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Public consulted on changes to food labelling

A public consultation is being launched on changes to labelling guidelines for “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada.”

Announced by Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau, the changes proposed to the labelling guidelines seek to improve upon the information available to consumers to identify Canadian food products and make informed purchasing decisions. They are also based on the recommendations following a recent survey of Canada’s food industry, led by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Canadians want information about the Canadian content of their food so that they can make purchasing decisions that match their personal preference. As the CFIA explains, “Under the current guidelines, a jar of pickles made from Canadian-grown cucumbers, pickled and jarred in Canada, and using Canadian labour, cannot claim to be a product of Canada because they are using vinegar that was imported. To be labelled “Product of Canada,” all or virtually all the ingredients must be Canadian (generally considered to be 98%). In this scenario, a consumer cannot easily identify the pickles as being grown or produced in Canada.”

The Government of Canada’s online public consultation seeks to gauge Canadians’ support for the proposed changes. Consumers, the general public, as well as individuals and organizations in Canada’s food industry are encouraged to provide their comments by June 23, 2019.

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“Consumers want to know when their food has a significant amount of Canadian ingredients, so that they make informed decisions and support domestic food producers. This initiative is an important part of our Food Policy for Canada, and the Buy Canadian Promotion campaign, which will promote the great foods produced by our world-class farmers across the country, and build pride and confidence in our food system,” says Bibeau.

The amendments will also support the $25 million Buy Canadian Promotion campaign outlined in Budget 2019 as part of the Food Policy for Canada, which aims to promote Canadian agricultural products through advertising and marketing

Visit the CFIA website to submit comments