Here's what 'made in Canada' and 'product of Canada' labels on grocery products really mean
Want to buy Canadian instead of American? This is what you need to know.
Canadian flag label at a Sobeys store. Right: Products at a grocery store in Canada.
With the ongoing threat of U.S. tariffs, you might be looking to buy Canadian at grocery stores in Canada.
But you might also be wondering what the "made in Canada" and "product of Canada" labels on products actually mean.
"Product of Canada" and "made in Canada" labels are voluntary, which means companies don't have to use them even if the product is Canadian.
So, here's what "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" labels and Canadian logos actually mean.
Product of Canada label
Product of Canada means that all or most of the major ingredients, processing and labour used to make the food product are Canadian.
If an item has the "Canadian" label, it's considered to be the same as a "product of Canada" label since it must meet all the same requirements.
Made in Canada label
Made in Canada means the last substantial transformation of the food product happened in Canada.
So, even if some ingredients are from another country, the label can still be used.
Whenever the "made in Canada" label is used, there must also be a qualifying statement to let shoppers know if it's made in Canada from imported ingredients or a combination of imported and Canadian ingredients.
That can be "made in Canada from imported ingredients" or "made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients."
Other Canadian labels
These are some of the other Canadian labels you might see on food products in grocery stores:
- "Roasted and blended in Canada" describes coffee since the coffee beans are always imported
- "Distilled in Canada" describes bottled water that was distilled in Canada
- "Canned in Canada" describes green beans that were canned in Canada
- "Refined in Canada" describes imported cane sugar which has been refined in Canada
- "Processed in Canada" describes a food which has been entirely processed in Canada
- "Prepared in Canada" describes a food which has been entirely prepared in Canada
- "Packaged in Canada" describes a food which is imported in bulk and packaged in Canada
Country of origin
In Canada, certain food products are required to include the country of origin on their labels.
Also, all prepackaged food products sold in Canada must be labelled with the name and address of the company responsible for the product, like the importer or manufacturer.
This can also help you figure out if a product is made in Canada and from a Canadian company.
Canadian logos
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has a guide to help you identify Canadian food labels and logos.
There is no official "product of Canada" logo, you have to look for the words "Product of Canada" on food products.
There is no official logo for "made in Canada" on food products, just the label.
When a "100% Canadian" label is used, this means all of the ingredients, processing and labour used to make it is Canadian. The maple leaf can be included but it's not required.
The Canada Organic logo — green fields and a red maple leaf encircled by CANADA ORGANIC • BIOLOGIQUE CANADA — means a product meets Canada's organic standards of 95% or more organic content.
This organic logo doesn't necessarily mean it's made with Canadian ingredients or made in Canada.
Just because a product has a maple leaf on the packaging, that doesn't mean it's Canadian. You have to check for Canadian labels.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.