The CBC investigation contains some large grossers that promote imported food with Canadian branding

These days, like many shopkeepers, Stacey Dinen, who lives outside the kitchen, is all-in on the Canadian movement.

“Trump’s comments about Annexing Canada, want to make us a part of the United States, boy, who really burnt something,” he said.

Whenever she can do, Dineen buys Canadian food, but when she cannot, she looks for imported products from outside the United States.

And the Canadian major grocery chains have jumped on trend, running patriotic advertisements and promising shopkeepers to help buy canadians.

But Dinen says that when that Grusters provides conflicting information, she becomes disappointed where a product comes from.

Last week, for example, she saw organic broccoli at her local sobes grocery store. An indication stated that it was a “Canadian product”, but the fine print on the tag said “the yield of the USA.”

“It makes me feel misled,” Dineon said. “At this point, I have gone out of patience for this. It seems – very least, it’s careless.”

New data of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and a CBC news probe suggests that the original exercise of the country is an ongoing problem by the Grusters. It is also against the rules; In-store food signage Should be accurate and not misleading,

CFIA, Canadian Food Regulatory, told CBC News that between November 2024 and July, it received 97 complaints related to country-root claims.

Of the 91 complaints investigated so far, the CFIA found that companies violated the rules in 29 (32 percent) cases. According to the agency, most wholesale produce was sold in shops and the problem was set in each case.

CBC News visited Sobes, Loblaws and Metro -run grocery stores in Toronto city this month and found similar issues between both wholesale and prepaid produce. In each store, one or more country-shelph shelf signs in the yield section said that the product was “Canada’s product” or Mexico, but the product stickers or packaging said that it was a “USA product”.

And this is not just production. CBC News also found suspected Canadian signage for more than a dozen other types of products at the Sobies Store, including a red maple leaf symbol and imported imported raw almonds promoted with “Made,” declaration.

“We do not grow almonds in this country. Those people should not meet the Canadian border,” Mike Von Masso, a professor in the Department of Food, Agriculture and Resource Economics at Guelf University, said.

He said that a high business of grocery products can sometimes give rise to mistakes.

However, food labeling expert Mary Lobe says, in the Canadian movement six months in buying, the patience of shopkeepers for grocery errors is thin.

“This is important for Canadian people, and I think they have a responsibility for their consumers who expect them to correctly explain the rules,” said Emeritus L’Ebe, a nutritional science professor at the University of Toronto.

“I think retailers will have to step into the plate and actually do their work together.”

Grosers replied

Back to the production section in Sobies, CBC News found a large signal promoting blueberries as “Canadian products”. But the fine print on the packaging said that the berries were “USA products”.

“This is the wrong advertisement,” von Maso said, suggesting human error as a possible reason.

At the Loblas Store, CBC discovered several production items, such as berries, squash and brinjal where shelf labels indicated that they were “products of mexico”, while product stickers or packaging revealed that they were “USA products”.

The metro had the same inconsistent labeling in packaged raspberries and blackberries.

There is no lobel-owned frills in Toronto, the CBC found separate inconsistent labeling. The store displayed Strawberries with signage that included a red maple leaf and phrase, “ready in Canada.” But the packaging of berries stated that they were “USA products”.

It is possible that Strawberries were packed in Canada, but the CFIA told CBC News that if a product was packed only here, it would be unfair to use “Made in Canada in Canada” or “Canada prepared” claims.

L’ABBé says that no frills advertisement is misleading.

She states that Big Grosers have launched large marketing campaigns centered around the Canadian movement. Both Lobla and Sobi have produced sleek, patriotic advertisements, with the Canadian flag.

“Obviously they are spending money on those marketing campaigns,” L’ABE said. “They can also do the work behind the curtain to ensure that they are advertising things correctly.”

CBC News sent pictures of its findings to Loblav Company Limited, Sobes Inc. and Metro Inc.

Loblav did not answer questions directly about strawberries, but immediately after the CBC examined, the Maple Leaf and “ready in Canada” went on a signage on strawberries.

Loblaw, Sobies and Metro told each in separate emails to CBC News that they try for accurate country-root, but noted that the task is challenging while dealing with collective inventory.

“The fresh yield may change the week-by-week and unfortunately the mistakes may occur from time to time,” said Sobe’s spokesperson, Emily Trusidel.

Loblav and Metro offered forgiveness to customers for any accident and encouraged them to alert the store if they discovered discrepancies.

Both Grosers also said that they are working with the store staff to strengthen the signage policies and reduce errors.

Metro spokesman Stephanie Bonak said, “As a result of interrogation, the stores received reminders about the production label check.”

Imported but built in Canada?

In response to purchasing the Canadian movement, the large grocers began marking several domestic products in the shops with the Maple Leaf symbol. But sometimes it gives air to products without any clear Canadian connection.

Von Maso said, “There are a lot of opportunities to confuse things.” “It is important to be transparent for these shops.”

In Sobies Store, CBC News found more than a dozen “imported” house-brand products, including ice cream cones, salad dressings, raw nuts and Graham crackers, displayed with a red maple leaf symbol.

Sobies website It is said that Maple Leaf Symbal refers to the objects that are “made in Canada” or “Canada’s product”.

According to CFIAThe “Canadian product” refers to food that is made entirely or almost completely in the country. To qualify as “Made in Canada”, there should be a final significant change of a food product in the country.

But packaging for each of the imported home-brand items stated that it was “imported to Sobi”, which had no qualifications about Canadian connections.

“Why would you put a maple leaf on a product that is very clearly imported?” Asked Dinen, who discovered the imported raw almonds and “California natural” walnut pieces, marked with a maple leaf in their local Soboys.

“It just wires the trust. It just thinks you,” Okay, so it is meaningless. “

Sobies did not answer direct questions about imported praise products marked with Maple Leaf.

Von Masso says that if you are uncertain about any store or product label, ask the store staff for clarification, or call the customer service line of the product, which is often printed on packaging.