Nutrition facts tables

Important notice: The information on this web page is under review.

A nutrition facts table can help you make informed food choices when grocery shopping and preparing food at home. Learn about what is in a nutrition facts table and how to use it.

Did you know?

There are 13 core nutrients that must be listed in a nutrition facts table. However, here is a list of some of the nutrients that are optional to include:

  • folate
  • magnesium
  • niacin
  • phosphorous
  • potassium
  • riboflavin
  • selenium
  • thiamine
  • vitamin B12
  • vitamin B6
  • vitamin D
  • vitamin E
  • zinc

Foods that do not have a nutrition facts table

By law, most packaged food in Canada must have a nutrition facts table. However, the following foods do not need to have a nutrition facts table:

  • fresh vegetables and fruit
  • raw meat and poultry (except when it is ground)
  • raw seafood
  • one-bite confections that are individually sold
  • milk sold in refillable glass containers
  • individual servings of food meant to be eaten immediately
  • foods prepared or processed in-store made from its ingredients, such as:
    • bakery items
    • salads

Other exceptions include:

  • beverages with an alcohol content over 0.5%
  • foods, prepared, processed and sold at a:
    • road-side stand
    • craft show
    • flea market
    • fair
    • farmers' market
    • sugar bush

You will not find a nutrition facts table on foods that contain very few nutrients, such as:

  • coffee
  • tea
  • vinegar
  • spices

Restaurants and food service businesses also do not need to provide a nutrition facts table with their products.

How to use a nutrition facts table

The information in a nutrition facts table is based on the serving size. Serving size can be found at the top of the nutrition facts table.

You can use a nutrition facts table to compare the serving size to the amount of food you actually eat.

For example, the serving size of bread in a nutrition facts table could be 1 slice. But if you eat 2 slices, you need to double the amount of calories and nutrients.

A nutrition facts table can also be used to:

  • learn about a food's nutritional value (calories and nutrients)
  • see if a food contains a little (5% DV or less) or a lot (15% DV or more) of a nutrient
  • compare 2 products to make informed food choices
  • better manage special food needs such as a low-sodium diet

Interactive nutrition facts table

Select any item in the table to find out more.

Nutrition Facts
Per 3/4 cup (175g)
Amount % Daily Value
Calories 160
Fat 2.5 g 4 %
Saturated 1.5 g
+ Trans 0 g
8 %
Cholesterol 10 mg
Sodium 75 mg 3 %
Carbohydrate 25 g 8 %
Fibre 0 g 0 %
Sugars 24 g
Protein 8 g
Vitamin A 2 % Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 20 % Iron 0 %
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