Bill 47 explained in plain English
Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating Act, 2014
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st 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 Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating Act, 2014, mandates that regulated food service premises in Ontario display calorie information for standard food items and allows for regulations and enforcement.
This bill, called the Healthy Decisions for Healthy Eating Act, 2014, requires certain food service businesses in Ontario to display nutritional information, specifically calorie counts, for standard food items. It defines what constitutes a 'regulated food service premise' and specifies how and where this information must be displayed. The bill also provides for inspectors to enforce these requirements and sets out penalties for non-compliance. The Lieutenant Governor in Council is given the power to make regulations related to the Act, including exemptions.
- Requires regulated food service premises to display calorie information for standard food items.
- Defines 'regulated food service premise' as a food service premise that is part of a chain of 20 or more Ontario locations, or as otherwise specified by regulations.
- Defines 'standard food item' as a food or drink item sold in standardized portions and content, with potential further specifications in regulations.
- Specifies how and where nutritional information must be displayed, including on menus and labels.
- Allows for the Minister to appoint inspectors to enforce the Act.
- Grants inspectors powers to enter and inspect premises, examine records, and question individuals.
- Establishes penalties for individuals and corporations that contravene the Act or its regulations.
- Makes municipal by-laws that address caloric or nutritional information inoperative if they conflict with the Act.
- Provides the Lieutenant Governor in Council with the power to make regulations, including defining terms, specifying display requirements, and providing exemptions.
- Owners and operators of regulated food service premises in Ontario (including franchisors, licensors, and managers, but not employees who are not managers).
- Consumers who purchase food from regulated food service premises.
- The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (or equivalent).
- Inspectors appointed under the Act.
- Directors and officers of corporations that own or operate regulated food service premises.
- Municipalities, in relation to by-laws concerning nutritional information.
- Owners/operators of regulated food service premises have an obligation to display calorie counts and other required nutritional information for standard food items.
- Owners/operators have an obligation to ensure information is displayed according to regulations.
- Owners/operators have an obligation to allow inspectors to conduct inspections.
- Individuals are prohibited from obstructing inspectors or providing false information.
- Consumers have the right to access nutritional information for standard food items sold at regulated food service premises.
- The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- Individuals and corporations are liable for fines if they contravene the Act or regulations. First offences for individuals can result in fines up to $500 per day, and subsequent offences up to $1,000 per day. For corporations, first offences can be up to $5,000 per day, and subsequent offences up to $10,000 per day.
- Inspectors may be appointed to enforce the Act.
- Inspectors have the power to enter and inspect regulated food service premises and related business premises without a warrant during business hours.
- Inspectors can examine, demand production of, remove for review or copying, and photograph items relevant to an inspection.
- Individuals can be questioned by inspectors.
- Failure to comply with the Act or regulations is an offence.
- Penalties for offences include daily fines for individuals (up to $500 for a first offence, $1,000 for subsequent) and corporations (up to $5,000 for a first offence, $10,000 for subsequent).
- Directors and officers of corporations have a duty to ensure compliance and can be held liable for offences if they fail to take reasonable care.
- The specific 'other information' required to be displayed beyond calorie counts is not detailed in the Act itself, but will be specified in regulations.
- The definition of 'standard food item' can be further specified by regulations.
- The Act comes into force on a date to be proclaimed, which is not yet determined.
- The scope of 'regulated food service premise' can be expanded beyond chains of 20 or more locations through regulations.
- Exemptions from the Act's requirements may be provided for in regulations.
This is the new Act itself, establishing requirements for displaying nutritional information at food service premises.
The Act allows for the creation of regulations to further specify requirements, definitions, and exemptions related to displaying nutritional information.
This Act references the Health Protection and Promotion Act in its definition of 'food service premise'.
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.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
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.
How this data is sourced