How to tell different types of foods and health products apart

Conventional foods usually consumed as desired with added vitamins, minerals or amino acids for nutritional purposes such as:

• restoring levels of nutrients lost during processing
• preventing or correcting a nutrient deficiency in the population
• ensuring substitute foods are the same nutritionally as the food they are meant to replace

Foods with added vitamins, minerals, amino acids, caffeine or other ingredients for purposes other than nutrition

Supplemented foods:

• may require a limit for consumption
• may not be suitable for some individuals
• may not be suitable to consume with other supplemented foods or supplements that contain the same ingredients

Foods specially made for individuals:

• with a physical or physiological condition as a result of a disease, disorder or injury
• seeking a particular effect, such as weight loss, by a controlled intake of foods

Foods for special dietary use have requirements for:

• energy
• all vitamins and minerals
• macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and protein)

Products in dosage formats that aren’t typical of foods (for example, capsules, tablets, powders, tinctures, etc.)

Natural health products:

• must carry directions for use
• may require a recommended dose
• may not be suitable for some individuals

• cheese
• crackers
• cooking oils
• canned beans

• milk
• table salt
• white flour
• fortified plant-based beverages

• beverages or bars with added vitamins and minerals
• beverages with added caffeine (for example, caffeinated energy drinks)

• meal replacements
• nutritional supplements
• formulated liquid diets (for example, tube feeding products)

• multi-vitamin tablets
• homeopathic remedies
• some cough and cold treatments
• probiotics and ginseng in dosage formats

• nutrition facts table
• claims
• front-of-package nutrition symbol

• nutrition facts table
• claims
• front-of-package nutrition symbol

• supplemented food facts table
• supplemented food caution identifier
• cautionary statements
• front-of-package nutrition symbol
• claims

• nutrition information that may be displayed in a table
• directions for use
• cautionary statements
• claims

• product facts table which includes the medicinal ingredients, uses, warnings and directions for use
• NPN or DIN-HM number
• claims