This session will focus on the Supplemented Foods Regulations which became mandatory in Canada in 2026. The development of these regulations took over a decade and required careful assessment of potential public health risks associated with supplemental ingredients and product categories. This session will provide an overview of how Health Canada used an evidence-based approach to develop the Supplemented Foods Regulations, discuss how the pre-market and post-market components have functioned for stakeholders, and highlight ongoing technical issues and future opportunities and challenges related to emerging innovative products. Learning objectives of this session include: (1) Understand how Health Canada uses an evidence-based approach to manage public health risks when developing new regulations such as the Supplemented Foods Regulations; (2) Examine how the pre-market and post-market components of the Supplemented Foods Regulations have functioned for various stakeholders; and (3) Explore the opportunities and challenges related to remaining technical issues (e.g., caffeine) and the development of future innovative Supplemented Foods.
Human Health Sciences
University of Guelph
Alison Duncan is a Professor and Associate Director of Research at the Human Nutraceutical Research Unit, in the Department of Human Health Sciences at the University of Guelph. Alison’s academic training is focused on nutrition with a BASc in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph, training for a Registered Dietitian at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, a MSc in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Minnesota. Her teaching and research relate to the effects of functional foods on human health outcomes examined in human clinical trials and questionnaire studies, with a particular focus on the agri-food-health continuum. Alison is a Past-President of the Canadian Nutrition Society, a long-time member of the editorial board for the Journal of Nutrition, and a Fellow of the Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Nutrition Society.