EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Health Protection and Promotion Act to prohibit the selling or offering for sale of any food whose sodium content exceeds the maximum amount prescribed by the regulations.  When prescribing the maximum amount for a food or class of food, the Lieutenant Governor in Council must not prescribe an amount that exceeds the applicable global sodium benchmark established by the World Health Organization.

Bill 116 2023

An Act to amend the Health Protection and Promotion Act with respect to sodium content in food

His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1 The Health Protection and Promotion Act is amended by adding the following section:

Sale of food — maximum sodium content

17.1  No person shall sell or offer for sale any food whose sodium content exceeds the maximum amount prescribed by the regulations.

2 Section 96 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Regulations, maximum sodium content

(2.1)  The regulations prescribing the maximum sodium content for a food or a class of food for the purpose of section 17.1 shall set out amounts that are no greater than the global sodium benchmark for the food or the class as set out in the document entitled “WHO global sodium benchmarks for different food categories”, dated 2021 and published by the World Health Organization.

3 Subsection 100 (3) of the Act is amended by striking out “17, 18” and substituting “17, 17.1, 18”.

Commencement

4 This Act comes into force on the first anniversary of the day this Act receives Royal Assent.

Short title

5 The short title of this Act is the Health Protection and Promotion Amendment Act (Sodium Content), 2023.