On November 28, 2023, Health Canada released a consultation paper proposing amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations to modernize the regulation of foods for special dietary use and baby foods, with a comment period of February 6, 2024. Main contents:

(1) The proposed modernization plan would redefine FDRS (products labeled or advertised as such) by placing traditional baby foods, gluten-free foods, formula nutrition foods, pre-packaged foods, and foods sold by weight loss clinics into a separate segment. These products are intended for consumer choice and are not intended to be used as the sole or primary source of nutrition under medical supervision; Remove the terms "no energy", "low energy", "no sodium or salt", "low sodium or salt" or "no sugar" from the regulatory framework of the FSDU (foods that have been specially processed or formulated to meet the special requirements of a person who has a physical or physiological condition due to disease, disorder or injury, or to achieve a specific effect by controlling food intake, including but not limited to weight loss); It is proposed to delete the term FSDU and regulate the framework of FSDP (foods that achieve a specific effect through controlled intake, including but not limited to weight loss (e.g. MR For weight loss));

(2) Redefine special dietary foods (FSDP) : infant formula, prepackaged breast milk medical foods: (infant medical foods, including medical foods suitable for one year of age or older, full dietary alternatives for weight reduction). Including definition, composition requirements, labelling requirements, additional regulatory requirements;

(3) Redefine the classification of foods for non-special dietary use: traditional infant and toddler foods, gluten-free foods, formulated nutritional foods (FNF), foods used in weight loss diets, formulated meal replacements, prepackaged foods, foods sold in weight loss clinics, including definitions, composition requirements, labeling requirements, additional regulatory requirements.