Written by Miranda Lightstone
Health and well-being have been at the forefront of most Canadians’ minds after the past three years. Since the pandemic rocked our worlds in 2020, the notion that Canadians need to focus on their overall health, both mental and physical, has become paramount to our nation’s dialogue.
Canadians consistently rank as the world’s leading consumers of health products, with 71% opting for natural supplements or consuming organic items. Given this trend, it’s only logical for Health Canada to actively support Canadians in their health-conscious journey. Moreover, it would be beneficial for Health Canada to streamline processes for Canadian enterprises producing and marketing Natural Health Products (NHPs), ensuring they reach the market effortlessly.
Sadly, that’s not the case at all.
When it comes to knowing the ins-and-outs regarding Canadians and their health food demands, very few know as much about it all as President & CEO of the Canadian Health and Food Association (CHFA) Aaron Skelton. You could say Skelton has a real grass-roots approach to the entire industry because he really has “done it all.”
“Everything in my life that I have is because of this industry,” said Skelton, “and the opportunity to help in any way possible to shape that and create an environment where businesses could be successful was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
As the President & CEO of CHFA, Skelton has a bird’s-eye view of all things health and well-being for Canadians. He understands the role he plays in how Canadians can live their best life.
As much as Skelton and the CHFA want to help Canadians to live their best, healthiest, Health Canada – an organization that should have our nation’s well-being in their best interest – has not made it easy.
Recently, Health Canada introduced a mandate for all natural supplements and organic products, encompassing both food and beauty categories, to update their labels in line with new regulations. Health Canada stated that this move aims to provide consumers with clear information about the products and enhance transparency.
“The renewed label regulations that went into effect recently,” explained Skelton, “are a good example of a solution in search of a problem.”
Previously, a supplement bottle label might have contained around 20-25 lines detailing ingredients and their explanations. Now, with the new regulations, labels have evolved into multi-sided fold-outs with even more detail to help Canadians “better” understand what they are getting.
But does it really help?
According to Skelton, it doesn’t. The new labels with all their details don’t really help Canadians understand what they’re consuming. Instead, it just adds to both product cost and environmental waste.
Skelton said he understands respects the business and regulatory sides of it all, but what he does not understand is the intrusion of Health Canada into an industry that only has the nation’s best interest at heart.
“The unintended consequence of these regulations being updated is that we are broadening the financial gap on Canadian products being regulated and monitored compared to international products,” he added.
In terms of global trade deals, Canada is trying its best to keep product prices in line with those agreements for overseas sales.
“I think we’re pushing Canadians knowingly into a space where they are going to put themselves at risk,” continued Skelton. “That’s where there has been a real lack of understanding.”
On an international playing field we need to try and remain level. As our product prices soar or regulations cause items to discontinue, Canadians will start to look elsewhere internationally to get their beloved and much-needed supplements and products. But these regulations within the holistic and well-being world are not just a worldwide concern – it’s very much local, as well.
Joel Thuna, a fourth-generation master herbalist, runs a small family business – PURE-LĒ – in Canada that manufacturers and distributes natural dietary and herbal products to the entire nation. Thuna’s family has been doing this since 1864 (give or take a few years).
They are 100% Canadian in every way, and also hugely proud of what they do and how they do it — but all of that is quickly being threatened.
Health Canada does a fantastic job ensuring Canadians stay as healthy as possible in regards to the products we consume or put on or near our bodies. Our regulations are often more stringent than those in the USA, and therefore cause a great deal of otherwise worldly goods to never cross our borders.
Labelling aside,” Thuna said, for a company of his size or even smaller, a new label can be a huge setback. With over 500 different products to update, the cost relative to revenue can be immense.
“We’re being treated like the pharmaceutical companies when that’s not us, at all,” he said.
Health Canada excels at ensuring the well-being of Canadians concerning the products we eat or use on our bodies. Our standards are often stricter than those in the USA, which means many international products don’t make it into our market.
However, when our own government regulations start making it difficult for our natural homegrown products to stay on the shelves because of regulations (related to pharmaceutical drugs, not natural products) how do consumers help save their beloved and trusted natural products?
Thuna urges Canadians to appeal to their local MPs, to reach out and demand Health Canada change its mandates and regulations.
“There are no Health Canada employees checking products on shelves,” said Thuna. “There are companies that produce products that do not comply with regulations, and should be fined or taken off the shelves.”
Yet, instead of those individual companies being penalized for their mis-labeling or non-compliance, all holistic, well-being companies are paying for it under these blanket regulations.
Canadians deserve to consume healthy, natural products. Unfortunately, with new regulations from Health Canada potentially causing smaller Canadian-run businesses (like PURE-LĒ) to suffer financially and question shutting down, the ability to do so becomes that much more difficult.
About the author
Miranda Lightstone
Miranda is an active freelance reporter and content editor. She has an extensive track record writing for outlets such as the Globe and Mail, Montreal Gazette, AskMen.com, MSN Autos, The Suburban and Venture Cover. Miranda is passionate about storytelling and the written word.