | ||
87 | Pork rinds and bacon | 54 g uncooked 15 g cooked |
88 | Beef, pork and poultry breakfast strips | 30 g uncooked 15 g cooked |
89 | Dried meat and poultry, such as jerky, dried beef or parma ham, as well as sausage products with a water activity of 0.90 or less, such as salami, dried thuringer or cervelat | 30 g |
90 | Luncheon meats such as bologna, blood pudding, minced luncheon roll, liver sausage, mortadella, ham and cheese loaf or headcheese; pâté, sandwich spread, potted meat food product; taco fillings; meat pie fillings and cretons | 75 g uncooked, 55 g cooked |
91 | Sausage products, such as linked sausage, Vienna sausage, wieners, breakfast sausage, frankfurters, pork sausage, bratwurst, kielbasa, Polish sausage, summer sausage, smoked sausage, smoked country sausage, pepperoni, knackwurst, thuringer and cervelat Proposing to add: Sausage made with combination of seafood and pork |
75 g uncooked, 55 g cooked |
92 | Cuts of meat and poultry without sauce, and ready-to-cook cuts, with or without breading or batter, including marinated, tenderized and injected cuts Proposing to add: Shish kebab (only marinated meat, no vegetables), whole chicken (no stuffing), turkey roast (no stuffing) |
125 g raw, 100 g cooked |
93 | Patties (including veggie burger patties), cutlettes, chopettes, steakettes, meatballs, sausage meat and ground meat, with or without breading or batter Proposing to add: Corn dog on a stick (breaded), falafels |
100 g raw, 60 g cooked |
94 | Cured meat products such as cured ham, dry cured ham, back bacon, cured pork back, dry cured cappicolo, corned beef, pastrami, country ham, cured pork shoulder picnic, cured poultry ham products, smoked meat or pickled meat | 85 g raw, 55 g cooked |
95 | Canned meat and poultry | 55 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
96 | Meat and poultry with sauce, such as meat in barbecue sauce or turkey with gravy, but excluding combination dishes | 140 g |
MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY | ||
97 | Baking powder, baking soda and pectin Proposing to add: Yeast |
0.6 g |
98 | Baking decorations, such as coloured sugars or sprinkles for cookies | 4 g |
99 | Bread crumbs and batter mixes | 30 g |
100 | Cooking wine | 30 mL |
101 | Cocoa powder | 5 g |
102 | Non-alcoholic drink mixers, such as pina colada or daiquiri | 250 mL |
103 | Chewing gum | 3 g |
104 | Salad and potato toppers, such as salad crunchies, salad crispins or substitutes for bacon bits | 7 g |
105 | Salt and salt substitutes, as well as seasoned salts such as garlic salt Proposing to add: Seasoning products with salt (e.g. vegetarian seasoning) |
1 g |
106 | Spices and herbs (no salt) | 0.5 g |
COMBINATION DISHES | ||
107 | Proposing to combine items 107 and 108a and remove reference to 'Measurable with a cup': Combination dishes, such as casserole, hash, macaroni and cheese with or without meat, pot pie, spaghetti with sauce, stir fry, meat or poultry casserole, baked or refried beans, wieners and beans, meat chili, chili with beans, creamed chipped beef, beef or poultry ravioli in sauce, beef stroganoff, poultry à la king, Brunswick stew, goulash, stew, ragout or poutine, burritos, enchiladas, pizza (considered to be "without sauce"), pizza rolls, sausage rolls, pastry rolls, cabbage rolls, quiche, sandwiches, crackers and meat or poultry lunch-type packages, gyros, burger on a bun, frank on a bun, calzones, tacos, pockets stuffed with meat, lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, stuffed vegetables with meat or poultry, shish kabobs (if combination of meat and vegetables), empanadas, fajitas, souvlaki (if combination of meat and vegetables), meat pie or tourtière Proposing to add as examples: rice and vegetables, butter chicken with rice, shepherd's pie, meat-filled cannelloni (no sauce), stuffed turkey roast, stuffed chicken a A decision was made to combine these two groups in order to put them on an equal basis. It was not always easy or practical to determine which combination dishes were "(not) measurable with a cup". |
300 g without gravy or sauce, 355 g with gravy or sauce Proposing to remove: 250 mL |
108 | Proposing to remove item 108: Not measurable with a cup, such as burritos, egg rolls, enchiladas, pizza (considered to be "without sauce"), pizza rolls, sausage rolls, pastry rolls, cabbage rolls, quiche, sandwiches, crackers and meat or poultry lunch-type packages, gyros, burger on a bun, frank on a bun, calzones, tacos, pockets stuffed with meat, lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, stuffed vegetables with meat or poultry, shish kabobs, empanadas, fajitas, souvlaki, meat pie or tourtière | 140 g without gravy or sauce, 195 g with gravy or sauce |
109 | Hors d'oeuvre Proposing to add: sushi, egg rolls |
Proposing: 85 g, instead of 50 g, add 35 g for sauce |
NUTS AND SEEDS | ||
110 | Nuts and seeds, not for use as snacks: whole, chopped, sliced, slivered or ground | 30 g shelled |
111 | Butters, pastes and creams, other than peanut butter | 30 g |
112 | Peanut butter | 15 g |
113 | Flours, such as coconut flour | 15 g |
POTATOES, SWEET POTATOES AND YAMS | ||
114 | French fries, hash browns, skins and pancakes | 85 g frozen French fries, 70 g prepared |
115 | Mashed, candied, stuffed, or with sauce Proposing to add: Instant potatoes |
140 g |
116 | Plain, fresh, canned or frozen | 110 g fresh or frozen, 125 g vacuum-packed, 150 mL canned instead of 160 gTable 1 footnote2 |
SALADS | ||
117 | Salads, such as egg, fish, shellfish, bean, fruit, vegetable, meat, ham or poultry salad, except those listed as a separate item | 100 g |
118 | Gelatin salad | 120 g |
119 | Pasta or potato salad | 140 g |
SAUCES, DIPS, GRAVIES AND CONDIMENTS | ||
120 | Sauces for dipping, such as barbecue, hollandaise, tartar, mustard or sweet and sour sauce | 30 mL |
121 | Dips, such as legume or dairy-based | 30 g |
122 | Major main entrée sauce, such as spaghetti sauce | 125 mL |
123 | Minor main entrée sauce such as pizza sauce, pesto sauce, or other sauces used as toppings such as white sauce, cheese sauce, salsa, cocktail sauce or gravy | 60 mL |
124 | Major condiments, such as ketchup, steak sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, teriyaki sauce or marinades | 15 mL |
125 | Minor condiments, such as horseradish, hot sauce, mustard, or Worcestershire sauce Liquid smoke |
5 mL |
SNACKS | ||
126 | Chips, pretzels, popcorn, extruded snacks, grain-based snack mixes and fruit-based snacks, such as fruit chips Proposing to add: Pita chips |
50 g |
127 | Nuts or seeds for use as snacks | 50 g shelled |
128 | Meat or poultry snack food sticks | 20 g |
SOUPS | ||
129 | All varieties | 250 mL |
SUGARS AND SWEETS | ||
130 | Candies, including chocolate bars and other chocolate products, except those listed as a separate item | 40 g |
131 | Hard candies, except those listed as a separate item | 15 g |
132 | Baking candies, such as chocolate chips | 15 g |
133 | Breath mints | 2 g |
134 | Roll-type hard candies and mini size hard candies in dispenser packages | 5 g |
135 | Confectioner's or icing sugar | 30 g |
136 | Bread spreads, except those listed as a separate item, honey and molasses | 20 g |
137 | Jams, jellies, marmalades, fruit butters and spreads | 15 mL |
138 | Marshmallows | 30 g |
139 | Sugars, except those listed as a separate item | 4 g |
140 | Sugar substitute | amount equivalent in sweetness to 4 g sugar |
141 | Syrups used as toppings, including chocolate and maple syrups Proposing to remove: 'and corn syrup' |
60 mL Proposing to remove: 'other uses' from 60 mL and '30 mL as ingredient' |
new | Corn syrup, as ingredient | 30 mL |
VEGETABLES | ||
142 | Vegetables without sauce, including cream style corn and stewed tomatoes, but not including vegetables without sauce listed as a separate item Proposing to add: Lettuce, all varieties |
85 g fresh or frozen, 125 mL cannedTable 1 footnote2 |
143 | Vegetables with sauce Proposing to add: or with breading, such as onion rings and breaded zucchini sticks |
110 g fresh or frozen, 125 mL canned |
144 | Vegetables primarily used for garnish or flavouring, fresh, canned or frozen, but not dried, such as parsley or garlic | 4 g Proposing to add: fresh or frozen, 5 mL canned |
145 | Chili pepper and green onion | 30 g |
146 | Seaweed Proposing to add: Dehydrated mushrooms |
15 g |
147 | Sprouts Proposing to remove Lettuce and to add to item 142 |
65 g |
148 | Vegetable juice and vegetable drink | 250 mL |
149 | Olives Proposing to add: Sun-dried tomato packed in oil, artichoke hearts, pickled vegetables |
15 gTable 1 footnote 2 |
150 | Pickles | 30 g |
151 | Relish | 15 mL |
152 | Vegetable pastes, such as tomato paste | 30 mL |
153 | Vegetable sauce or purée, such as tomato sauce or tomato purée | 60 mL |
Proposed new food category: FOODS FOR CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE | Proposing | |
new | Combination dishes, meat, desserts, fruit, vegetables that are strained | 60 mL |
new | Cereals, dry, instant | 15 g |
new | Juices, all varieties | 125 mL |
new | Combination dishes represented for toddlers | 170 g |
new | Combination dishes represented for juniors | 110 g |
new | Desserts, fruit, vegetables represented for juniors | 110 mL |
new | Ready-to-eat cereal, represented for toddlers | 20 g |
new | Cookies, teething biscuits and toasts | 7 g |
Submitting Comments to Health Canada
Comments on this consultation 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 title "Proposed Revision to Reference Amounts" 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.
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