Canadians are fed up with grocers maple‑washing their food

Article By Sylvain Charlebois Published Jul 28, 2025
Article Source: https://troymedia.com/viewpoint/canadians-are-fed-up-with-grocers-maple%E2%80%91washing-their-food/

Canadian grocery retailers are misleading shoppers about where their food really comes from. Behind the patriotic packaging lies a growing problem: “maple‑washing”—using Canadian symbols to suggest products are homegrown when they’re not. It’s eroding consumer trust and must end.

That’s why more Canadians are paying closer attention to what labels actually mean. Awareness around origin labelling has grown as people learn the difference between “Product of Canada,” “Made in Canada,” and “Prepared in Canada.” The Food and Drugs Act requires labels to be truthful and not misleading. A “Product of Canada” must contain at least 98 per cent Canadian ingredients and processing. “Made in Canada” applies when the last substantial transformation happened here, while “Prepared in Canada” covers processing, packaging or handling in Canada regardless of ingredient source.

The differences may seem technical, but they matter. A frozen lasagna labelled “Prepared in Canada,” for example, could be made with imported pasta, sauce and meat—packaged here but not truly Canadian. These rules give consumers the clarity they need to make informed choices.

Armed with this clarity, many Canadians have become more selective about what they buy. That vigilance has emerged alongside a surge in consumer nationalism, spurred partly by geopolitical tensions and anti‑American sentiment. Even with U.S. giants like Walmart, Costco and Amazon dominating Canadian retail, many shoppers are deliberately avoiding American food products. The impact has been significant: NielsenIQ reports an 8.5 per cent drop in sales of American food products in Canada over just a few months. In an industry where sales usually shift by fractions of a per cent, such a drop is extraordinary. It shows how quickly Canadians are voting with their wallets.

That kind of shift, rare outside of crises, caught many grocers off guard. The sudden change left supply chains long dependent on U.S. products under pressure, and store‑level labelling grew inconsistent. Early missteps—like maple leaves displayed beside imported goods—were excused as logistical oversights. But six months later, those excuses no longer hold. Persisting with misleading displays and false origin claims has crossed the line into misrepresentation. Instances of oranges or almonds labelled as Canadian, with prices quietly adjusted after complaints, show the problem is systemic, not accidental.

Regulators have stepped in. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) received 97 complaints about origin claims between November 2024 and mid‑July 2025. It investigated 91 cases and confirmed 29 violations. That level of scrutiny signals a growing intolerance for deceptive marketing.

The message to retailers is clear: this is not business as usual. Canadians have shown remarkable solidarity in supporting homegrown products during a time of economic strain and food insecurity. The least retailers can do is honour that trust by maintaining strict standards in labelling and merchandising. This is not about nationalism. It is about honesty. In today’s market, misleading customers is not only unethical but bad economics.

Consumers who suspect false origin claims should report them to the CFIA or to a retailer’s customer service. The CFIA generally investigates within 30 days. But the burden should not rest on shoppers to police grocery aisles. The responsibility lies with retailers to meet the moment with the same accountability they now expect from suppliers, regulators and consumers.

After months of consumer vigilance, it is up to grocers to end maple‑washing once and for all.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian professor and researcher in food distribution and policy. He is senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast. He is frequently cited in the media for his insights on food prices, agricultural trends, and the global food supply chain.