Most CANADIANS learn about nutrition from food labels: Study

30.oct.09
Ottawa Citizen
Linda Nguyen, Canwest News Service

The majority of Canadians stay informed about nutrition from food labels
even though many may not be reading them correctly, according to a study
released Friday by the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition.
The 2009 Tracking Nutrition Trends: A 20-Year History report found in
2008 that 68 per cent of Canadians rely on product labels as their
primary source for nutritional information, followed by the Internet (51
per cent), magazines, newspapers and books (46 per cent), friends and
relatives (41 per cent) and doctors (40 per cent).
The remaining groups listed the government (22 per cent), fitness
programs (20 per cent and dietitians (18 per cent) as their main source
for nutrition.
The non-profit Toronto-based organization said governments should ramp
up efforts to promote education and awareness programs surrounding food
labels.
"(The) CCFN is calling on government, health associations, the food
industry and all health related sectors to step up education of food
nutrition labelling to help all Canadians have a better understanding of
what their food contains," said Francy Pillo-Blocko, the group's
president and CEO in a news release.