CFIA says it’s handed out $47K in fines for ‘misleading’ Product of Canada labels

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been issuing fines for grocery stores that label imported products as being “Canadian” when the claim misleads shoppers. “Maplewashing” may sound like a funny crime, but regulators understand something significant: people care about whether something is really Canadian, and firms have incentives to blur that line. We have strict rules for food labelling because a “Product of Canada” is different from something merely “Made in Canada.” In several important parts of the economy, Canada already recognizes that ownership and control really matter....