Nutrition Facts Table vs. Nutrition Facts Panel: What’s Different in Canada and the U.S.?
Compare Canadian and U.S. nutrition labels, including serving sizes, sugars, Daily Values and formatting requirements.
If you sell packaged food in both Canada and the United States, you may need different nutrition labels for each market. Canada uses a Nutrition Facts Table, while U.S. businesses commonly refer to their Nutrition Facts label as a Nutrition Facts Panel. The two formats look similar, but their requirements are different.
Language and format
A Canadian Nutrition Facts Table generally presents information in both English and French. It must follow Canada’s prescribed layout and wording. A U.S. Nutrition Facts Panel follows FDA formatting requirements. You cannot simply place a U.S. panel on a product intended for sale in Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) states that nutrition tables from other countries do not replace the Canadian table.
Serving sizes and Daily Values
Both countries show nutrition information per serving, but they use their own rules for determining and displaying serving sizes. They also use country-specific Daily Values and rounding rules. As a result, the same recipe may need different serving-size declarations and percentage Daily Values on its Canadian and U.S. labels. See the CFIA’s Canadian guidance and the FDA’s guide to the U.S. label.
Sugar declarations
A Canadian Nutrition Facts Table displays sugars in grams and as a percentage of the Daily Value. The standard U.S. Nutrition Facts label displays Total Sugars and separately identifies Added Sugars. This distinction matters when preparing labels for products such as sweetened beverages, baked goods and sauces. CFIA guidance | FDA guidance
Other label requirements
Nutrition information is only one part of a food label. Products for the Canadian market may also need Canada’s front-of-package nutrition symbol if they meet the applicable criteria for saturated fat, sugars or sodium. Ingredient, allergen and other labelling requirements should be reviewed for the intended market as well. Health Canada explains the front-of-package requirements here.
Preparing labels for both markets
A reliable starting point is the complete recipe, ingredient specifications, serving information and finished-product yield. These details can be reviewed against the requirements of each market before the Canadian Nutrition Facts Table and U.S. Nutrition Facts Panel are prepared.
Need nutrition information for Canada, the U.S. or both? Contact Nutrition Facts Expert with your product details to request a quote.
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