Health Canada NHP labels: what goes on the bottle

What changed and when

Natural health products (NHPs) are licensed by Health Canada and labelled under Part 5 of the Natural Health Products Regulations. In 2022 the regulations were amended (SOR/2022-146) to add a standard Product Facts table, minimum type sizes, a contrast rule, bold allergen statements and a contact line for questions.

• The new labelling rules took effect on June 21, 2025.
• Products licensed before that date have a three-year transition.
• Products licensed on or after June 21, 2025 may still use the former rules until a temporary exemption order ends in 2028.
• Health Canada's summary: all products have until June 22, 2028 to comply with the new requirements.

If you are designing a new label now, building it to the new rules saves a second redesign before the 2028 deadline.

The front panel

The principal display panel, the part of the label a shopper sees first, carries five things (section 93):

• the brand name
• the product number
• the dosage form, such as capsules or powder
• the words "sterile" and "stérile", if the product is sterile
• the net amount in the container, by weight, volume or number

The product number is a Natural Product Number (NPN), or a DIN-HM for homeopathic medicines, followed by eight digits, for example NPN 12345678. It is on your product licence.

The Product Facts table

Under the new rules, most NHP labels need a Product Facts table (section 93.1). It can be one bilingual table titled "Product Facts / Info-produit", or two tables, one in English and one in French. It can run vertically or horizontally, and Health Canada's guidance lets it span more than one panel. The headings are fixed and appear in this order:

If the product contains a food allergen, gluten or added sulphites, the statement "Allergens / Allergènes" goes in bold under Warnings, followed by the sources. A product with aspartame shows "Contains aspartame / Contient de l'aspartame" in bold in the same place.

The table has its own format rules (section 93.2). A solid black line separates the title from the rest and each heading from the next. The title is larger than the headings, and the headings are larger than the text. The title and headings are bold, the text is regular, and the whole table uses one font.

Lot, expiry and the licence holder

Alongside the table, the label carries the licence holder's name (or the importer's, for an imported product), the route of administration, the lot number and the expiry date. Health Canada's guidance asks for the expiry date as at least a year and month, introduced by a term such as "EXP", and a lot number introduced by a term such as "Lot".

A bottle sold on its own has one label, so everything goes on it. When the bottle comes in a box, the box is the outer label and carries the full set. The bottle then repeats the core information, including the ingredients, uses, dose, warnings, storage, lot number and expiry date (section 93.4).

English and French

These items must appear in both English and French (section 87): the uses, dosage form, route of administration, dose, duration and risk information; the names of every medicinal and non-medicinal ingredient; the description of the source material; and the storage conditions.

Two small exceptions help with space. A name with no English or French equivalent is shown in its original language, and a non-medicinal ingredient can use its INCI name instead of its common name.

Type size, font and contrast

Required text follows these rules (section 88):

• at least 6 points, or 5.5 points in a condensed font
• non-medicinal ingredients at least 5.5 points, or 5 points condensed
• one colour that reads like solid black on white, or on a uniform neutral background with no more than a 5% tint
• a standard sans serif font that isn't decorative
• letters that don't touch each other or the lines of the table

A point is about 0.35 mm, so 6 points is a little over 2 mm. The lot number, product number and brand name are outside these rules, which is why brand names can stay in your display font and colours.

Health Canada's guidance also suggests specifics for the table: a font such as Helvetica, Univers, Frutiger or Arial; about 8 points for the title, 7 for headings and 6 for text; and rules about 1.5 points thick.

Small bottles and tight labels

If the surface available for the label is 90 cm² or less, the Product Facts table and its format rules don't apply, and a shorter list of information is used instead (sections 93.5 and 93.6). That is about the area of a 2 × 7 inch label. The same exemption covers a product used up within one day and a container holding no more than three doses.

When a label is bigger than that but still short of room, some items can move off the label: non-medicinal ingredients, source material descriptions and the mercury statement. They can go on a leaflet, a package insert or a website, as long as the label says where to find them (section 93.3).

Planning the printed label

The rules above are about content. These points are about getting that content onto a roll label that prints cleanly and fits the bottle.

• Lay out the text before you pick a size. Set the Product Facts table at real size, in both languages, then choose the label size around it. Our guide to measuring a bottle covers the flat panel and the wrap.
• Keep required text on white. Our labels print in full colour on white film or paper, and unprinted areas stay white. Putting the table on a white or very light area meets the contrast rule.
• Leave room for the lot and expiry. Every label in a print run is identical, so most brands add these with a coder or a stamp at filling time.
• Mind the cut line. Keep text inside the safe zone so a small shift in cutting never clips it. Our artwork guide shows where.
• Choose a film that lasts. Gloss or matte BOPP is waterproof and oil resistant, so the text stays readable in a humid bathroom. See label materials.

Proof checklist

Before you approve the proof, check:

1. The brand name and product number match your product licence.
2. The English and French text are both complete.
3. Ingredients, dose, directions and warnings match your licence.
4. Allergens, gluten and added sulphites appear in bold under Warnings, if your product has any.
5. A phone number, email address or website sits under "Questions?".
6. Required text is at least 6 points and dark on a light background.
7. There is clear space for the lot number and expiry date.