Nutrition facts label
Additionally, there is a requirement for ingredients to be listed in order from highest to lowest quantity, according to their weight.
The label was mandated for most food products under the provisions of the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), per the recommendations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It was one of several controversial actions taken during the tenure of FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler. The law required food companies to begin using the new food label on packaged foods beginning May 8, 1994. (Meat and poultry products were not covered by NLEA, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed similar regulations for voluntary labeling of raw meat and poultry.) Foods labeled before that day could use the old label. This appeared on all products in 1995. The old label was titled "Nutrition Information Per Serving" or simply, "Nutrition Information".
Food labelling in Canada
By law, nearly all products have a nutrition label in Canada. The nutrition label gives you information about the product including, its serving size, calories, and its percentage of the 13 core nutrients that Canada deems necessary. These nutrients include fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. All of these nutrients, except for vitamins and minerals, are recorded based on a reasonable daily intake percentage. Vitamins and minerals are based on a recommended daily intake (RDI). These differ in that one is based on what one is expected to eat in a day, while the other is based on what the government recommends one consume in a day. However, all nutrients are recorded onto the same label with the same guidelines that is prescribed by the Food and Drug Regulations. These guidelines determine that the nutrition label must be clearly and predominantly displayed on the package to the manufacturer as well as clearly visible to the consumer at the time of purchase.
According to the Canadian Government, the following foods are exempted from being required to have a food label: