Made in Canada: Understanding food labels in Canada. Shop Canada! Buy Canadian!

So we're in a trade war, it seems. Donald Trump's tariffs will have some blowback but in the meantime, we should be divesting to support home-grown goods. What an unfortunate situation but a perfect excuse to buy Canadian! 

Shopping Canadian is more sustainable. This will also provide a great opportunity to check out that locally owned shop you've been meaning to hit up. Shopping Canadian can be confusing at everyone's favourite place: the grocery store. Here is a brief overview of how to understand origin claims on food labels, aka the Canadian identifier, so you can shop smarter.

Product of Canada: To describe food with all or virtually all major ingredients, processing, and labour used are Canadian. All significant ingredients in a food product are Canadian in origin, with no less than 98% of the total costs of the product spent in Canada.

Product packaging materials can be sourced from outside Canada, and the use of imported agricultural inputs (seed, fertilizers, animal feed, and medications) are allowed. Generally, products exported and re-imported into Canada would not qualify.

Made in Canada: To describe food with at least 51% of production costs spent in Canada, even if some ingredients are from other countries. The last substantial transformation of the product (processing which changes its nature and becomes a new product with a new name) must occur in Canada.

All variations of "Made in Canada" must include a qualifying statement, such as "Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients" or "Made in Canada from imported ingredients".

Prepared in Canada: To describe food that has been entirely prepared in Canada. Individual ingredients can be sourced from anywhere.

Meat & Poultry: Can be applied to meat from Canadian animals slaughtered in Canada. Animals are considered Canadian if they are born or hatched, raised and slaughtered in Canada or, in the case of feeder cattle, have spent a period of at least 60 days in Canada prior to slaughter in Canada.

Wild fish & seafood: Can be applied to marine life caught by vessels in Canadian waters (or adjacent waters as per Canadian regulatory fishing quotas) and the products from the marine life are processed in a Canadian establishment using Canadian ingredients. Farmed marine life must come from farms located in Canada and meet the above processing requirements.

Dairy and eggs: Can be applied to eggs from imported hens and milk from imported cows provided that the hen laid its eggs in Canada, and the cow is milked in Canada.

Remember: Not all products sold by Canadian companies are made in Canada, so be sure to check the label even if you recognize the name of the company as a Canadian brand. Many Canadian brands source their ingredients, and process and manufacture their food products in the United States.

If you want to take a deep dive into origin claims on food labels, visit the CFIA website.

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