Since January, Canadians have been expressing outrage at Donald Trump’s suggestion that Canada should become the 51stÌýstate by boycotting American products, especially in grocery stores.
Canadian-grown hydroponic lettuce and Mexican tomatoes have replaced California strawberries on the shopping list. At first, savvy shoppers (like me) donned reading glasses and read the fine print on a label, looking for that golden word, Canada. Then, as time wore on, grocery store chains such as Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro began putting up signage directing us to made in Canada or product of Canada items. It made shopping Canadian a lot easier — or so I thought.
In April, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported it had noticed an increase in the number of complaints made by consumers of food being mislabelled as a product of Canada when in fact it was not. Now, a confirms the trend. At one Sobey’s store in Ontario, CBC reports finding a large sign promoting blueberries as a “product of Canada.” when in fact the fine print on the packaging said “product of USA. At a Loblaws store, berries, squash and eggplant had shelf labels indicating they were a “product of Mexico,” but packaging revealed they were a “product of the U.S.”
I am not alone in my desire to rid my cupboards of American goods. In February, the polling group reported that four in five Canadians had switched shopping habits in efforts to buy more Canadian-made products. Is national pride being taken advantage of? There are of course, consequences if this is the case.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in-store food signageÌý. There’s a form on the CFIA website to report infractions. If a product that is unintentionally bought is mislabelled, you can also take it back to the store and seek a refund. Under the , as it applies to nonfood items, misuse of Canadian labels can result in companies paying up to $10 million in fines.
In fairness, mistakes happen and Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro all told CBC News that they strive for accurate country-of-origin signage but noted it can be challenging when dealing with the massive inventory grocery stores contend with daily.ÌýIt’s a reasonable explanation and not a stretch to assume that sometimes things can be put on the wrong shelf under the wrong label. But let’s not forget that grocery stores in Canada have, in recent times, also had to answer to a parliamentary committee regarding soaring prices and possible price gouging. This has eroded consumer trust. Which brings me to a friendly reminder. Putting up shelf labels that help consumers buy Canadian is applaudable. Putting a maple leaf beside a product as a gimmick to take advantage of Canadians’ national pride is contemptible. During this moment in Canadian history, Canadians should be supporting each other, trusting each other, and not questioning or having to put our elbows up against our own.
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