AGRI Committee Report

RECOMMENDATION 1

The Standing Committee recommends that the guidelines used by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency be amended immediately so that the "Product of Canada/Produit du Canada" claim is reserved for foods and food products that are processed in Canada, contain a sufficiently high percentage of ingredients grown in Canada or come from animals raised in Canada.  The Committee therefore recommends a percentage of 85% Canadian content.  The establishment of such a Canadian claim would be the ultimate assurance of Canadian content and it would clearly underscore the high level of quality and safety that is consistently delivered to the consumer by Canadian farmers and agri-food processors.

RECOMMENDATION 2

The Standing Committee recommends that  "Prepared in Canada/Préparé au Canada" and "Processed in Canada/Transformé au Canada" claims  be reserved for foods for which the last substantial transformation occurred in Canada and at least 51% of the total direct costs of production or manufacturing is Canadian.

Furthermore, the Committee recommends that “Made in Canada/Fabriqué au Canada” claims not be allowed for food products.

RECOMMENDATION 3

The Standing Committee recommends that claims such as “Prepared for”, "Packed for" and "Made for" be revised and better defined to provide consumers with relevant information to avoid misleading them as to the true provenance of the food.

RECOMMENDATION 4

The Standing Committee recommends that the government review directives and regulations on quality grades and organic products in order to remove the term "Canada" from those types of claims in order not to mislead consumers as to the food product's origin.

RECOMMENDATION 5

For the integrity of the Canadian labelling system, enforcement and compliance are as important as clear guidelines and regulations.  Therefore, the Standing Committee recommends that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tighten controls – such as increased surveillance and improved response to complaints – on mislabelled food products, with federal funds allocated as required.

RECOMMENDATION 6

The Standing Committee recommends that the government launch a national information and awareness campaign on "Product of Canada" claims once the new labelling directives have been adopted, and provide financial support for agricultural product promotion initiatives developed by farmers, such as the buy local or buy national campaigns, which can be used as powerful and practical marketing tools.