Fw: [BCFSN] CURRENT FEDERAL POLICY BAD FOR APPLE PIE

1 view
Skip to first unread message

Allison Huttton

unread,
Apr 9, 2010, 12:49:16 AM4/9/10
to Thoughtful about food
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 4:47 PM
Subject: [BCFSN] CURRENT FEDERAL POLICY BAD FOR APPLE PIE

clipped from the recent Gallon newsletter.
 
Pamela
 
In 2007 the Prime Minister announced that any product labelled as 'Product of Canada' must be 'grown in Canada, processed in Canada, and packaged in Canada by Canadian farmers and producers. The policy decision arose from a media campaign, apparently led by the CBC, to overturn the then existing rule that a Product of Canada description could be applied to any product that contained 51% of Canadian value-added content. Under the old rule a marmalade, for example, could be labelled as 'Product of Canada' as long as it was made in Canada from imported oranges and sugar, with the Canadian effort comprising more than 51% of the product's value. The critics felt that 'Product of Canada' should mean that a product is entirely Canadian. The Prime Minister apparently agreed and achieved a great deal of positive press for introducing the new initiative.

As we pointed out at the time, the new rules have made it virtually impossible to legally market an apple pie as a 'Product of Canada' because there is not enough Canadian grown and processed sugar to make a commercial apple pie that meets the rule of no more than 2% foreign content in a 'Product of Canada' product. Of course, the problem extends to much more than apple pie: the major result of the new 'Product of Canada' rule has been that this label has virtually disappeared from retail store shelves. Farmers who grow foods commonly incorporated into processed products had hoped to benefit from a resurgence of interest in products of Canada. Instead, products labelled as 'Product of Canada' have disappeared and Canadian farmers are forced to compete with foreign product without the benefit of a 'Product of Canada' label.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has noticed that the new 'Product of Canada' labelling rules are not working and has initiated yet another consultation on the topic. This month they plan to launch an online consultation to consider changing the rules to exempt ingredients which are difficult to find in Canada. This will mean that a 'Product of Canada' apple pie, and thousands of other products which have been disqualified from a 'Product of Canada' label since the government's ill-conceived 2008 policy.

Product of Canada food labels are important not only to consumers but also to farmers, food processors, including smaller companies, and retailers. Buying Local means not only buying local fresh product but also buying locally processed products whenever possible. Consumers need information that will help them buy products that are made from as much Canadian content as is reasonable. For example, in an apple pie, if the apples are Canadian and the flour is Canadian, it is GL's view that most reasonable people would call it a Product of Canada apple pie.

Ridiculously strict labelling requirements inhibit consumer choice and hurt Canadian farmers. It is surprising to us that a Cabinet that claims to support smaller government and less regulation is allowing its bureaucracy to spend time on exempting "specific ingredients which are difficult to find in Canada" from labelling rules. Is this a priority for spending of tax dollars? But after making policy on the fly and finding that bad policy hurts farmers and does not help consumers, maybe having a second consultation within two years on the same topic is the only way out of the mess that should not have been created in the first place.

GL urges readers to sign up for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency consultation on 'Product of Canada' labelling rules. We think that a sensible policy would state that a product qualifies for a 'Product of Canada' label if the principle ingredients are grown in Canada. Do we need more complexity than that?

Colin Isaacs
Editor

By the way, do not be fooled by the fact that CFIA calls its rule 'guidelines'. These 'guidelines' exist to guide inspectors in making decisions about misleading advertising, which is a serious offence in Canada. In effect, the 'guidelines' are rules with which all food processors and retailers must comply.

For background information: The Canadian Food Labelling Initiative http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/prodcan/prodcane.shtml
THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER
Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment
Fisherville, Ontario, Canada
Vol. 15, No. 1, March 26, 2010
Honoured Reader Edition

****************************************************
****************************************************

_______________________________________________
This is the public mailing list of the BC Food Systems Network
Our email address: fo...@bcfsn.org
To subscibe, unsubscribe, or change your settings: http://bcfsn.org/mailman/listinfo/food_bcfsn.org
To contact the list administrator, email food-...@bcfsn.org

Donna Marie

unread,
Apr 9, 2010, 7:52:29 AM4/9/10
to thoughtfu...@googlegroups.com, Donna Marie
Seems transparent... what is wrong with using Canadian sugar, we produce it, it costs a bit more... worth the price to know it is a "Product of Canada" and the cheap imported ingredients can still be sold at a cheap price.

Wouldn't it be better for Canadian farmers to produce the sugar used to make apple pie?

I guess this is obvious.

A very disturbing article.

Thanks for the alert,
Donna Marie

-- 
...............................................................................................................
 
You are subscribed to "Thoughtful About Food" Google Group
 
VISIT ONLINE:
 
.......... http://groups.google.com/group/thoughtfulaboutfood
 
TO POST - SEND AN EMAIL TO:
 
......... thoughtfu...@googlegroups.com
 
TO UNSUBSCRIBE - SEND AN EMAIL TO:
 
.......... thoughtfulabout...@googlegroups.com
 
This group is unmoderated - each author is responsible for their content.

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages