2019 Canada’s Food Guide Food Classification System: Classification of foods and beverages into categories

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Organization: Health Canada

Published: September 2022

High-level category Mid-level category Low-level category The lowest level category includes:

Vegetables and
Fruit

1

Fruit
11

Fruit
1120

All types of fruit (not including juice). Includes fruit purees.

Vegetables
12

Dark green vegetables
1210

Dark leafy greens and other vegetables that are dark green in color. Most are a good source of folate and provitamin A carotenoids.

Deep yellow or orange vegetables
1220

Carrots, winter squash and other deep yellow or orange vegetables. Most are good sources of provitamin A carotenoids. (Note: sweet potatoes are a starchy vegetable)

Starchy vegetables
1230

Potato, white and yellow corn, sweet potato, yam, parsnip, plantain, cassava, bread fruit, taro root, burdock root and lotus root.

[> 10 g carbohydrate (excluding fibre) per RA]

Other vegetables
1240

All remaining vegetables that do not fit into any of the other vegetable subgroups. Includes tomato sauce.

Whole Grain, whole grain foods and whole wheat foods
2

Whole grains (100%)
21

Whole grains (100%)
2100

All whole grains that are 100% whole grain

Whole grain and whole wheat foods
22

Whole grain foods
2210

All grain products with whole grain as the first ingredient

Whole wheat foods
2220

All grain products with whole wheat as the first ingredient

Protein foods
3 & 4

Plant-based protein foods
3

Plant-based yogurts
3200

Fortified Yogurt, yogurt drinks, kefir and similar products made from plant-based sources that contain protein

Fortified plant-based cheeses (that contain sufficient protein)

3300

All cheese-like products made from plant-based sources that contain sufficient protein.

Inspired by the Interim Marketing Authorization for products that are intended to resemble a ripened (mature) cheese, the protein content must be not less than 25g/100g. For products intended to resemble fresh cheese, the protein content must be not less than 15g/100g.

Legumes
3400

Beans, dried peas, lentils, soybeans and tofu (excluding soy beverages) Note: Peanuts are in nuts, fresh peas are in other vegetables

Simulated meats
3500

Simulated meat products such as veggie/meatless patties, nuggets. Foods are typically made with protein isolates. Simulated meats must have similar protein quality as the product they are simulating.

Nuts and seeds
3600

All nuts and seeds, including peanuts.

Other plant-based foods (that contain sufficient protein)
3700

All types of plant-based foods that are intended for use as alternatives to milk-based foods and that contain sufficient protein, e.g. Desserts, soups and sauces.

Inspired by the Interim Marketing Authorization for products that resemble fresh cheese, the protein content must be not less than 15g/100g.

Animal-based protein foods
4

Yogurts and kefir
4200

Yogurt, yogurt drinks, kefir and similar products made from the milk of cows, goats and other animals

Cheeses
4300

All types of cheese made from the milk of animals such as cow, goat and buffalo cheese. Include cheese with ingredients such as herbs, flavourings, spices.

Other milk-based foods
4400

All types of dairy-based desserts, soups and sauces

Red meats
4500

All beef, pork, lamb and goat meat from domesticated animals

Game meats
4600

Meat from all wild land and sea mammals

Poultry and wild birds
4700

Meat from all types of birds

Eggs
4710

All eggs

Fish and shellfish
4800

All fish and shellfish

Organ meats
4900

The organs of all wild and domesticated animals

Beverages
5

Beverages
51

Water
5110

All plain still waters (tap and bottled) and plain and unsweetened carbonated waters, with or without flavourings. Excludes sweetened waters.

Fortified plant-based beverages (that contain sufficient protein)
5120

Fortified plant-based beverages, including soy, that are fortified with calcium and vitamin D and contain sufficient protein. Inspired by the Interim Marketing Authorization for plant-based beverages, the protein content must be not less than 2.5g/100mL.

Non-Fortified plant-based beverages (that contain sufficient protein)
5130

Plant-based beverages, including soy, that contain sufficient protein but have not been fortified with additional micronutrients such as calcium or vitamin D. Inspired by the Interim Marketing Authorization for plant-based beverages, the protein content must be not less than 2.5g/100mL .

Fortified Plant-based beverages (that do not contain sufficient protein)
5140

Almond, rice, coconut, and other plant-based beverages that are fortified but do not contain sufficient protein (less than 2.5g/100mL).

Milks
5150

All animal-based milks such as cow, goat or buffalo milk as well as milk-based beverages. Includes skim milk powder

Fruit juice
5160

All fruit juices without added sugars. Excludes juice drinks and cocktails with added sugars

Vegetable juice
5170

Vegetable juice and cocktail

Other beverages
5180

Includes plain coffee, tea, club soda, vitamin and flavoured waters, artificially sweetened beverages, juice drinks/cocktails, juice with sugars added and sodas. Non-fortified plant-based beverages (that are not a source of protein).

Other foods
6

Other plant-based foods (that do not contain sufficient protein)
61

Other plant-based foods (that do not contain sufficient protein)
6100

All types of plant-based foods that are intended for use as alternatives to milk-based foods and that do not contain sufficient protein (see criteria for 3300 and 3700) e.g. cheese, desserts, soups and sauces.

Condiments, sauces and lower fat dressings
62

Condiments, sauces and lower fat dressings
6200

Condiments, sauces, pickled vegetables, lower fat dressings, fillings and seasonings with salt and sugar added, other foods with small RAs that accompany or add flavour to other foods

Other snack foods
63

Other snack foods
6300

Chips, pretzels, extruded snacks. Includes sugar free versions of these snack foods.

Higher sugar and/or higher fat foods
64

Higher sugar and/or higher fat foods
6400

higher fat and/or sugar foods where the first ingredient is either sugar or fat

Non-whole grain and non-whole wheat foods
65

Enriched non-whole grain and non-whole wheat foods
6510

All enriched refined grain products that do not have whole grain or whole wheat as the first ingredient.

Unenriched non-whole grain and non-whole wheat foods
6520

All unenriched refined grain products that do not have whole grain or whole wheat as the first ingredient. Includes cornmeal, tapioca and other plant-based starchy items.

Processed meats
66

Processed meats
6600

All meats preserved by smoking, curing salting or the addition of chemical preservatives

Fats and oils
7

Unsaturated fats and oils
7110

Unsaturated fats and oils
7110

Oils, dressings and spreads that contain ≤ 2 grams saturated and trans fatty acids per reference amount.

Small reference amounts are not adjusted.

Saturated and trans fats and oils
7120

Saturated and trans fats and oils
7120

Animal fats, hydrogenated oils and tropical fats and spreads that contain > 2 grams saturated and trans fatty acids and fat per reference amount.

Small reference amounts are not adjusted.

Other foods that are not classified
8

Baby and toddler foods 81

Baby and toddler foods
8100

Foods directed for consumption by infants and toddlers.

Meal replacements and supplements
82

Meal replacements and supplements
8200

Meal replacements and foods considered to be supplements

Alcoholic beverages
83

Alcoholic beverages
8300

All beverages with alcohol

CNF Recipes
84

CNF Recipes
8400

CNF recipes only. These are mixed dishes that cannot be assigned a food grouping since they contain significant amounts of ingredients from different food groupings. In the CNF, ingredient proportions for recipes are not available so recipes cannot be taken apart.

Miscellaneous foods
85

Miscellaneous foods (ingredients, herbs, spices, sugarless candies, unprepared mixes)
8500

Miscellaneous foods, ingredients, spices, herbs, unprepared soup mixes and any other product that cannot be classified in any other low-level group

Foods and beverages missing data for classification
9

Unclassified foods and beverages (due to missing data)
99

Unclassified foods and beverages (due to missing data)
9990

Foods that are missing nutrient data required for classification.

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