February 7, 2006
Kamloops Daily News

Canada's new food labels are the best in the world. It's
too bad we can't say the same about our labeling of natural
health products.

The good news is that starting this year, food manufacturers
can no longer make unscientific claims about foods. For
example, they can't label foods as "low carb" or "no carb"
because there is no scientific evidence that carbohydrates
are a dietary problem says Health Canada.

Carbohydrate-reduced foods, such as the Atkins diet, are one
of many diet fads. Thousands of carb-reduced products - -
including Unilever Canada's Carb Options, General Mills'
CarbMonitor - - have flooded the market.

Marketing works. About 60 per cent of Canadians have tried
to cut back on carbohydrates to avoid gaining weight, an
Ipsos-Reid survey suggests, with very little to show for
their efforts.

The new rules will force manufacturers to pull
deceptively-labeled products from the shelves or re-label
them. They may even have to change their names if they imply
that low carbohydrates improve health.

"Statements about the presence or absence of carbohydrates,
including the use of brand names and trademarks, are subject
to these regulations," Health Canada warns in a letter to
the food industry.

Not surprisingly, the restriction drew fire from Atkins
Nutritionals Inc., which says Health Canada ignored
scientific research that supports low-carbohydrate diets.

Voluntary labeling doesn't work. Under self-regulation only
half of the pre-packaged foods in Canada offered any
nutritional information. And those were often misleading:
extolling a product's high-fiber content without mentioning
that it was packed with fat.

The new rules prevent specific wording that directly links
products to a health benefit. Now claims such as "Eating
Brand X will help you reduce your cholesterol levels" are
not allowed. In addition to preventing unsubstantiated
claims, now labels must clearly list the nutritional facts.

Labels must include a standardized box that shows the levels
of 14 fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals -
- a "gold standard" for nutritional labeling, according to
the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

Meanwhile, labeling for Canada's natural health products
remains deceptive. Despite an ongoing review by Health
Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate on hundreds of
products, new labels can still make unscientific claims.

For example, a product called Heal-All claims to be a
panacea that relieves sore throats, backaches, colds,
stomach cramps, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting and
fevers. Just cup of Heal-All tea will stop spasms, reduce
inflammation, and strengthen the womb according to the
label.

But wait, that's not all. Cornflower can strengthen weak
eyes. Frankincense can relieve nervous problems. Rosemary
improves mental clarity, eleuthero increases longevity
according to approved labels.

I had hoped for more from Canada's Directorate. They were
supposed use science, not fiction, as a guide. Instead, the
panel of 13 experts has allowed "traditional use" in their
decisions.

Some traditional use that was reviewed by the expert panel
stretches the limits of fantasy. The Directorate reflected
on claims that European Penny-royal reduced giddiness.
Herbal folklore says that "a garland of Penny-royal worn
around the head is a great force against swimming in the
head and the pains and the giddiness thereof."

Labeling based on such unsubstantiated evidence amounts to
quackery says Meera Thadani, professor of pharmacy at the
University of Manitoba. Thadani was a member of the
advisory committee that established the Directorate. She
opposed the use of traditional claims on labels but she was
outvoted.

Traditional use is not based on scientific claims. No
record was kept on who was cured, who died, and who
benefited from these products. "The people who died using
the product, who weren't saved by it, don't have a voice in
any of this," says Thadani.

The so-called expert panel is biased in favour of the
natural health product industry. Of the 13 members, 6 are
herbalists, 1 runs a wholesale herb import company, and 2
have built academic careers on promoting botanicals for
health.

The Directorate does a disservice to health products when it
allows mythical claims. Science has proven that Echinacea
does not fight colds or relieve symptoms. Garlic has little
or no effect on maintaining cardiovascular health.
Fenugreek does not treat pellagra.

When labeling perpetuates myths about health products,
scientifically proven natural herbs and drugs become
suspect. How can we trust any labeling when some of it is
based on fables and fairy tales?

David Charbonneau is the owner of Trio Technical.
He can be reached at dcharbonneau13@shaw.ca

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