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Decode any Canadian grocery label.

Clear, source-backed guides to food additives, the new front-of-package rules, app comparisons, and better swaps — so you can shop by your own rules.

A status board listing synthetic dyes with Canada-permitted and US phase-out badges.
Ingredients & additives

Are Food Dyes Banned in Canada? Every Dye's 2026 Status

No dye is banned in Canadian food. The full status table — Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 — vs the US phase-out and EU warnings, kept current.

Aug 25, 2026
A two-column scorecard comparing ingredient bans in the United States and Canada.
Ingredients & additives

Banned in the US, Legal in Canada — and the Reverse (2026)

The cross-border scorecard: Red 3 and BVO vs potassium bromate and rBST. Which food ingredients each country prohibits, permits, and why they disagree.

Aug 25, 2026
A searchable lookup table of E-numbers with Canadian and French label names.
Canadian food labels

E-Number Lookup: What Each Code Means in Canada

Type any E-number — E129, E951, E407 — and see what it is, its Canadian and French label names, its category, and its 2026 status. A searchable table.

Aug 25, 2026
A status card showing aspartame permitted in Canada with the 2023 WHO review noted.
Ingredients & additives

Is Aspartame Banned in Canada? (2026 Answer)

No — aspartame is permitted in Canada and in every major market. Where the ban rumours come from, what the WHO actually said, and how to avoid it by choice.

Aug 25, 2026
A status card showing brominated vegetable oil banned in Canada as of August 2025, with a citrus drink motif.
Ingredients & additives

Is BVO Banned in Canada? Yes — Here's the Timeline

Yes: Health Canada revoked brominated vegetable oil, with the transition ending August 30, 2025. What BVO was, why it's gone, and what replaced it in drinks.

Aug 25, 2026
A status card showing Red 40 under voluntary US phase-out but permitted in Canada.
Ingredients & additives

Is Red 40 Banned in Canada? (2026 Status)

No — Red 40 (Allura Red) is permitted in Canada. The US is phasing it out voluntarily by 2026–2027. The status on both sides of the border, explained.

Aug 25, 2026
A status card showing Red 3 banned in the US but still permitted in Canada.
Ingredients & additives

Is Red Dye 3 Banned in Canada? (2026 Answer)

No — Red 3 (erythrosine) is still permitted in Canada, even though the US FDA revoked it in 2025. Where it appears here, and how to avoid it if you choose.

Aug 25, 2026
A 2026 calendar card beside a Canadian package carrying the new high-in nutrition symbol.
Canadian food labels

New Food Label Rules in Canada (2026): What Changed

What changed on Canadian food labels in 2026: the mandatory 'high in' symbol, transition quirks, reformulations — and what was already in place.

Aug 25, 2026
Two versions of the same cereal box, one Canadian and one American, with different ingredient chips.
Canadian food labels

Why the Same Food Is Different in Canada vs the US

Same brand, same box, different recipe: dyes, glucose-fructose naming, bromate-free flour, rBST-free dairy — the real cross-border differences.

Aug 25, 2026