this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/42020156

Can Canada create a food labeling system similar to this?

It's confusing trying to buy Canadian with all the variations of made in, assembled in, grown in, packaged in, etc. Can we copy the Australian food labeling system, perhaps replacing the kangeroo with a maple leaf? I find this much clearer.

top 29 comments
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[โ€“] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 53 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Is this for real, do they really have this? You're winning Australia, don't let this stuff go.

[โ€“] valek879@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 weeks ago

Also don't let go of your "standard drink" stuff on the side of piss. I loved that while I was there. Sure I can guess how much alcohol I've had in the last couple hours by reckoning my 3 or 4 beers had 5%, 6.5%x2, and 8% and this means I'm tipsy. But it's so much easier to understand how drunk I am when it's 1+1.5+1.5+2=6 standard drinks.

It's just a good system despite the many flaws.

[โ€“] Dave@lemmy.nz 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They sure do! I'm in NZ and buy more Australia Made stuff than NZ Made because most if the NZ Made was just packaged here but the labelling is unclear.

I'd love to get this labelling for NZ products.

[โ€“] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Commented this elsewhere as an Aussie. It makes a quick buck for some NZ business person but it kills your reputation. Great country. Should be great products. I would buy 100% made in NZ above anything but local. It's crazy not to promote local content when you have such a strong national brand.

[โ€“] Dave@lemmy.nz 1 points 2 weeks ago

There used to be (maybe still is) a "Made in NZ" label. But I am not sure if it's not around anymore or there just isn't much that you could say is 100% NZ made.

E.g. most of our "Made in NZ" bacon is made from Canadian or European pork. Made in NZ from 1% NZ ingredients.

I love the Aussie labels because I would definitely buy based on the ingredients being mostly NZ origin rather than just whether some processing happened here.

[โ€“] Auzy@aussie.zone 26 points 2 weeks ago

As an Australian, I'd also be happy for this. Even after winding the tariffs back, trump is still a Nazi and as long as he's winning votes, the US can't be supported

Id rather buy EU too

[โ€“] oldfart@lemm.ee 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Haha no, but we have NutriScore where sweetened Nestle products get an A, frozen pizza gets a B and cheese gets an F.

[โ€“] Lupus 24 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

...that's not how those work.

If a frozen pizza gets a B that means compared to OTHER frozen pizzas it has a higher nutritional value.

It compares similar products for nutritional value, not the overall "healthiness" of all products compared with each other.

So you can compare a salami pizza with a veggie pizza or a cereal bar with cereals, but not a strawberry yogurt with a chocolate bar, because those are not within the same product group.

[โ€“] Venus_Ziegenfalle 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

It's true but at the same time the fact that so many people get that system wrong makes me think maybe it's not that well thought through. These things need to be intuitive.

[โ€“] Lupus 6 points 2 weeks ago

Oh yeah it's confusing labeling, I agree.

[โ€“] ClassyHatter@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

In Finland, we have "heart label" (Sydรคnmerkki). The label has text "better choice", and it's intended to inform customers about products that are good for heart health. You can find this label pretty much on any product category, including things like cookies, ice cream and pizza. You are expected to know, that the label actually means "better choice for heart health within this product category". So yea, I agree with you on that intuitive part.

[โ€“] Venus_Ziegenfalle 3 points 2 weeks ago

I guess at least this way there's a greater incentive for companies to make their product applicable for the label

[โ€“] palarith@aussie.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Australia also have a similar health star rating.

https://nutritionaustralia.org/fact-sheets/food-label-reading-guide/#Health-Star-Ratings

Coco pops has a health star rating of 2 out 0f 5

Rolled oats are 5 stars

[โ€“] oldfart@lemm.ee 6 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That's legit the first time I hear it, and I searched nutriscore on the internet when I first saw these odd labels, and read some article about it, so likely more research than most people.

Do you have a source for this, because my understanding of the Wikipedia page is that you're not correct, but I'm also aware of my ignorance in this topic.

[โ€“] Lupus 9 points 2 weeks ago

Under "Goals" on the Wikipedia page.

Its goal is to allow consumers to compare the overall nutritional value of food products from the same group (category), including food products from different manufacturers.

But, I agree that it's confusing. The fact that you could miss the point of them even after skimming the Wikipedia shows how flawed their design is by not explaining it in simple terms on the label. And the Wikipedia page is also bad, why is it not mentioned in the first sentence in the introduction part?

  • 1 here. I think it compares fats carbs and stuff. I donโ€™t think it weights by product type..
[โ€“] paraphrand@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Sounds like a simple labeling update would fix the confusion. All labels should say โ€œRated B compared to other options among FOOD GROUPING.โ€

Or something. Iโ€™m sure it would be doable.

[โ€“] Pirata@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It compares similar products for nutritional value, not the overall "healthiness" of all products compared with each other.

Yes, but nobody knows that, they don't teach it in school, and people just ignore it anyway because it seems unreliable.

[โ€“] Lupus 1 points 2 weeks ago

I've seen the explanation on tv once or twice but I agree, it's confusing.

[โ€“] very_well_lost@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

That sounds like the kind of system the food industry would lobby for to intentionally confuse their customers.

[โ€“] MBech@feddit.dk 14 points 2 weeks ago

I would love something like this. I would however want it to somehow also portray the nationality of the owner.

The product may be 100% grown and produced in the EU, but be 100% american owned. Maybe I'd rather the product be 90% EU produced, if I could also be sure it's 100% EU owned.

[โ€“] shirro@aussie.zone 13 points 2 weeks ago

I love our labelling so much in Australia. Nutrition and origin. The only crap one is health star which is misleading. I occasionally buy NZ products and think we should be closer to an economic union like the EU but their labelling is much worse and I worry that they repackage products of different origin which hurts their reputation for the sake of some quick profits.

[โ€“] CrayonRosary@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

That mountain has weirdly shaped hiking trails. They don't even connect!

[โ€“] Lifter@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 weeks ago

Its a grouse's head. The beak is to the right.

[โ€“] fxdave@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 weeks ago

We also had a hard time finding the route. There are narrow paths not shown in the map.

[โ€“] huppakee@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

You have to look at it upside down

[โ€“] thijsje@social.vivaldi.net 4 points 2 weeks ago

@huppakee Well this is a question we can ask @EC_DIGIT

I personally think its a good idea.

[โ€“] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago

Goddamn brilliant!

[โ€“] Flax_vert@feddit.uk 1 points 2 weeks ago

I'd be honest, I think they should keep the bar and "made in Australia" but remove the text. The additional text is just ugly and looks bad than no label at all in some cases.