CRFA talks nutrition with Ontario and B.C. ministries

(Sep. 29/10) Pressure to introduce U.S.-style legislation requiring nutrition labelling on menus and menu boards is mounting in Canada at both the provincial and municipal levels of government.

What is being proposed
In Ontario, a private member’s bill (PDF) requiring calorie posting on menus and menu boards will be debated and voted on in the legislature in early November.  The Minister of Health Promotion has also committed to introducing a similar government bill.

In British Columbia, non-industry members of the province’s Obesity Reduction Strategy Food Working Group have called for mandatory menu and menu board nutrition labelling (click here for the report [PDF]) – a recommendation the Ministers of Health and Healthy Living have confirmed they support.

What CRFA is doing
In Ontario, CRFA has been meeting regularly with officials from the Ministry of Health Promotion since June to discuss the province and CRFA’s healthy living agendas. These meetings culminated in a discussion with Premier Dalton McGuinty in September.

In British Columbia, CRFA has been an active participant in the Food Working Group. We recently met with B.C.’s Minister of Health, Kevin Falcon and Minister of Healthy Living and Sport, Ida Chong, to discuss alternative solutions for providing consumers with nutrition information. We also highlighted the onerous and unnecessary documentation requirements for trans-fat regulations, and will be meeting again on Oct. 5 to discuss more practical compliance alternatives. If you are interested in attending the meeting or providing compliance alternative ideas, please contact Mark von Schellwitz at (604) 685-9655 before Oct. 5.

Both provinces have been receptive to issues and ideas put forward by CRFA – we are working hard to arrive at a more practical, workable, national regulatory framework for the industry that would facilitate a consistent approach across the country, rather than a patchwork of menu-posting initiatives by municipalities.  An education/awareness campaign and other industry-led initiatives to direct consumers to healthy choices are also under discussion.

For more information, CRFA members should contact one of these CRFA staff members:  Ron Reaman at 1-800-387-5649, ext. 4242, Joyce Reynolds at 1-800-387-5649, ext. 4219 or Mark von Schellwitz at (604) 685-9655. You can also e-mail us at info@crfa.ca.

For photos of these meetings, click here.