Health Canada Considers Changes to Precautionary Labelling of Priority Allergens

(Lexology – Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP)

Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are considering four potential policy options to update their position on precautionary labelling of priority allergens. Precautionary labelling allows manufactures to alert consumers that priority allergens may be in a food product, even where these allergens have not been intentionally added as an ingredient.

Currently, precautionary labelling is done on a voluntary basis. The four potential policy options are: an “enhanced voluntary” approach; an “enhanced voluntary approach with consumer notification;” a “mixed voluntary and regulatory approach; and a “regulatory” approach. Read more here.