Food composition: Local, provincial and territorial regulation of food composition targets for out-of-home foods
January 1, 2019
Learn how local, provincial and territorial governments can increase healthy eating by regulating the composition of out-of-home foods to provide healthier ingredients
Inside this healthy eating policy pack
- Background evidence: healthy eating and cancer
- Evidence-informed policy actions to increase healthy eating
- Key statistics: healthy eating in Canada
- Public and policymakers’ perceptions of healthy eating in Canada
- Economic evidence to support healthy eating policy
- Indicators to measure progress on healthy eating policy
Composition targets for out-of-home foods
Issue
Action
Composition targets for out-of-home foods 1
- Working with food suppliers to provide healthier ingredients 2,3
Degree of policy adoption*
Provinces and territories: LOW
31 Canadian municipalities:** LOW
Current action(s) in Canada
Provinces and territories
No provincial or territorial level policies addressing food composition targets for out-of-home foods were found.
31 Canadian municipalities**
None of the 31 municipalities within the Directory have adopted policies addressing food composition targets for out-of-home foods.
Opportunities for action
Working with food suppliers is an opportunity for policy action and could be incorporated into policies to set standards in public institutions, or to encourage industry to reformulate foods.4 In addition, opportunities exist to couple incentives for suppliers with other policy efforts related to reformulating foods, healthy food production, and/or menu labelling.1,4
* Levels of adoption: LOW = very few jurisdictions have adopted evidence-informed policy action; MEDIUM = some, but not all jurisdictions have adopted evidence-informed policy action; HIGH = most jurisdictions have adopted evidence-informed policy action.
** Prevention Policies Directory captures information for 31 Canadian municipalities (18 largest municipalities in Canada, and at least 1-2 largest municipalities in all other provinces/territories).
References
1 Vanderlee L, Goorang S, Karbasy K, Schermel A, L’Abbe M. Creating healthier food environments in Canada: Current policies and priority actions – Summary report. Toronto; University of Toronto, 2017.
2 World Cancer Research Fund International. NOURISHING policy framework. Retrieved from: https://www.wcrf.org/int/policy/nourishing/our-policy-framework-promote-healthy-diets-reduce-obesity
3 World Cancer Research Fund International. (2009). Policy recommendations. Retrieved from: https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/cancer-prevention-recommendations
4 Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention (APCCP). (2018). Alberta’s Nutrition Report Card on Healthy Food Environments for Children and Youth. Retrieved from: http://abpolicycoalitionforprevention.ca/evidence/albertas-nutrition-report-card/