Health Minister Jane Philpott said the "iconic" Canada Food Guide has not kept up with the country's changing demographics and lifestyles.
"The classic one-size-fits-all guide no longer meets the needs of Canadians," she said in a Montreal speech.
Philpott said the guide must be "relevant and practical" and provide advice for Canadians whether they are shopping at the grocery store or looking at a restaurant menu. It must be individualized and adaptable for food preferences and sensitivities, she said.
Another change will eventually require labelling on the front of packages that will highlight if a product is high or low in certain nutrients such as sodium, sugar and saturated fats.
Protect children from marketing
In May 2010, the World Health Organization released recommendations on the marketing of food and beverages to children. It called on governments worldwide to reduce the exposure of children to advertising and to reduce the use of powerful marketing techniques employed by the manufacturers of foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans-fat acids, free added sugars or sodium.
Today, Canada is acting on those recommendations, following the lead of Quebec, which already restricts marketing to children under the age of 13.
It will take anywhere from five to 10 years to implement the changes, after consultations with industry, stakeholders and the public.
The last food guide was criticized because it was based on much input from industry. Philpott said stakeholders will have a say in the process, but they will not dictate the results.
"I think it's only fair for the people who are selling food to be able to have opportunity to comment in terms of what the impact might be on them," she said. "But they will not have impact on the advice given in the guide."
All meetings and correspondence between stakeholders and officials in her office will be transparent and made public, she said.
Conservative Senator Kelvin Ogilvie, who chaired a committee that carried out a sweeping study on obesity in Canada, welcomed the initiatives as "very encouraging." He called the plan to ensure the food industry remains at arm's length in the decision process "most heart-warming."
"It's a total conflict of interest," he told CBC News. "You simply can't have the people who make the greatest degree of money selling you any product, making a final recommendation to government as to how healthy that product is."