<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Labeling of Foods, Marion Zarkadas ----------------- Marion Zarkadas is a Policy and Legislation Officer for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Ms. Zarkadas discussed Canadian food labeling regulations and the current efforts for change. With the formation of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in April 1997 from the amalgamation of several government activities and organizations, the Canadian food industry is now viewed by the agency as being composed of four distinct segments: the CFIA, the food industry itself, Health Canada, and consumers. The agency is responsible for providing science-based information to the food industry, inspecting and monitoring food labeling and manufacturing practices, and recalling foods as required. The industry is responsible for developing an allergy awareness plan and ensuring that foods are safe and accurately labeled. Health Canada is responsible for setting health and safety standards, providing risk assessments, and developing regulations. Consumers are responsible for reading food labels carefully and avoiding questionable foods. The only major change to the Canadian Food Labeling regulations since their initiation in 1976 was the added regulation in 1996 regarding gluten-free (GF) foods. The added regulation reads as follows: "No person shall label, package, sell, or advertise a food in a manner likely to create an impression that it is a gluten-free food unless the food does not contain wheat, including spelt and kamut, or oats, barley, rye or triticale or any part thereof." However, gluten sources are not declared: 1. ...where there is a component exemption such as an ingredient of an ingredient. An example would be icing sugar or baking powder which may contain wheat starch to prevent clumping. 2. ...where they fit in a class name such as seasonings, flavorings, spices, etc. Sometimes wheat flour is added. 3. ...where there is cross contamination or mistakes such as mislabeling. Food labeling in Canada is done at all levels of trade: wholesale, retail, packaged for hospital use, etc. So an ingredient list can be found somewhere in the system for almost everything. The following are specifically exempt: * Foods packaged from bulk at retail. (Note: The foods as delivered in bulk, however, should be labeled.) * Individual food portions served with meals or snacks. (Butters, jellies, mustards, catsups, etc.) * Individual foods prepared by a commissary and sold in automatic vending machines or mobile canteens. * Meat and poultry barbecued at retail. * Standardized alcoholic beverages and vinegar. (Note: Ms. Zarkadas stated that vinegar is not a problem for celiacs except for possibly malt vinegar. Later, when discussing paprika, she again declared that white vinegar is no problem.) Two other categories of foods that may be a problem for celiacs are: * Prepared meat, fish, poultry, or their by-products if they are present at less than 10% in the final food, because they may contain wheat flour or gluten. * Starches, modified starches, and hydrolyzed plant protein because they may not identify the plant source. For example: wheat starch, corn starch, or hydrolyzed wheat protein. Several activities are occurring which could significantly assist celiacs. On the international level, the Codex Alimentarius is in the final stages of adoption of the inclusion of a declaration of all gluten sources on ingredient labels. Canada has recently sent a letter (not a regulation) to members of the food industry urging them to always declare in the ingredient list when the following foods are present as ingredients OR COMPONENTS: peanuts tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pinenuts, pistachios, walnuts) sesame seeds milk eggs fish, crustaceans (e.g. crab, crayfish, lobster, shrimp) and shellfish (e.g. clams, mussels, oysters, scallops) soy WHEAT sulphites In addition, Canada has also urged the food industry to include the plant source in the common name of all forms of hydrolyzed plant protein, starches, modified starches, and lecithin (e.g. hydrolyzed WHEAT protein, modified WHEAT starch, soy lecithin).