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Program directory · Health Canada

Food and Nutrition

Department
Health Canada
Program code
BVH05 (H)
Core responsibility
Health Protection and Promotion
In Departmental Plans
2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Program is responsible for establishing regulations, guidelines, standards and policies on food safety, nutrition, and healthy eating. The Program conducts risk assessments pertaining to the chemical, microbiological and nutritional safety of foods; develops, promotes and implements evidence-based nutrition policies, advice, and guidance; and provides information to support healthy choices. Target stakeholders include industries and food associations, regulatory partners, health professionals, non-government organizations, academics, and Canadians. The Program works with various stakeholders such as federal, provincial and territorial governments; and international regulators to improve the safety of the Canadian food supply, support a coordinated approach to nutrition issues, influence broader national and international strategies and initiatives that affect the food environment, and enable Canadians to make informed decisions about food and nutrition.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Food and Nutrition 2018-19: $67.1MFood and Nutrition 2019-20: $72.3MFood and Nutrition 2020-21: $76.3MFood and Nutrition 2021-22: $77.8MFood and Nutrition 2022-23: $76MFood and Nutrition 2023-24: $82.7MFood and Nutrition 2024-25: $75.7MFood and Nutrition 2025-26: $72.6MFood and Nutrition 2026-27: $64.9MFood and Nutrition 2027-28: $60.3MFood and Nutrition 2028-29: $56.2MFood and NutritionFood & NutritionFood and Nutrition
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data. The line at the bottom shows this program's names over time.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Food and NutritionThis program2018-19 – 2028-29$528M

No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2022-23Renamed from “Food & Nutrition” to “Food and Nutrition”.GC InfoBase program names by year
2025-26Indicators dropped: Percentage of Canadians who use dietary guidance provided by Health CanadaDepartmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase)

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

Percentage of current and emerging high-risk food safety and nutrition issues which generate the development of a regulatory or non-regulatory response
Expected result: Regulatory partners and industry have the tools they need to address food safety and nutrition issues
100%2018-19✓ met100%2019-20✓ met100%2020-21✓ met100%2021-22✓ met100%2022-23✓ met100%2023-24✓ met100%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-19100% – 100%2019100%Met
2019-20≥ 100%2020100%Met
2020-21≥ 100%2021100%Met
2021-22100% – 100%2022100%Met
2022-23100% – 100%2023100%Met
2023-24≥ 100%2024100%Met
2024-25≥ 100%2025100%Met
Percentage of health risk assessments provided to Health Canada partners within service standards
Expected result: Food safety incidents, including foodborne illness outbreaks, are responded to in a timely manner
100%2018-19✓ met100%2019-20✓ met100%2020-21✓ met100%2021-22✓ met100%2022-23✓ met100%2023-24✓ met100%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2018-1990% – 100%2019100%Met
2019-20≥ 90%2020100%Met
2020-21≥ 90%2021100%Met
2021-22≥ 90%2022100%Met
2022-23≥ 90%2023100%Met
2023-24≥ 90%2024100%Met
2024-25≥ 90%2025100%Met
Percentage of targeted partners and stakeholders who use or integrate Health Canada nutrition and/or healthy eating knowledge products, policies, and education materials into their own strategies, policies, programs, and initiatives
Expected result: Partners and stakeholders integrate nutrition, healthy eating and food safety considerations into their respective policies, programs and initiatives
85%2020-21– no result85%2021-22– no result85%2022-23– no result89%2023-24✓ met90%2024-25✓ met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2020-21≥ 85%2021—
No data available as data collection was further delayed to allow for integration of additional food guide information and resources for stakeholders which are to be released in 2021-22.
No result reported
2021-22≥ 85%2022—
Data is not collected annually. The next data point for this indicator is expected to be collected via a survey proposed for 2023-2024.
No result reported
2022-23≥ 85%2023—
There is one data point (89% in 2012) for this indicator to date. Data is not collected annually; therefore, the result from 2012 is the most recent.
No result reported
2023-24≥ 85%202489%Met
2024-25≥ 85%202590%Met
Percentage of Canadians who use dietary guidance provided by Health Canada
Expected result: Canadians make safe and healthy eating choices
47%2020-21✗ not met44%2021-22✗ not met44.3%2022-23✗ not met44.3%2023-24✗ not met

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2020-21≥ 50%202147%
The data source for this indicator is the Statistics Canada 2016 Canadian Community Health Survey. The survey asks the question on Canadians’ use of Health Canada dietary guidance every four years. The question was asked again in the 2020 survey, and those results will be available in 2021-22.
Not met
2021-22≥ 50%202244%
Data is collected every four years via the CCHS. Data collected in 2020 and reported in 2022 shows a decline of 3% from the last CCHS. Although Health Canada promoted its 2019 Canada food guide to stakeholders and Canadians, the COVID pandemic may have resulted in less subsequent promotion of the food guide by stakeholders. This could explain the decrease.
Not met
2022-23≥ 50%202344.3%
Data is collected every four years. The most recent data was collected in 2020 and made available in 2021–22.
Not met
2023-24≥ 50%202444.3%
Data is collected every four years. The most recent data was collected in 2020 and made available in 2021–22.
Not met

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Percentage of current and emerging high-risk food safety and nutrition issues which generate the development of a regulatory or non-regulatory response
Expected result: Regulatory partners and industry have the tools they need to address food safety and nutrition issues
100%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27100% – 100%2027—Planned
Percentage of health risk assessments provided to Health Canada partners within service standards
Expected result: Food safety incidents, including foodborne illness outbreaks, are responded to in a timely manner
90%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 90%2027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

Percentage of targeted partners and stakeholders who use or integrate Health Canada nutrition and/or healthy eating knowledge products, policies, and education materials into their own strategies, policies, programs, and initiatives
Expected result: Partners and stakeholders integrate nutrition, healthy eating and food safety considerations into their respective policies, programs and initiatives
89%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 89%2029—Planned

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2018-19: $67M2018-19: $67.1M2018-192019-20: $68.6M2019-20: $72.3M2019-202020-21: $75.2M2020-21: $76.3M2020-212021-22: $74.7M2021-22: $77.8M2021-222022-23: $71.7M2022-23: $76M2022-232023-24: $70.8M2023-24: $82.7M2023-242024-25: $70.2M2024-25: $75.7M2024-252025-26: $72.6M2025-262026-27: $64.9M2026-272027-28: $60.3M2027-282028-29: $56.2M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19$67M$67.1M
2019-20$68.6M$72.3M
2020-21$75.2M$76.3M
2021-22$74.7M$77.8M
2022-23$71.7M$76M
2023-24$70.8M$82.7M
2024-25$70.2M$75.7M
2025-26$72.6M—
2026-27$64.9M—
2027-28$60.3M*—
2028-29$56.2M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2018-19: 5832018-19: 5162018-192019-20: 5802019-20: 5302019-202020-21: 6312020-21: 5442020-212021-22: 5962021-22: 5612021-222022-23: 5782022-23: 5412022-232023-24: 5032023-24: 5132023-242024-25: 4712024-25: 4882024-252025-26: 4772025-262026-27: 4582026-272027-28: 4552027-282028-29: 3992028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2018-19583516
2019-20580530
2020-21631544
2021-22596561
2022-23578541
2023-24503513
2024-25471488
2025-26477—
2026-27458—
2027-28455*—
2028-29399*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Plan2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29
2018-19 plan$67,033,272$66,878,275$66,878,275
2019-20 plan$68,554,823$68,704,823$64,047,474
2020-21 plan$75,232,017$70,171,909$62,714,647
2021-22 plan$74,719,346$67,209,417$66,915,807
2022-23 plan$71,658,150$70,721,519$65,416,866
2023-24 plan$70,778,165$65,395,987$65,395,987
2024-25 plan$70,246,767$69,663,300$67,654,855
2025-26 plan$72,580,432$68,975,798$67,858,353
2026-27 plan$64,944,814$60,309,168$56,169,058
Actual$67,081,494$72,253,471$76,309,086$77,799,847$76,014,459$82,672,288$75,717,778

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.