By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
As of late there’s been a growing anger among grocery shoppers that goes well beyond rising prices at the checkout. Many of us might have already been plagued by the nagging suspicion that we are not always getting what we believe we are paying for. From unclear country-of-origin labelling to misleading product descriptions in some of our largest grocery chains, public trust is eroding at a time when accountability and transparency is paramount. Families are stretching every single dollar coming into their household and they deserve honesty on the shelves.
Further, it’s not just shoppers who are affected. Imported products sold under misleading labels show a profound disrespect to our farm families. These hardworking folks take pride in where and how our food is grown, yet products masquerading under misleading labels undercut their herculean efforts and integrity.
Food labeling in Canada falls under the federal government, most specifically, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; however, provinces regulate certain aspects of retail. I am calling on the Doug Ford Government to call out the most recent bad behaviour.
I’m sure you’re well-aware of the recent media reports surrounding $10,000 fines to large grocery chains who have been found guilty of mislabeling food as being product of Canada when it wasn’t. That’s bad enough, but I also have concerns regarding the diminutive fines levied against these multi-billion dollar companies/conglomerates like Loblaw Companies Ltd/George Weston Ltd. Considering small-time landowners in Haldimand-Norfolk get similar sized fines for cutting down trees on their own properties, I think the fines to these grocery store titans should be proportionate to their enterprise value or market capitalization to be a true deterrent.
Fines for mislabelling food as Canadian sourced max out at $15,000. And the latest of which I’ve read being levied against a Loblaws store is $10,000. I understand that $10-$15k for an independent grocery store owner would be onerous, but for a massive conglomerate raking in billions of dollars of profit per year, I would think they’ve earned the fine back by the time they “open the envelope” so to speak.
I’m all for hard-working business owners and corporations small and large making healthy profits, it just irks me when I see laughable fines meted out to mega-companies who likely view the fines as bad PR at worst. I’ve written to the CFIA about the fine levels, but I’m also curious to see the Ontario government’s reaction moving forward.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk