Canada’s food regulator has levied a $10,000 penalty against a Loblaw-owned establishment for advertising imported food as Canadian. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) informed CBC News that a Toronto Superstore improperly utilized “maple leaf advertising decals” and a “Product of Canada” statement in a display to promote a foreign product. This action misled consumers regarding the product’s origin, as stated by the CFIA in an email. While the fine was issued on Jan. 15, the agency delayed the announcement until this week.
The CFIA has the authority to impose fines of up to $15,000 for each violation. Both the federal agency and Loblaw declined to specify the product that led to the penalty. Situated on Gerry Fitzgerald Drive in the city’s north end, the Superstore is owned by Loblaw, which acknowledged the challenge of accurately labeling the country of origin due to dealing with extensive inventory. The company expressed regret for any confusion caused and emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance their processes.
A surge in the buy-Canadian movement emerged early last year in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff disputes and comments hinting at Canada becoming the 51st state. Grocers capitalized on this trend by utilizing Canadian branding to showcase domestic products, at times inaccurately. The CFIA’s fine on the Superstore follows a past CBC News investigation that exposed major grocers promoting imported food as Canadian, a practice termed “maple washing.”
Federal regulations stipulate that food labels and in-store signage must be precise and not misleading. Instances of inaccuracy included a Toronto Sobeys store advertising raw almonds with Canadian symbols despite the product being imported. Similarly, a Loblaw-owned No Frills outlet in Toronto displayed strawberries with misleading Canadian signage, contrary to their actual origin from the USA.
Last September, some consumers expressed frustration over the CFIA’s failure to penalize grocers involved in “maple washing” cases previously uncovered by the agency. The CFIA emphasized its commitment to combating food mislabeling and determining enforcement actions based on various factors, including risk assessment, compliance history, and responsiveness to rectifying issues.
The agency is yet to address inquiries regarding why Sobeys evaded fines following a CFIA investigation last April into a mislabeling incident. Sheila Young, who reported an avocado oil mislabeling case involving a Safeway store near Edmonton, urged the CFIA to start imposing fines in such scenarios, stating that it was time for grocers to rectify their practices. According to the CFIA, “Product of Canada” signifies food entirely or almost entirely produced in the country, while “Made in Canada” requires the last significant transformation of a food product to occur domestically.