How to Identify Canadian Food

Canadian farmers and processors bring some of the world's best food products to your table, and it's a fact, Canadian consumers prefer to buy Canadian foods whenever possible. But when you're buying groceries, how can you tell if a product really is Canadian?

Click on the video below and find out what the Government of Canada has developed to help you understand claims that labels make about Canadian content in your food and how they're making it easier for you to find Canadian food products in grocery stores.

As explained in the video above, if you see the Canada brand logo on a product label, you can be sure it contains Canadian ingredients or was made here at home. Look for the stylized red maple leaf, accompanied by a statement identifying the content or process that makes the product Canadian. Such statements could include:

• "Product of Canada" means that all or nearly all of the major ingredients, processing and labour used to make the product are Canadian.
• "Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients" and "Made in Canada from imported ingredients" mean just what they say.
• "Processed in Canada," "Prepared in Canada" or similar statements tell you the product was made in Canada by skilled Canadian workers to meet Canada's stringent regulations. It may contain imported ingredients or a blend of Canadian and imported ingredients.
• Other statements, such as "Made with 100% Canadian strawberries," tell you exactly which ingredients in the product are Canadian.

So to experience the Canadian difference, look for the Canada brand maple leaf and discover the quality of Canadian foods grown or made right here at home.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/toce.shtml

Chapter 4 of the Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising - Chapter 4: Composition, Quality, Quantity and Origin Claims
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/guide/tab4e.shtml

CFIA Frequently asked Questions on Product of Canada and Made in Canada Claims
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/prodcan/queste.shtml