Health Canada Knew About Fortified Foods Problems In 2009

In 2009, Health Canada determined there would be some "safety and consumer confusion" issues arising from a 2005 compromise giving manufacturers of food and beverages, including junk food, discretion to fortify their products with nutrients. According to the memo written by a senior adviser to the director general of Health Canada's food directorate, the agency needed to address some issues about food companies' use of a loophole in the regulations to sell fortified food and drinks as natural health products. These concerns include the risk of too much intake of individual nutrients, which in the case of vitamin A in the retinol form might lead to liver diseases and, in cases of pregnant women, birth defects. Newly released documents also revealed that food companies are divided over how to go about food fortification, while the government has yet to propose new regulations.