NSF Research Shows Canadians Want More Clarity And Standardization In Food Labelling

GUELPH — NSF, a public health and safety organization, released consumer survey data on Sep. 25, evaluating Canadians’ perceptions of food labels. According to the organization, insights showcase a lack of confidence among consumers in food labels, difficulty in interpreting nutritional information and insufficient transparency regarding processing methods, allergens and sustainability.

NSF’s data comes as Canada faces its upcoming Front of Package Nutrition Labelling regulation, which is set to be implemented on January 1, 2026. This new regulation was designed to help provide shoppers with hard-to-ignore nutritional information highlighting products that are high in sugar, sodium and saturated fats.

NSF’s survey reportedly identified gaps beyond what this regulation will provide, with key survey findings including:

• Enhanced Labelling Demands: 85% of respondents say that detailed processing information would be useful, along with comprehensive allergen information at 83%. Ethical sourcing and the environmental impact score came in at 72% and 70%, respectively.
• Label Attention: 90% of 18–34-year-olds are more likely than average to read a product’s label before purchasing a food item. Meanwhile, 66% of respondents pay more attention to food labels compared to five years ago.
• Influence on Purchasing Behaviour: Consumers prioritize reading the expiration date (69%), ingredients list (60%) and nutritional information (57%). They weren’t as likely to read the health claims (33%) or allergen warnings (27%).
• Generational Priorities: Across Gen Z, Millennials and Boomers, expiration dates were the most read, jumping from 55% of Gen Z to 80% of Boomers. While allergen warnings ranked the least read, 83% of all adults say that their top priority is clearer allergen labelling, including a thorough list of potential product allergens and cross-contamination during production.
• Label Comprehension Challenges: One in five consumers struggles to interpret nutritional information, with 31% of consumers failing to understand organic certification, 28% struggling with sustainability claims and 23% with processing methods.
• Sustainability Focus: While 71% of respondents say sustainability is an important purchasing consideration for food, only 25% completely understand sustainability claims and only 39% agree that current food labels adequately address sustainability concerns.
• Lack of Confidence: Only 9% of adults find health claims very trustworthy. Less than half of adults (48%) rate Canadian food labelling better than labelling in other countries.

“Health and wellness continue to be a focus for most consumers, and with the growing popularity of label-review apps and lack of critical food labelling information in e-commerce, NSF’s research demonstrates that many consumers are reading labels with a more critical eye. The food industry must respond to these evolving consumer demands, prioritizing more transparent, accessible and reliable labeling practices as regulations are updated and introduced,” said Michelle Anstey, Regulatory Manager at NSF.

In a press release, the NSF stated that food labels play a key role in shaping consumer choices and supporting public health, and they are being increasingly scrutinized by consumers, the media, government and retailers.