Health Canada weighs fortifying junk foods

Health Canada wants to allow food manufacturers to add nutrients to a wider variety of foods, including junk food — a proposal that has some health specialists worried.

Canada has mandatory fortification programs to add vitamin D to milk and folic acid to flour, but the new proposal to allow discretionary fortification has some critics concerned that companies will sell junk food such as cookies and chips with vitamins or minerals added as a healthy alternative.

"I think it's just an advertising ploy and gimmick with no health benefit whatsoever," said Dr. Tom Ransom, an endocrinologist and obesity expert with Capital Health in Halifax.

"My concerns are people might be avoiding healthy foods because they think, 'Now I don't need my apple a day, I can have a chocolate bar a day.'"

The industry group Food & Consumer Products of Canada released a report Wednesday calling on the federal government to speed up its two-to-five-year decision-making process for food additives and health claims.

"We're not looking here at all for less regulation," said Nancy Croitoru, president and CEO of the trade association representing companies that manufacture food and consumer products.

"What we're looking for is smarter regulation so that we can really provide Canadians with the healthy products that are now available out there."

Health Canada did not make anyone available to talk to CBC News about the proposed policy change. The department's website said focus group participants did not suggest people would increase the amount of junk food they eat as a result of added vitamins.

The department said the change would increase nutrients in the food supply. Food companies could market enhanced products as good or excellent sources of the added nutrient, while consumers would be protected from excessive vitamins and mineral nutrients in foods.

But foods with added nutrients, mineral or bacterial cultures would not be a good source of nutrition for a society already struggling with an obesity epidemic, Ransom said. Adding vitamins does not remove fat or calories from the products.

Health Canada was expected to publish the draft regulatory changes for public comment weeks ago, but hasn't explained the delay.

Vanessa Williams, a high school student in Halifax, said she isn't sure she would eat a vitamin-enhanced version of the bag of cheese snacks she had for lunch.

"If it tasted the same, yeah, maybe," Williams said. "I guess if it is sort of better for you, you should probably go for that over Cheetos puffs."