Food Marketing and Labelling

The marketing of unhealthy foods is pervasive and often targets vulnerable populations, including children and low-income communities. This widespread advertising, coupled with insufficient food labeling, makes it difficult for consumers to make informed choices about their health.

By restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods and introducing more detailed, transparent food labeling, we can empower individuals to make healthier decisions and reduce the growing rates of diet-related diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, both well-known risk factors for kidney disease.

• Stop Marketing to Kids

  Obesity levels among children in Canada are at historically high levels.¹ Obesity has been linked to the development of chronic diseases, including kidney disease, with overweight and obesity estimated to cost the Canadian health system and economy $30 billion annually² and chronic diseases around $93 billion annually.³

  We endorse the recommendations that the federal government immediately begins a legislative process to restrict all marketing targeted to children under the age of 13 of foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium and that in the interim the food industry immediately ceases marketing of such food to children.
   

  1. Shields M. Overweight and obesity among children and youth. Statistics Canada catalogue no. 82-003; 2006.
  2. Behan DF, Cox SH. Obesity and its relation to mortality and morbidity costs. The Society of Actuaries. December 2010.
  3. Mirolla M. The cost of chronic disease in Canada. A study prepared for the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada. January 2004.

• Tax on Sugary Drinks

  Excessive sugary drink intake is a major risk factor for developing unhealthy weights and resultant chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, chronic kidney disease and some cancers.

  An excise levy on companies that produce sugary drinks would go far in reducing death, disability, and health care costs. This adds to the growing body of international evidence that supports the health and economic benefits of a sugary drink levy. According to a study entitled “The Health and Economic Impact of a Tax on Sugary Drinks in Canada"¹, over the next 25 years, a 20 per cent excise levy on the manufacturers of sugary drinks will result in more than 13,000 lives saved, contribute to $11.5 billion in health care savings and will prevent:

  • More than 600,000 cases of obesity and almost 100,000 cases of overweight among Canadian adults;
  • Up to 200,000 cases of type 2 diabetes;
  • More than 60,000 cases of ischemic heart disease;
  • More than 20,000 cases of cancer; and
  • More than 8,000 strokes.

  As a part of a comprehensive approach to achieving healthy weights, we endorse the recommendations that the federal, provincial, and territorial governments:

  • Introduce a tax in their respective jurisdictions on sugar-sweetened beverages, and;
  • Use some of the revenues generated from this tax to fund healthy living initiatives.

  If you feel strongly about the implementation of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, write to your local member of parliament. Find your MP’s mailing address by visiting https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members.
   

  1. Jones A.C., Veerman J.L., Hammond D. The Health and Economic Impact of a Tax on Sugary Drinks in Canada (Summary). January 2017.

• Call for Phosphorus Labelling

  The Government of Canada is changing the way nutrition information is presented on food labels so that potassium appears on the Nutrition Facts table by the end of 2021. This will help Canadians with chronic kidney disease make informed decisions for their health, as monitoring potassium intake is critical for patients. 

  We strongly recommend that phosphorus also be listed on the Nutrition Facts table to allow those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to make informed decisions for their health.

  Why is Phosphorus Labelling So Important?

  Kidneys remove extra phosphorus from our blood and excrete it in our urine. Some phosphorus is beneficial, however, for someone with chronic kidney disease, too much phosphorus in the blood for a long time can make bones weak and cause minerals to build up in the heart, blood vessels, lungs, skin, joints, and elsewhere. Large amounts of phosphorus in the blood are also strongly linked with cardiovascular diseases and events, and death.¹

  Following a low phosphorus diet, as prescribed by a Registered Dietitian, is one of the best ways for someone with CKD to control the accumulation of phosphorus in the blood. 

  Currently, kidney patients are advised to avoid all foods with phosphate additives because there is no available information on the phosphate content. This is unnecessarily restrictive and burdensome. While patients can avoid food known to be naturally high in phosphorus, avoiding phosphorus additives is much more difficult. Phosphorus additives are used in a variety of food products including breads, cereals, dairy products, pasta, meats, seafood, and canned fruits and vegetables² to improve the appearance, texture, and shelf life.³ While checking the ingredients lists for phosphorus additives is a good place to start, the list doesn’t tell us how much phosphorus is in a food product.

  Leaving phosphorus off the Nutrition Facts table prevents patients from being empowered to manage their kidney disease effectively and it puts them at unnecessary risk of serious medical complications, and even death.

  With acknowledgement to Emily Robins, Dietetic Intern, Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, for her assistance in preparing this information.
   

  1. Leon, J., Sullivan, C., & Sehgal, A. (2013). The prevalence of phosphorus containing food additives in top selling foods in grocery stores. Journal of Renal Nutrition. 23(4), 265-270. doi: 10.1053/j.jrn.2012.12.003
  2. International Food Additives Council. (2015). Phosphates.
  3. Benini, O., D’Alessandro, C., Gianfaldoni, D., & Cupisti, A. (2011). Extra phosphate load from food additives in commonly eaten foods: a real and insidious danger for renal patients. Journal of Renal Nutrition. 21(4), 303-308. doi:10.1053/j.jrn.2010.06.021