About ACC Label
1990: Our starting point
What does ACC stand for?
Nutrition is our background, food our passion, labelling our expertise. Those are the words Carole Fournier used to describe her field of work at the beginning of her career in the food industry.
In response to the flagrant lack of consultants in food labelling, Carole created À côté de la cuisine (French for “Next to the kitchen”) in 1990. She promoted her business (also referred to as ACC) with her slogan « While you focus your energy in your cuisine, we are close by to help … À côté de la cuisine ». This name and slogan embodied our desire to support food businesses in tasks often neglected either by lack of time or resources.
In 2001, À Côté de la Cuisine became ACC Label to facilitate the pronunciation by our non-francophone clients and to better reflect the firm’s mission, i.e. helping the food industry making legally compliant food labelling.
After resolving a regulatory issue related to the fact that nutritionists are part of a small group of professionals who may not incorporate their businesses in the province of Quebec, ACC Label was finally able to change legal status and become Étiquetage ACC inc. ● ACC Label Inc. on December 6, 2012.
Recognition based on expertise and quality
ACC Label offers a highly specialized service and has earned an enviable reputation. Recognized for its expertise in regulatory affairs related to food labelling, its expertise in nutritional analysis and the quality of its linguistic services, ACC Label is often called upon to present conferences on various topics related to food labelling.
ACC Label is proud to have presented lectures at McGill University, University of Montreal; the Conseil des industries bioalimentaires de l’Île de Montréal (CIBIM); INPACQ Day of the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; to a Tunisian delegation at SIAL 2018; to consuls and trade commissioners from several countries associated with TFO Canada.
Today, companies from across North America and Europe, and sometimes beyond, consult ACC Label for their Canadian labelling needs.
ACC Label helps forge Canada’s food labelling regulations
By actively participating in the various regulatory consultations, ACC Label is always on the lookout for regulatory changes before they come into force. We are always ready to advise our customers on their labelling obligations.
At the turn of the millennium, as Health Canada was preparing its new nutrition labelling regulations, À côté de la cuisine was an active participant in the various regulatory consultations on the subject. Thus, when the new regulations came into force on December 12, 2002, À côté de la cuisine was ready to meet the demand of companies seeking nutritional labelling expertise.
From 2008 to 2010, ACC Label invested in the study of the various regulatory proposals for the Enhanced Labelling for Food Allergen and Gluten Sources and Added Sulphites. The final regulations were published on February 4, 2011.
In 2012, a new series of consultations began, to end only in 2018.
On the one hand, Health Canada was working to improve the existing nutrition labelling, as well as the list of ingredients and allergens. The objective was to make it easier for consumers to compare the nutritional values of similar foods and to find, read and understand the list of ingredients and allergens.
With respect to nutrition labelling, the discussions were about serving sizes, nutrients to declare, revised daily values based on updated scientific data, health claims, and presentation of information. The regulatory modifications came into force on December 14, 2016, and fourteen months later, Health Canada consulted us again. This time, various front of package nutrition symbols were presented, and discussions aimed at finding the best way to warn consumers when foods are high in sodium, sugars and saturated fats – three nutrients of public health concern.
With respect to ingredient declarations, Health Canada was seeking comments on the grouping of sugar-based ingredients, the declaration of food colours by their individual common names, and various graphic enhancement features to improve readability.
On the other hand, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was seeking to modernize its regulations and improve the commercial aspects of food labelling (as opposed to the health aspects covered by Health Canada). The many consultations led to the new Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations, which will come into force on January 15, 2019.
A product: an award
In addition to its food labelling consulting services, ACC Label created a product, the MesurACC®, for which we received the SIAL 2016 Innovation Award. The MesurACC, a typographical tool designed to verify food labels with respect to the various typographical requirements of food labelling regulations, is an invaluable tool for anyone working in food labelling.
Where is ACC Label heading?
Our dynamic team has great plans on the horizon. It’s too early to share what’s going on in our crystal ball, but follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
We hope to have the pleasure of working with you on your next labelling project. Ask us for a quote.
