Canada modified to buffer zone between the front-of-package nutrition symbol and the supplemented food caution identifier

Health Canada's Food and Nutrition Directorate considered industry comments on the impact on available label space when both an FOP nutrition symbol and the SFCI are required on supplemented foods. The Directorate concluded that the Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications and the Directory of Supplemented Food Caution Identifier Specifications should be modified to permit displaying the FOP nutrition symbol and the SFCI with no buffer between them where they share a border (that is, where they are contiguous). Additionally, the same flexibility should be available for prepackaged products that contain an assortment of foods, where more than one FOP nutrition symbol is required.

The removal of the buffer zone for contiguous symbols allows flexibility in terms of space required to display them, while still maintaining their integrity and distinctiveness. This is achieved through modifications to the corresponding directories.

The minimum buffer continues to apply to the remaining borders of each symbol as indicated in their respective directories, as does the requirement for prepackaged products that contain an assortment of foods to display the FOP nutrition symbols in a manner that clearly indicates the applicable nutrients that are contained in each food (B.01.353(1), FDR).

The minimum buffer zone also continues to apply to all four borders of the FOP nutrition symbol or the SFCI when a single FOP nutrition symbol or SFCI is displayed on the principal display panel. Regulated parties still have the flexibility to place the symbols in any order, provided they continue to meet their respective placement requirements.

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