Canadian Food Labelling Guide: FOP Symbol, Nutrition Facts & Ingredients
What changed on Canadian food labels, when it took effect, and what it means for your printed packaging. Includes symbol sizes by package size and old vs new label examples.
Packaging resource · Updated November 6, 2026
Three sets of federal labelling changes now apply to prepackaged food sold in Canada. The Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients were redesigned in 2016, with the transition ending in December 2021. The front-of-package (FOP) "High in" nutrition symbol became mandatory on January 1, 2026. Each one affects how much room your artwork needs and where it can go, so it pays to plan for them before plates are made.
Key Dates
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Dec 14, 2016 | Nutrition Facts table, list of ingredients and food colour amendments published. Food colour specification changes take effect immediately. |
| Dec 14, 2021 | Transition ends for the new Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients. The CFIA focuses on education until December 14, 2022, then expects full compliance (or a detailed plan) by December 14, 2023. |
| Jul 20, 2022 | Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol regulations published in the Canada Gazette, Part II. |
| Oct 20, 2022 | Updated Table of Daily Values published (potassium DV lowered from 4,700 mg to 3,400 mg). The 2016 table may be used until December 31, 2025. |
| Jul 17, 2024 | Current Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications published (sizes, buffers, type heights). |
| Oct 18, 2024 | Current Table of Reference Amounts for Food published. The November 2022 version may be used until December 31, 2027. |
| Jan 1, 2026 | FOP symbol mandatory on prepackaged foods that meet the thresholds. The 2022 Daily Values are required. |
| Dec 31, 2027 | Last day to label using the November 2022 Table of Reference Amounts. After this, the October 2024 table applies. |
Front-of-Package (FOP) Nutrition Symbol
Since January 1, 2026, prepackaged foods that are high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium must show a black-and-white "High in" symbol with a magnifying glass on the principal display panel. Products imported, manufactured or packaged at retail before that date can still be sold.
When the symbol is required
| Type of food | Threshold for saturated fat, sugars or sodium |
|---|---|
| Most prepackaged foods (reference amount over 30 g or 30 mL) | ≥ 15% DV |
| Foods with a small reference amount (30 g or 30 mL or less), such as condiments and salad dressings | ≥ 10% DV |
| Main dishes with a reference amount of 200 g or more (170 g for foods for children 1 to 4) | ≥ 30% DV |
The amount is assessed on the serving size or the reference amount, whichever is greater. Daily Values come from the 2022 Table of Daily Values: 20 g for saturated plus trans fat, 100 g for sugars and 2,300 mg for sodium.
Example: popcorn has a reference amount of 50 g (item S.1, chips, pretzels and popcorn), so the 15% threshold applies. That is 3 g of saturated fat, 15 g of sugars or 345 mg of sodium per 50 g. A 113 g single-serve bag is assessed on the full 113 g, because the serving is larger than the reference amount.
Size, placement and format
- Size is set by the principal display surface (PDS). The PDS is the area of the front display face; for a flat bag that is normally the front panel. The bigger the PDS, the bigger the symbol. Minimum sizes are in the table below.
- Larger is allowed, smaller is not. The symbol may be enlarged, but only proportionally in both width and height.
- Placement: upper half of the principal display panel, or the right half if the panel is wider than it is tall.
- Buffer: a clear margin around the symbol (1.1 to 2.7 mm depending on PDS) with no text or graphics in it.
- Format: black and white only. It can be one bilingual symbol or separate English and French symbols. Vertical formats are only for a PDS of 450 cm² or less, when the horizontal symbol is wider than the panel.
- Orientation: the words run the same direction as most of the other information on the front panel.
Minimum symbol size by principal display surface
From the Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications (July 17, 2024). Dimensions are width × height.
| Principal display surface | Bilingual horizontal | Unilingual horizontal (each) | Vertical | Min. buffer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| > 600 cm² | 6.29 × 3.30 cm | 4.42 × 3.30 cm | Not permitted | 2.7 mm |
| > 450 to ≤ 600 cm² | 5.40 × 2.83 cm | 3.79 × 2.83 cm | Not permitted | 2.3 mm |
| > 250 to ≤ 450 cm² | 4.50 × 2.36 cm | 3.10 × 2.36 cm | 2.17 × 4.10 cm (bilingual) 2.17 × 2.75 cm (unilingual) | 1.9 mm |
| > 100 to ≤ 250 cm² | 3.60 × 1.89 cm | 2.50 × 1.89 cm | 1.75 × 3.31 cm (bilingual) 1.75 × 2.19 cm (unilingual) | 1.5 mm |
| > 30 to ≤ 100 cm² | 2.80 × 1.42 cm | 1.87 × 1.42 cm | 1.37 × 2.60 cm (bilingual) 1.37 × 1.80 cm (unilingual) | 1.1 mm |
| ≤ 30 cm² | 2.80 × 1.42 cm* | 1.87 × 1.42 cm* | 1.37 × 2.60 cm (bilingual)* 1.37 × 1.80 cm (unilingual)* | 1.1 mm |
*For a PDS of 30 cm² or less, these sizes apply when all three nutrients are flagged. Smaller compact versions are allowed when only one or two nutrients are flagged; see the Directory.
Exemptions
Fully exempt include products with less than 15 cm² of available display surface (such as individually wrapped mints and candies), shipping containers, individual portions served in restaurants, products for commercial or institutional use only, products sold only as ingredients, refillable glass milk containers, and sweeteners, salt, fats and oils, butter and margarine.
Exempt along with the Nutrition Facts table exemption are foods sold only where they are prepared and processed from their ingredients, foods sold by the maker only at roadside stands, farmers' markets, craft shows, fairs and sugar bushes, individual servings sold for immediate consumption, products packaged and sold in the same store with a sticker label and under 200 cm² of display surface, products with less than 100 cm² of display surface, raw single-ingredient whole cuts of meat, poultry and fish, and alcoholic beverages over 0.5%.
Nutrient-specific exemptions cover foods such as whole or cut fruits and vegetables, plain milk, whole eggs, nuts and seeds, and vegetable oils, as long as nothing is added that contributes saturated fat, sugars or sodium. Cheese, yogurt, kefir and buttermilk with at least 5% DV calcium are exempt for saturated fat and sugars, but not sodium. Foods for infants 6 to 12 months, infant formula and meal replacements are not allowed to carry the symbol.
FOP Symbol Size Calculator
Enter the size of your front panel to see the minimum symbol size and placement rule. For a flat bag, measure the front face only.
The calculator applies the Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications to the area you enter. It does not decide whether your product needs the symbol or qualifies for an exemption.
Nutrition Facts Table: Old vs New
The new Nutrition Facts table has been required since the transition ended on December 14, 2021. The main changes:
- Realistic, consistent serving sizes based on the Table of Reference Amounts, so similar products can be compared. Single-serve packages of up to 200% of the reference amount are labelled as one serving.
- Bigger, bolder serving size and calories, with a thick rule under calories.
- % Daily Value for total sugars (DV 100 g) added.
- Potassium added; vitamins A and C removed from the core nutrients.
- Potassium, calcium and iron shown in milligrams as well as % DV.
- %DV footnote added: "5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot."
- Updated Daily Values, for example sodium 2,300 mg (was 2,400 mg), fibre 28 g (was 25 g), fat 75 g (was 65 g). The 2022 update lowered potassium to 3,400 mg; that version has been mandatory since January 1, 2026.
Teneur% Daily Value
% valeur quotidienne
+ Trans / trans 0 g2 %
pour 1 tasse (55 g)
% valeur quotidienne*
+ Trans / trans 0 g3 %
*5 % ou moins c'est peu, 15 % ou plus c'est beaucoup
Illustrative examples of the same breakfast cereal, not to scale. Production artwork must use a format from Health Canada's Directory of Nutrition Facts Table Formats.
List of Ingredients: Old vs New
The list of ingredients changes took effect on the same timeline as the Nutrition Facts table:
- Sugars grouped together. Sugar-based ingredients (sugar, glucose-fructose, honey, molasses, fruit juice concentrates and so on) are listed in brackets after the word "Sugars," placed by their combined weight. This shows where sugars really rank in the product.
- Food colours named individually by their common name (for example "allura red" or "caramel") instead of the generic word "colour."
- Easier to read: black type on a white or neutral background, a minimum type height, upper and lower case letters (not all capitals), and ingredients separated by commas or bullets.
- "Contains" statements for priority allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites follow the same formatting rules and appear right after the list.
Ingredients: Whole grain oats, sugars (sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey), rice, canola oil, salt, caramel, natural flavour.
Contains: Oats.
Illustrative English-only example. Labels sold in Canada must also show the list of ingredients in French.
Common Artwork Errors on Food Packaging
These are the problems that turn up most often on food bag artwork. Each one is easy to fix at proof stage and expensive to fix after printing.
| Issue | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Symbol retyped with a wrong accent, e.g. "Élevè en" | The text must match Schedule K.1 exactly: "Élevé en." Use Health Canada's official artwork files instead of rebuilding the symbol. |
| Symbol stretched or squashed to fit the layout | The symbol may be enlarged only proportionally in both directions. It can never be smaller than the Directory size. |
| Symbol sized for the wrong PDS range | Measure the front display face, not the whole bag or both sides. For a flat bag, a 7" × 12" front is about 542 cm² (the 5.40 × 2.83 cm bilingual symbol). |
| Artwork crowding the buffer | The buffer must be free of all text and graphics. Allow for print registration so the gap does not close up on press. |
| Symbol in the lower half or on the back panel | Upper half of the principal display panel, or the right half if the panel is wider than it is tall. |
| % DV calculated with old Daily Values | Since January 1, 2026, the 2022 Daily Values are required. A common one is potassium: 3,400 mg, not 4,700 mg. 270 mg of potassium is 8% DV, not 6%. |
| Old-format leftovers in the Nutrition Facts table | No vitamins A and C, no % DV for carbohydrate, potassium included, minerals in mg, footnote present. |
| Serving size not based on the reference amount | Use the October 2024 Table of Reference Amounts. Single-serve packages up to 200% of the reference amount are one serving. |
The brand owner is responsible for label content and compliance. If you are unsure whether your product needs the symbol or qualifies for an exemption, check with the CFIA or a food labelling consultant before artwork is finalized.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my product need the front-of-package symbol?
A prepackaged food needs the symbol when saturated fat, sugars or sodium meets or exceeds 15% of the Daily Value. The threshold drops to 10% DV for foods with a reference amount of 30 g or 30 mL or less, and rises to 30% DV for main dishes with a reference amount of 200 g or more. The amount is assessed on the serving size or the reference amount, whichever is greater. Some foods are exempt (see the exemptions section above).
Can the symbol be made smaller?
Not below the size in the Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications for your principal display surface (PDS). It may be larger, but only if it is enlarged proportionally in both directions. The only smaller-size option is for products with a PDS over 250 cm² that are sold only in the retail store where they were packaged and are labelled with a sticker. To use a smaller symbol, the package face itself has to fall into a smaller PDS range.
Where on the bag does the symbol go?
On the principal display panel (the front). If the panel is as tall as or taller than it is wide, the symbol goes in the upper half. If it is wider than it is tall, the symbol goes in the right half. It must have a clear buffer around it with no text or graphics, and its words must read in the same direction as most of the other front-panel text.
Why don't some foods made in-store have a Nutrition Facts table or FOP symbol?
Foods sold only in the retail establishment where they are prepared and processed from their ingredients (for example popcorn popped and bagged at a concession or gas station, or bread baked in an in-store bakery) are exempt from the Nutrition Facts table, and that exemption carries over to the FOP symbol. So are foods sold only by the person who made them at roadside stands, farmers' markets, craft shows and fairs, individual servings sold for immediate consumption, and products packaged and sold in the same store with a sticker label and less than 200 cm² of display surface. Foods made in a plant and sold through other retailers do not get these exemptions.
Does changing the serving size get a product under the threshold?
No. The threshold is assessed on the serving size or the reference amount, whichever is greater, so declaring a serving smaller than the reference amount does not lower the result. Serving sizes themselves must follow the Table of Reference Amounts: a single-serve package of up to 200% of the reference amount is labelled as one serving.
Which version of the reference documents should new artwork follow?
Use the current versions: the October 18, 2024 Table of Reference Amounts (the November 2022 version is only allowed until December 31, 2027), the October 20, 2022 Table of Daily Values (required since January 1, 2026) and the July 17, 2024 Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications. Printed bags often stay in inventory for a year or more, so designing to the latest rules avoids reprinting when a transition period ends.
Can the symbol be added to existing bags with a sticker?
The FOP symbol may be applied on a sticker as long as the sticker meets all of the format, size, buffer and placement requirements and stays on under normal conditions until the product reaches the consumer. Products imported, manufactured or packaged at retail before January 1, 2026 can still be sold without the symbol.
Where do I get the official symbol artwork?
Health Canada publishes every version of the symbol in the Compendium of Nutrition Symbol Formats and provides the .eps files on request (email [email protected] with the subject line 'HPFB BNS Compendium of Nutrition Symbol Formats'). Using the official files avoids retyping errors such as a wrong accent in 'Élevé en'.
Official Sources
- Health Canada: Front-of-package nutrition symbol labelling guide for industry
- CFIA: Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition symbol
- Health Canada: Directory of Nutrition Symbol Specifications (July 17, 2024)
- Health Canada: Compendium of Nutrition Symbol Formats (official artwork)
- Food and Drug Regulations, sections B.01.350 to B.01.356
- Health Canada: Table of Reference Amounts for Food (October 18, 2024)
- Health Canada: Table of Daily Values (October 20, 2022)
- CFIA: Information within the Nutrition Facts table
- Health Canada: Changes to the Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients (December 14, 2016)
This page is general information for packaging buyers, not legal or regulatory advice. It reflects requirements in force on November 6, 2026.
Planning a Printed Food Bag?
Talk to us early about panel sizes, symbol placement and print layout so your artwork fits the rules the first time.