No Bones About It: Health Canada Permits a Voluntary Increase of Vitamin D in Milks and Margarines

Health Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (“CFIA”), has introduced a Marketing Authorization (“MA”) to permit manufacturers to voluntarily increase the amount of Vitamin D in cow’s milk, goat’s milk and margarine. While permanent changes to the Food and Drug Regulations will not take effect for some time, the MA allows manufacturers to implement the proposed changes, despite their absence in the regulations. The reasons for introducing this MA are two-fold: on the one hand, Health Canada believes that 20% of Canadians are at risk of Vitamin D inadequacy and 8% of Canadians are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency, so the increase of Vitamin D targets a national, public, health concern; on the other hand, the daily value (“DV”) for Vitamin D increased with the 2016 nutrition labelling regulations, which requires manufacturers to update their packaging with a Nutrition Facts table stating the same, in order to calculate the percent daily value (“% DV”), and encourage consumers to make informed choices about their health. Manufacturers were permitted a transition period to bring their labels into compliance with this updated DV and % DV, but this transition period ends on December 14, 2022. Therefore, the MA provides manufacturers an opportunity to increase the Vitamin D within their milks and margarines at the same time the DV changes, so that manufacturers avoid multiple label changes.

Stakeholders have expressed some concern about the increased fortification of cow’s milk, goat’s milk and margarine – foods that appear to be on a consumptive decline. However, Health Canada’s research shows that 81% of Canadians still consume cow’s milk, and 54% of Canadians still consume margarine. Cow’s milk, goat’s milk and margarine already require mandatory fortification, and therefore the increase in Vitamin D serves to update existing food requirements while still ensuring the health of a majority of Canadians. That being said, Health Canada recognizes the trend toward decreased consumption of dairy and margarine, and thus plans to increase Vitamin D levels in fortified plant-based beverages, as well as permit the fortification of yogurt, as a practical next step.

For more information, please refer to Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 156, Number 2; for questions related to the Marketing Authorization, Canadians should contact the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada.

If you require assistance with updating your labels to ensure compliance with the new DV for Vitamin D, or you have questions related to fortification, dairy, or vitamin additives, please contact us at info@gsjameson.com.