Nutritional symbol
The magnifying glass is a new symbol placed on the front of food packaging to warn consumers when a product is high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium. The pictogram reads “High in,” followed by the nutrient(s) in question, along with “Health Canada” at the bottom to show that this is a public health requirement, and not a selling point.
This warning may appear for one, two or three nutrients, depending on the product, based on the serving size listed in the Nutrition Facts table. It also makes it easier to quickly compare foods and drinks within the same category. For example, if you’re in the grocery store and deciding between two canned soups with the same serving size, you’d choose the one with the fewer “High in” mentions.
In Chile, three years after similar front-of-packaging (FOP) warnings were introduced, purchases of “high in” products dropped by 15% down to 37%, depending on the nutrient. This is proof that a clearly visible symbol can truly change what ends up in our cart.
...as well as your health
However, nutrition researchers at Université Laval have noticed that products labelled “High in sugar” or “High in salt” are often cheaper than their healthier counterparts. This price gap can influence the choices of households with tighter budgets and risks making health inequalities worse.
An important warning
The fact that this symbol appears on the front of packaging today is because Health Canada wants to address a well-documented public health issue. Canadians across the country still consume too much sodium, sugars and saturated fats. The high intakes are major risk factors for chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
But in the middle of a crowded aisle, among hundreds of products, promises of packaging, changing sizes and discounts that can easily change minds, deciding what is truly best for us becomes a real challenge. Reading the Nutrition Facts table takes time and requires knowledge that not everyone has.
According to nutrition researchers at Université Laval, when this new regulation takes effect in 2026, if recipes remain unchanged, about 60% of the most widely sold products in the province of Quebec would have the “High in” label displayed for at least one nutrient.
The magnifying glass therefore conveys parts of this information in a simple manner on the front of a product’s packaging. This will help consumers to instantly spot beverages and foods that are less healthy, i.e. those that contain too much sugar, sodium and saturated fats.
With this “High in” warning, the responsibility of making good choices no longer rests solely on the shoulders of consumers. The food industry will be forced to act, either by improving the nutritional value of its products or accepting the presence of this pictogram on its various packaging.
Easy spotting
Another advantage of this new symbol is that it won’t allow Canadians to get fooled by health claims made by the industry. For example, a marketing message like “high in protein” on a product can appear rather “healthy” and grab someone’s attention, and they may end up not checking the grams on the label, then allowing sugar, salt and saturated fats to slip out of view. Fortunately, the magnifying glass will flag them right away.
When the magnifying glass doesn’t appear
Some drinks and foods won’t display the magnifying glass and that’s normal. This is because the product is either exempt or it meets the thresholds. Exempted foods will include whole or cut fruits and vegetables, whether fresh, frozen or naturally dried; whole or 2% milk; eggs; and foods considered to have a healthy fat profile, such as oils rich in unsaturated fats (canola, olive, etc.), nuts and fatty fish.
A useful, but not a sure-fire, guide
This new labelling system will make choosing easier, especially when comparing similar products. But nutrition isn’t limited to three nutrients. Joy, culture, budgets and real life all play a role. The magnifying glass is but a guidepost to help you make decisions, and is neither a judgment of “good vs. bad” nor a reason to feel guilty.
