FOP Nutrition Symbol Guide
Front-of-Package Nutrition Symbol: Does Your Product Need One?
Starting January 1, 2026, most pre-packaged foods sold in Canada must display a Front-of-Package (FOP) nutrition symbol if they exceed certain thresholds for saturated fat, sugars, or sodium. Here's what you need to know.
What is the FOP symbol?
The FOP nutrition symbol is a black-and-white magnifying glass icon that appears on the front of food packaging. It alerts consumers that a product is high in saturated fat, sugars, and/or sodium.
There are 7 variants depending on which nutrients exceed the threshold. A product can be' high in' one, two, or all three nutrients.
The thresholds
A product requires the FOP symbol if per serving it exceeds:
| Nutrient | Threshold (% DV) | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Saturated fat | 15% DV | 3 g |
| Sugars | 15% DV | 15 g |
| Sodium | 15% DV | 345 mg |
The 7 symbol variants
High in Saturated fat only
High in Sugars only
High in Sodium only
High in Saturated fat + Sugars
High in Saturated fat + Sodium
High in Sugars + Sodium
High in all threeCommon exemptions
Some products are exempt from the FOP symbol requirement:
- —Raw single-ingredient meats, poultry, and seafood
- —Fresh fruits and vegetables
- —Milk and cream (unflavoured)
- —Eggs
- —Honey, maple syrup, and sugar (single-ingredient sweeteners)
- —Products with < 5 calories per serving and no added fat, sugar, or sodium
- —Products sold by small businesses with < $50K annual food revenue (temporary)
How NutriBoard helps
NutriBoard automatically calculates whether your product exceeds the FOP thresholds based on your recipe's per-serving nutrition values. You'll see which symbol variant applies (if any) and can download the correct symbol file for your packaging designer.
Check if your product needs the FOP symbol
Enter your recipe in NutriBoard and we'll automatically tell you if your product is high in saturated fat, sugars, or sodium — and which symbol to use.
Check your product →