“Grown in Canada” Label - It’s Time!

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I found a very welcome news story last week. Apparently, the federal government is proposing a review of the “Product of Canada” label on food. Currently, so long as 51% of the production costs were incurred in Canada, the item can be labelled “Product of Canada.”

This, understandably, creates a lot of confusion for shoppers. When you pick up a can of peaches, for example, and read “Product of Canada,” wouldn’t you assume that they were grown in Canada? Not so. Bob Friesen, the president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, has been working towards a voluntary “Grown in Canada” label that would clear up this confusion.

Friesen gave the example of chopped garlic. The garlic itself is grown in China but it is processed and bottled in Canada. Since the value added in Canada can be more than 50- per cent of the cost, it qualified for a Product of Canada label. The same is true of orange juice and a range of products, such as honey, which may be labeled “Canada No. 1″ leaving the consumer to think that he or she is purchasing a Canadian product when in fact the label is simply a quality standard.

I first became aware of the problem when my husband and I were trying to buy local foods. First, I found pineapples that were a “Product of Canada.” Then, coffee and chocolate. Then, orange juice. Hmm! I investigated, and realized that the “product” part of the label was all about production costs, not where the food was actually grown.

While Friesen is trying to make this a mandatory label, I think it would be great if it could be federally mandated. That would open consumers’ eyes to the fact that their “Canadian” food might not be as Canadian as they think it is.

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