There is a growing trend among Canadians to counter the tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump by prioritizing Canadian food products in their shopping. This practice is relatively straightforward when choosing items such as locally-grown fruits or domestically-raised meat. However, it becomes more challenging when it comes to processed and packaged food items located in the middle aisles of grocery stores.
Michael von Massow from the University of Guelph’s Department of Food Agricultural and Resource Economics explains that several factors can impact the ability of a food processor to identify products by country. For instance, an Ontario-based salsa company that uses local tomatoes, onions, and peppers, along with Canadian labour, might seem like a perfect example of a Canadian product. But in winter, when the company has to import tomatoes, the “Product of Canada” label becomes questionable, even though a significant portion of the production still occurs in Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) permits the “Product of Canada” label when the majority of key ingredients, processing, and labour involved in the food product are Canadian. If non-Canadian ingredients such as flavourings or spices are used, they should constitute less than two percent of the total product.
The “Made in Canada” label, on the other hand, can be applied when the last substantial transformation of the product occurred within the country. The CFIA also has regulations regarding the use of a maple leaf on product packaging. If it is used to suggest a “Product of Canada” claim, it must meet the criteria.
Finding domestic ingredients is a complicated process. Sheena Russell, founder of Nova Scotia snack bar company “Made with Local,” says it took her years to source domestic ingredients for her products. She suggests that a supply chain directory at the national level could make it easier for other businesses to do the same.
The interconnectedness of the food production chain between Canada and the United States also complicates matters. Tyler McCann from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute says that the size of the company can influence the feasibility of finding domestic ingredients. Larger multinational organizations have more resources to source products globally, whereas smaller food producers might face more challenges.
In some cases, there may be no domestic alternatives available. For instance, Earth’s Own, a beverage company in Burnaby, B.C., is looking for alternatives to the California almonds used in its nut milks due to potential retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa. However, as nuts are not grown in Canada, they may have to import them.
Russell from “Made with Local” anticipates that more manufacturers will be trying to source ingredients domestically. Despite the challenges, she believes that many Canadian brands will be proudly displaying the maple leaf on their packages.
