Written by Mo, Foundi CSO, PhD · Updated 11 November 2026
Short answer: Start with the serving size, then read three lines: sodium, sugars and potassium. Use the % Daily Value, where Health Canada's rule of thumb is that 5% or less is a little and 15% or more is a lot. Then check the ingredient list for the sweetener, and which label type it is: Nutrition Facts, Supplemented Food Facts, or Product Facts with an NPN.
Electrolyte drinks are sold in Canada under different regulatory categories, so their labels don't all look the same. This guide walks through each part in the order that's most useful.
Step 1: Which kind of label is it?
Find the table on the back or side of the package first. Its title tells you how the product is regulated in Canada, and that changes what information you'll see.
| Table title | What it means | What you'll find |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition Facts / Valeur nutritive | Sold as a regular food | Serving size, calories, nutrients with % Daily Value |
| Supplemented Food Facts / Info-aliment supplémenté | Sold as a supplemented food: a food with added vitamins, minerals or other ingredients such as caffeine | The same core nutrients as a Nutrition Facts table, plus a "Supplemented with" section listing the total of each supplemental ingredient (Health Canada) |
| Product Facts / Info-produit with an NPN on the label | Licensed as a natural health product | Medicinal ingredients with amounts, recommended use, warnings, directions and non-medicinal ingredients (Health Canada) |
Two quick checks:
- An eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN) on the label means the product is a licensed natural health product. You can look it up in Health Canada's Licensed Natural Health Products Database.
- A black exclamation mark in a box marked "Supplemented / Supplémenté" on the front is the supplemented food caution identifier. Health Canada says it means there's a caution box on the back or side with statements on how to consume the product appropriately. Find it and read it.
Step 2: Check the serving size
Every number on the table is per serving, so start there. For a powder or stick, the serving is usually one stick or one scoop, mixed into a stated amount of water. If you use two sticks, or half, scale everything accordingly.
Step 3: How much sodium is in it?
Look at the sodium line in milligrams and as a % Daily Value. Health Canada's Daily Value for sodium on labels is 2,300 mg (Health Canada, Table of Daily Values). So a serving showing 15% DV contains about 345 mg.
To put that in context:
- Health Canada recommends most adults aim for about 1,500 mg of sodium a day and not exceed 2,300 mg.
- The average Canadian already eats about 2,760 mg a day (Health Canada, Sodium Intake of Canadians in 2017).
- Use Health Canada's rule of thumb: 5% DV or less is a little, and 15% DV or more is a lot.
Electrolyte mixes are designed to contain sodium, so a high number isn't a mistake. Just count it as part of your day.
Some packages also carry Health Canada's front-of-package nutrition symbol: a magnifying glass flagging foods that are high in saturated fat, sugars or sodium. If you see "High in sodium" on the front, the table on the back will confirm it.
If you've been told to limit sodium or potassium for a health reason, check with your pharmacist or doctor before using any electrolyte product.
Step 4: How much sugar is in it?
Read Sugars in grams and % DV. Remember that sweetness and sugar aren't the same thing.
- A sugars line with a meaningful number of grams usually means the product uses sugar, dextrose or another sugar for sweetness or energy. Sports drinks are typically in this group, because carbohydrate is part of their purpose for long efforts.
- "0 g" or a very low sugars line, but the drink tastes sweet, means there's a sweetener in the ingredient list.
(See Electrolyte mixes, sports drinks and energy drinks: what's actually different.)
Step 5: Which sweetener is it?
Scan the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so what comes first is present in the largest amount. Common sweeteners in electrolyte mixes include:
- Sugars: sugar, cane sugar, dextrose, glucose, fructose
- Sugar alcohols: erythritol, xylitol
- High-intensity sweeteners: stevia (steviol glycosides), monk fruit (luo han guo) extract, sucralose, acesulfame potassium
Preferences here are personal: some people avoid stevia's aftertaste, others avoid sugar. The label is how you choose.
Step 6: What about potassium and magnesium?
Potassium is a core line on Canadian Nutrition Facts tables. Magnesium appears when it's added or highlighted. On a Supplemented Food Facts table, added minerals appear under "Supplemented with". On an NHP label, they appear under medicinal ingredients with an amount per dose.
For reference, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists adequate potassium intakes of 3,400 mg a day for men and 2,600 mg for women, and magnesium recommendations of 400–420 mg for men and 310–320 mg for women. Food supplies most of both. (See What electrolytes are, in plain language.)
Step 7: What else is on the front?
Read claims on the front as marketing until the back confirms them. Useful things to cross-check:
- "Sugar-free" or "no sugar added": confirm with the Sugars line and the ingredient list.
- "Made in Canada" or "Product of Canada": these phrases have different meanings.
- Flavour names: the ingredient list shows whether flavour comes from fruit, "natural flavour" or "artificial flavour".
- Directions: how much water to mix with, and any limit on servings per day. Follow the label.
A quick label checklist
- Which table title, and is there an NPN or a caution identifier?
- Serving size: one stick or scoop in how much water?
- Sodium: mg and % DV. Count it toward your day.
- Sugars: grams. Does it fit your purpose (long effort or everyday sipping)?
- Sweetener: which one, from the ingredient list?
- Potassium and magnesium: listed amounts.
- Caution box and directions: read them and follow them.
Common questions
What does % Daily Value mean? It shows how much of a nutrient one serving provides compared with a reference amount for a day. Health Canada's rule of thumb is that 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot.
How can I tell if an electrolyte drink is low in sugar? Check the Sugars line in grams and % DV, then the ingredient list. A sweet taste with a low Sugars line means a sweetener is doing the work.
What does NPN mean on a Canadian label? It's an eight-digit Natural Product Number. It shows the product is licensed by Health Canada as a natural health product, and you can look it up in Health Canada's Licensed Natural Health Products Database.
What is the exclamation-mark "Supplemented" symbol? It's Health Canada's supplemented food caution identifier. It tells you there's a caution box on the back or side of the package with statements on how to consume the product appropriately.
Sources
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling: Nutrition facts table. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/nutrition-labelling/nutrition-facts-tables.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Nutrition Labelling – Table of Daily Values. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/technical-documents-labelling-requirements/table-daily-values/nutrition-labelling.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Sodium Intake of Canadians in 2017. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/food-nutrition/sodium-intake-canadians-2017.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Supplemented foods: Labels (modified 10 Jun 2026). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/supplemented-foods/labels.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Licensed Natural Health Products Database (LNHPD). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/applications-submissions/product-licensing/licensed-natural-health-products-database.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Guidance document: Labelling of natural health products. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription/legislation-guidelines/guidance-documents/labelling.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- Health Canada. Nutrition labelling: Front-of-package nutrition symbol (modified 2 Nov 2026). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/nutrition-labelling/front-package.html. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Potassium and Magnesium fact sheets for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/ and https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/. Accessed 9 Nov 2026.
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