OTTAWA, Ontario – The Canadian Ministry of Health recently finalized changes to the country’s Nutrition Facts table and list of ingredients on packaged foods.

Labeling amendments include changes to the regulation of service sizes to make comparisons of similar foods easier. Also, all food colors will be declared by their common name rather than the generic “colour” on the list of ingredients. Information about allergens will be easier to read, and a new health claim will be allowed on fruits and vegetables.

“We have updated nutrition facts tables on pre-packaged foods in a way that is based on science and that will meet the needs of Canadians feeding their families,” Health Minister Jane Philpott said in a statement. “We are also consulting on innovative ways to present nutrition information on food labels, such as front-of-pack labeling, to help Canadians make healthy choices on sugars, sodium and saturated fat.”

The label changes are part of Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy, which is an initiative aimed at making healthy food choices easier for Canadians. The initiative also shows how the Canadian government plans to deliver on its commitments to sodium reduction in processed foods, eliminate industrially produced trans fats, provide consumers with more information about sugars and food colors and restrictions on the commercial marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.