Truemors
Under present food labelling guidelines, products can be marked as "Made in Canada" or "Product of Canada" if at least 51 per cent of their production costs were incurred within our borders. That means, for example, that apple juice made from apples from China can be "Made in Canada." It's a shockingly loose rule if you think about it for too long. Thankfully, the Conservative government thought about it for too long and is introducing new, stringent labelling guidelines that require "Made in Canada" products to be much more Canadian.
New guidelines for applying the Product of Canada label to food -- closing loopholes in existing legislation making it possible to confuse or mislead consumers -- were unveiled Wednesday by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The reforms to practices that haven't changed for more than 20 years were praised by food industry officials and an opposition MP.
The new rules protect consumers, Harper said at a fruit farm in Ontario's Niagara region.
Under existing regulations, food can be labelled either 'Made in Canada' or 'Product of Canada' if 51 per cent of the direct costs of producing or manufacturing the goods are incurred in the country and the last substantial changes to the goods occurred in Canada.
"It is time to tighten up the definitions so Canadians know exactly what they're getting and get exactly what they want," Harper said.
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