Canada sets probiotic labeling deadline
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Probiotic product claims must comply by April 2010 with guidance Health Canada approved in April, which the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently added to its rules. In an Oct. 1 letter to industry, CFIA's Food Safety and Consumer Protection Directorate advised that labels, advertisements and Web sites must comply with the probiotic labeling guidance within six months. The Guide to Food Labeling and Advertising distinguishes between strain-specific and general claims. Health Canada prohibits misleading or vague claims, and science directly applicable to a particular food must support strain-specific claims. The agency noted no specific strains have been accepted, but it will update its online list of strain-specific claims as they are reviewed and accepted