Decode the information on product packaging, understand Canadian labeling regulations including WHMIS workplace safety standards, and recognize marketing tactics designed to influence your purchasing decisions.
Every product you buy comes with information—nutrition facts, ingredient lists, safety warnings, country of origin, certifications, and marketing claims. But this information is only useful if you know how to read it. Canadian regulations require specific disclosures, but they also allow significant room for marketing language designed to make products seem healthier, safer, or more valuable than they may be. This pillar teaches you to be a critical consumer by understanding what labels are required to tell you, what they're allowed to obscure, and how marketing uses psychology to influence purchasing decisions. You'll learn to distinguish between regulated claims and marketing puffery, understand nutrition information in context, and make informed choices based on facts rather than packaging design.
Each topic is designed to build practical understanding you can apply immediately.
Learn to read and interpret nutrition labels, understand serving sizes, daily values, and how ingredient lists are ordered. Recognize common tactics used to obscure less healthy ingredients.
Understand the difference between regulated health claims and unregulated marketing terms. Learn which claims require scientific backing and which are essentially meaningless.
Decode country of origin labels, understand "Product of Canada" vs. "Made in Canada," and learn about food safety certifications and what they actually guarantee.
Understand safety certifications, hazard symbols, care labels, and required disclosures on household products, electronics, textiles, and other consumer goods. Learn WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) symbols and requirements for workplace safety.
Evaluate claims like "organic," "natural," "sustainable," "fair trade," and "eco-friendly." Learn which certifications have meaning and which are greenwashing.
Understand how packaging design, pricing strategies, and placement influence purchasing decisions, and develop resistance to manipulative marketing tactics.
Practical skills you can apply immediately in your daily life.
Quickly assess the nutritional value of products and compare options using standardized information.
Recognize when packaging is designed to mislead and distinguish substantive claims from marketing language.
Understand what different certifications and seals actually mean and which ones have rigorous standards.
Read and interpret WHMIS hazard symbols, safety data sheets (SDS), and workplace chemical labeling requirements for safe handling of hazardous materials.
Make apples-to-apples comparisons between products by understanding serving sizes, concentrations, and measurement standards.
Identify misleading environmental claims and distinguish genuine sustainability efforts from marketing spin.
Apply label literacy to make purchasing decisions aligned with your actual priorities, whether health, value, ethics, or environmental impact.
The Product Packaging pillar applies critical thinking skills to everyday consumer decisions. Understanding labels requires knowledge of the government agencies that set standards, connects to your consumer rights when products don't meet claims, and builds the same skeptical evaluation skills needed to navigate online information.
TrueNorth LMS offers comprehensive education across all five pillars. Purchase this pillar individually or explore the full program.