The Huntsville Forester
July 30, 2008

Minister of Health Tony Clement recently announced increased protection for Canadians with food allergies by introducing new labelling requirements for food allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites in pre-packaged foods. Health Canada also announced the launch of several allergy studies, including a large national study of food allergy prevalence and two studies on the dietary habits and coping skills of people with celiac disease who are on a gluten-free diet.
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Juliet O’Neill, Canwest News Service – Victoria Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, July 24, 2008

OTTAWA — Health Minister Tony Clement says he wants Parliament to get cracking in the fall on legislation to make food and consumer products safer.

Clement was commenting on Canwest News Service reports about an internal government review showing big gaps in Canada’s safety checks on imported foods and a draft plan to transfer key parts of domestic meat and other food inspection to industry.

Clement was speaking at a news conference where he announced proposals to tighten labelling regulations next year on prepackaged foods for ingredients that cause allergies and celiac disease. The aim is to end a practice of hiding food allergens, gluten sources and sulphites in ingredients that are exempted from food labels.
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Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, July 24, 2008

OTTAWA — Health Minister Tony Clement says he wants Parliament to get cracking in the fall on legislation to make food and consumer products safer. Clement was commenting on reports about an internal government review showing big gaps in Canada’s safety checks on imported foods and a draft plan to transfer key parts of domestic meat and other food inspection to industry. Clement was speaking at a press conference where he announced proposals to tighten labelling regulations next year on prepackaged foods for ingredients that cause allergies and celiac disease. The aim is to end a practice of hiding food allergens, gluten sources and sulphites in ingredients that are exempted from food labels.

CBC News
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement announced new food labelling regulations Wednesday which will force food manufacturers to list specific allergens, gluten sources and sulphites on the labels of the products they sell.

“Canadians want to know what it is in the packaged food that they eat. They have come to expect detailed information on every label of the products on the grocery store shelves,” Clement said at a press conference in Ottawa.

The upcoming changes will mean food labels will have to list any key ingredients in a food item that may have been created with an allergenic substance. Clement said that will include some ingredients that are currently listed as “spice” or “seasoning,” for example.
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OMAR EL AKKAD – The Globe and Mail
July 23, 2008 at 7:01 PM EDT

Allergy sufferers will have a clearer indication whether prepackaged foods contain such ingredients as peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat and shellfish under new labeling requirements unveiled Wednesday by the federal government.

The announcement, made by Health Minister Tony Clement, comes after extensive lobbying from food-allergy groups. Mr. Clement said the more stringent regulations represent an important step forward, adding that, for some Canadians, allergen information can be “a matter of life or death.”
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