Managing Nutritional Labelling Transformation

A growing problem

Some Canadians are still eating too much trans fats. Eating foods that contain trans fats increases the risk of heart disease, one of the leading causes of death in Canada. On September 17, 2018 Health Canada banned the use of partially hydrogenated oils in foods, the main source of industrially produced trans fat.

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Why are food and beverage labels changing

Most of the sodium consumed comes from processed foods. Sodium reduction is a priority for the Government of Canada. The Sodium Intake of Canadians in 2017 report shows that the majority of Canadians are still consuming too much sodium.

Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes. There are different types of sugar that are commonly added to foods; these include ingredients such as corn syrup and dextrose. Sugar has been declared by many health experts as “public enemy number one”.

A strategic course of action is needed to reduce preventable death and disease related to poor nutrition. Improvements to the nutrition facts table and list of ingredients on food labels is based on feedback from Canadians and stakeholders within the industry, and I just one of many initiatives in education and food production to create a healthier population.

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Trace One Develop

Gain control of your business processes
A key requirement for managing this change is a solution with the ability to change large numbers of products in a single project and that provides accurate progress tracking so that resources can be effectively employed to complete updates in time for the CFIA’s deadline.

Trace One Spec

Digitize your product portfolio

In addition to managing the process of compliance with the legislation changes, you also need to collate and approve the product attributes and labelling statements.
In short retailers need a specification solution that provides a way to migrate existing data and validate any new attributes to ensure correctness and reduce errors that cause delays.

Success factors in managing the label transition process

  • Know the size of your project
    How many of your products are impacted and how long will each specification take to update? What resources are required to meet the deadline, and do they have capacity?What is the impact on your other projects and activities for the next 12 months or more?

  • Turn a necessary chore into an added value activity
    Combine label updates with other packaging changes like rebranding, size format changes, or product formulation to gain some return on your investment. Work on entire brands in one project as a roll out strategy. Track project progress carefully so resources can be redirected if it looks like you are not going to complete your project in time to meet the compliance deadline.

  • Right first time
    Use industry standard specification management solutions to collaborate with partners in the completion of specification updates. Import current label information to centralize your portfolio data. Select a solution that automates the migration to the new nutrition facts and ingredient statement legislation. Ensure that the solutions you use make the updated label copy easily accessible to your artwork agency and packaging provider.

  • Communicate, educate, and engage
    Set expectations and communicate effectively with your suppliers and packaging providers. Employ supplier engagement tools and techniques to educate partners. Use dashboards to allow suppliers to track their own progress against agreed objectives.

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