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“PRODUCT OF CANADA" - WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?

When a product is labelled “Product of Canada”, does that really mean it is a product of Canada? As imported food safety becomes a larger and broader issue in today’s global marketplace, more and more people are asking "Where is my food actually coming from?" As consumers, when we read a label stating “Product of Canada” we breath a sigh of relief since the product was grown and processed in this country. Unfortunately, these statements do not necessarily mean that all ingredients in the product are Canadian. We also believe that if the product is on the shelf in the store, it has gone through strict and rigorous testing to ensure the product is safe for our families.

Legally speaking, a product can be labelled product of Canada if 51% of its production costs were spent in Canada. The food can be grown anywhere in the world, but if over 50% of the cost to produce the final product is in Canada then it becomes a product of Canada.

For example, prepared garlic (ready-to-use garlic in a jar) is almost always branded as “product of Canada”. But in reality, it is all grown in China. Because the garlic is processed and bottled in Canada (which is over 50% of production costs) it is legally labelled product of Canada. It is very difficult to find Canadian garlic on store shelves today because Chinese garlic has sent Canadian garlic growers out of business with their lower prices. Now Canadian-grown garlic is found at farmer’s markets and specialty stores.

Even such products as Canada no.1 Grade Honey are not 100% Canadian Honey. This labelling gives the impression that the honey is 100% Canadian Honey, but in reality the honey manufacturer can legally blend Canadian honey with foreign honey or use 100% imported honey and not be listed on the packaging. Canada no.1 Grade Honey is simply a quality standard the product has achieved during production.

When dealing with fish, the country of origin must be declared on all fish products imported into Canada. But this declaration must only appear on the original container it is imported in. Once the fish is in Canada and is transformed from its original state – meaning processed, smoked or canned it becomes a “new product” and therefore can legally be labelled a product of Canada. This regulation is based on the fact that when the fish is processed in Canada it meets strict Canadian guidelines and safety standards to merit a product of Canada label. But, if the fish is only re-packaged or de-boned, it cannot be labelled product of Canada.

If you are concerned about a certain product, what can you do? Usually each product packaging has a toll free number for product related questions. Call the number and ask them where the product ingredients are from. They should be able to answer your questions, but be prepared that they will not know all the production details of where the food source originated from.