Guidelines for "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims are allocated into six sections. These are:
- "Product of Canada" claims
- "Made in Canada" claims with a qualifying statement
- Other domestic content claims
- Commodity specific information
- National symbols
Terms not subject to the guidelines according to the Government of Canada website:
“Origin Claims on Food Labels, Guidelines for "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims “A food product may use the claim "Product of Canada" when all or virtually all major ingredients, processing, and labour used to make the food product are Canadian. This means that all the significant ingredients in a food product are Canadian in origin and that non-Canadian material is negligible.”
"Product of Canada" claims
A food product may use the claim "Product of Canada" when all or virtually all major ingredients, processing, and labour used to make the food product are Canadian. This means that all the significant ingredients in a food product are Canadian in origin and that non-Canadian material is negligible.
The following circumstances would not disqualify a food from making a "Product of Canada" claim:
Very low levels of ingredients that are not generally produced in Canada, including spices, food additives, vitamins, minerals, flavouring preparations, or grown in Canada such as oranges, cane sugar and coffee. Generally, the percentage referred to as very little or minor is considered to be less than a total of 2% of the product.
Packaging materials that are sourced from outside Canada, as these guidelines apply to the Canadian content and production or manufacturing of the food product and not the packaging itself.
The use of imported agricultural inputs such as seed, fertilizers, animal feed, and medications.
For example, a cookie that is manufactured in Canada from oatmeal, enriched flour, butter, honey and milk from Canada, and imported vanilla, may use the claim "Product of Canada" even if the vitamins in the flour and the vanilla are not from Canada.
The claim "Canadian" is considered to be the same as a "Product of Canada" claim and any product carrying this claim must meet the criteria for a "Product of Canada" claim described above.
Generally, products that are exported and re-imported into Canada would not be able to make a "Product of Canada" claim.
The only exception would be if the product: meets the "Product of Canada" criteria, and is ready for sale when it leaves Canada (fully packaged and labelled) and is subsequently returned to Canada without undergoing any processing, repackaging or re-labelling (e.g. perhaps because of an ordering error) this is because all content, processing and labour still occurred in Canada.
This one of many “Made in Canada” logo’s:
On the website “Made In Canada”, they state: “As the tariffs on many American goods go into place, Canadians have been looking for alternative products manufactured in Canada. At Made In Canada, we hope to compile a list of said products in one place, so you can keep your money in the True North, Strong and Free.”
They further state: “We are a son & father combo located in Ontario, who started Made in Canada at the height of the US-Canada trade spat. We were looking for ways to support Canadian jobs and products. We know it can be hard to find Canadian-made products, and even harder to find Canadian-made products from a Canadian-owned company. So we’ve made an ever-growing list. We know there are a variety of factors influencing how “Canadian” a product is – ownership, sourcing of raw materials, where it’s made. We try to present the information, as much as we can find, and let you make the decisions. We are aware that some people have concerns with some of the companies listed. This site is dedicated to supporting Canadian jobs and products made in Canada, and we encourage consumers to become knowledgeable about the companies they choose to support so that they can make the most informed choices.
Natural Focus is a health and wellness store dedicated to providing top-quality supplements and health foods to the public. With this in mind, we endeavour to educate the staff and our customers to choose from a plethora of fine quality products available. This starts with supporting our local community and made in BC and Canada products. At Natural Focus, we believe that it takes a village to nurture a healthy and positive community. (752 words)
(ALEX: PLEASE DON’T HESTITATE TO ADD TO OR CHANGE THE CLOSING PARAGRAPH THAT REFLECTS YOUR OPINIONS TO THIS SUBJECT.)
References: