Bill 162 explained in plain English
Making Healthier Choices Act, 2014
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Making Healthier Choices Act, 2014 requires certain Ontario food service businesses to display calorie information for standard food items on menus and labels, with enforcement powers and penalties outlined.
The Making Healthier Choices Act, 2014 aims to require certain food service businesses in Ontario to display nutritional information, specifically calorie counts, for standard food items. This information must be displayed on menus and, where applicable, on labels for food items. The Act also allows for regulations to specify additional information to be displayed and to define what constitutes a 'standard food item'. It grants inspectors the power to enter premises and examine records related to compliance. Penalties are outlined for individuals and corporations that contravene the Act or its regulations. Municipal by-laws dealing with similar display requirements will become inoperative.
- Requires owners and operators of regulated food service premises to display the number of calories for each standard food item sold.
- Requires the display of any other nutritional information as specified by regulations for standard food items.
- Mandates that this information be shown on menus listing or depicting the food item and on labels if the item is on display.
- Requires that if a menu is available outside the premises, the nutritional information must also be on that menu.
- Specifies that the display requirements apply to each variety, flavour, and size of a standard food item.
- Treats combination meals as standard food items for the purpose of display requirements.
- Requires signs with caloric or nutritional information to be posted publicly at the premises, as per regulations.
- Establishes that the method and calculation of calorie information will be determined by regulations.
- Empowers the Minister to appoint inspectors to ensure compliance with the Act.
- Grants inspectors the authority to enter regulated food service premises or business premises of related companies without a warrant during business hours to conduct inspections.
- Details the powers of inspectors, including examining, demanding, removing, copying, and photographing relevant items and records, and questioning individuals.
- Prohibits obstructing inspectors or providing them with false information.
- Establishes offences and penalties for contravening the Act or regulations, with different penalties for individuals and corporations, and for first versus subsequent offences.
- Assigns a duty to directors and officers of corporations to take reasonable care to ensure compliance with the Act and regulations.
- States that municipal by-laws addressing caloric or nutritional information display requirements for food service premises are inoperative to the extent they conflict with this Act.
- Provides the Lieutenant Governor in Council with the power to make regulations, including defining terms, specifying display requirements, exempting certain food items or premises, and governing inspection and enforcement.
- Owners and operators of regulated food service premises.
- Franchisors, licensors, and managers of regulated food service premises.
- Employees of regulated food service premises (but not those who are managers).
- Individuals and corporations that own or operate food service premises that are part of a chain of 20 or more locations in Ontario, or that are otherwise defined as 'regulated' by regulations.
- Consumers who purchase food from regulated food service premises.
- The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (or the responsible minister).
- Inspectors appointed under the Act.
- Directors and officers of corporations that own or operate regulated food service premises.
- Municipalities (regarding by-laws on food information display).
- Owners/operators of regulated food service premises have the obligation to display calorie information and other required nutritional information for standard food items.
- Owners/operators have the obligation to ensure this information is displayed on menus and, where applicable, on labels.
- Owners/operators must also ensure public signs with nutritional information are posted as required.
- Inspectors have the right to enter premises and inspect records.
- Individuals and businesses have the obligation to cooperate with inspectors, produce records, and answer questions.
- Directors and officers of corporations have a duty to exercise reasonable care to ensure compliance with the Act.
- The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- Fines are established for contravening the Act or regulations, with specific amounts for individuals and corporations, and for first versus subsequent offences. These fines are calculated per day that an offence occurs or continues.
- Individuals can face fines of up to $500 for a first offence and up to $1,000 for subsequent offences, per day the offence continues.
- Corporations can face fines of up to $5,000 for a first offence and up to $10,000 for subsequent offences, per day the offence continues.
- Directors and officers of corporations can be found guilty of an offence and liable to the same penalties as individuals if they fail to take reasonable care to ensure compliance.
- Obstruction of inspectors or providing false information to inspectors is an offence.
- The Minister may appoint inspectors to enforce the Act.
- The specific definition of 'regulated food service premise' may be further expanded by regulations beyond those that are part of a chain of 20 or more locations.
- The exact 'other information' required to be displayed, and the specific methods for determining calorie counts and displaying information, will be detailed in regulations.
- Exemptions from the definition of 'standard food item' or from display requirements may be provided for in the regulations.
- The date the Act comes into force is not specified and will be determined by proclamation.
- The Act states that inspectors can enter without a warrant only during regular business hours and cannot use force.
- The Act does not apply to places used as dwellings.
The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (or the minister responsible for the Act) has the authority to appoint inspectors. These inspectors are given powers to enter and inspect food service premises and related business locations to ensure compliance with the Act. (Section 3(1))
Source: Section 3(1)
The Act will come into force on a date determined by proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor, meaning it will not be effective until a specific future date is proclaimed.
Source: Section 7
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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