The new health warnings are a good start, but do they go far enough?

Nicole Boyd knows what she’s looking for when she flips through packaged goods at the grocery store.

The Fredericton-based dietitian is adept at figuring out which ingredients to avoid by easily navigating the nutrition facts table found on most packaged foods.

But she acknowledges that the average consumer may find the complexities of Health Canada’s information on labels confusing and even overwhelming.

She appreciates the new front-of-package labeling as a quick, clear warning to consumers that the product they’re about to drop into a shopping cart may not be the wisest choice.

symbol of magnifying glass Mandatory Starting Jan. 1 for all prepared foods that contain more than 15 percent of the recommended daily value of saturated fat, sugar or sodium.

“I think it can give you a really quick snapshot of whether this product has ingredients you’re trying to avoid,” she said. “It can be a very simple way to know whether you want more or less of that product.”

Consuming too much saturated fat, sugar or sodium can increase the risk of stroke, obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.

But the new rules have exemptions, including whole, unprocessed foods like fresh produce, raw meat, poultry and fish.

Some dairy products such as plain milk, yogurt and cheese are also excused, as they are high sources of calcium, as are some traditional products such as honey, maple syrup and pure sugars.

Boyd said nutrition is very complex, and marketing companies can take advantage of this by intentionally misleading consumers and misrepresenting purported health benefits.

“Some of those higher sugar cereals are marketed as whole grains because they contain some whole grains, but they’re not necessarily a source of fiber.”

Such strategies make dietary interventions important.

Lana Vanderlee, associate professor in the School of Nutrition at the University of Laval and Canada Research Chair in Healthy Food Policy, said several other initiatives are being reviewed, but resistance from the food industry has made change difficult.

“Their profit is the most important thing,” he said. “We know that this is unlikely to come from voluntary actions by the food industry, and it is the government that will have to take action to change those behaviours.”

Vanderlee said other policies being discussed include restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods specifically to children, a move taken in the United Kingdom earlier this month. Historic junk food advertising ban To protect the health of children.

But we have not seen any action and because of some food industry interference and lobbying we have not been able to get those policies passed,” she said.

Meanwhile, public health continues to suffer.

Latest data shows more than two-thirds of Canadian adults now classified as overweight or obeseabout a third live together diabetes or prediabetes, and a quarter have high blood pressure.

This is an issue that the entire world is trying to deal with. World Health Organization from 2023 Recognized Nine member states have established a regulatory framework to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from their national food supplies.

Other countries, including the United States, are cracking down on food additives, which began Phasing out eight artificial food colours, Linked to hyperactivity and obesity, seven of which are Allowed in Canada.

The European Union has also banned this additive titanium dioxideThe European Food Safety Authority could not rule out that it might cause DNA or chromosomal damage in humans. It is still used in popular Canadian candies like Nerds, Skittles and M&Ms.

Vanderlee said health policies are complex in terms of trading partners and existing regulations.

He expects to see more changes in the coming years “as we see more and more scientific evidence about some of the effects of the things we put in our food, as well as consumers who are demanding that products be healthier.”

Shoppers say new labeling ‘can’t hurt.’

Trev Gonason looks at new labels while shopping at his local Fredericton Co-op store. He said he’s conscious about what he buys and thinks the new labeling is a good idea.

“It’s one thing to read labels and ingredients, but when it’s graphically presented to you, it becomes a little easier to recognize items that are particularly high in sodium or sugars,” he said. “Some of it is common sense, but it doesn’t hurt.”

Gonson also wants to put labeling on fast food, which he says “may be more problematic than the foods we buy in grocery stores.” And the logo itself may go on to show how high in saturated fat, sodium or sugar the product is.

He said, “I have yet to see one that was not partially painted with height and scale.” “I think if they can graduate, it would make more sense and definitely help the decision-making process.”

Jean-Claude Leblanc knows his way around nutrition tables. He and his wife are label readers, he said, as they try to avoid unnecessary salt and fat in their diet.

He believes the new labeling on the front of the package “can’t hurt”, but he doubts it will have a lasting impact.

“it‘It’s nice to have it on the front of the label so you can see it straight away,’ he said. ‘But I think most people buy what they’re used to buying, and they may not even notice it.’

Sue Morrison said she has high cholesterol and watches the groceries she buys carefully. He said he is happy to see the new logo on products and hopes more people will pay attention and start eating healthier foods.

“As a retired nurse, I’m concerned about the levels of obesity and diabetes and all those things that are happening to people,” she said.

“But it can go further… We really need to pay more attention to our daily intake of fats and sugars.”