Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is cracking down on grocery stores that promote imported food as Canadian.
So far this year, the federal food regulator has issued two fines to Loblaw-owned grocery stores for this type of violation. The CFIA is also investigating Canadian labelling and advertising practices at grocer Sobeys’ head office.
The CFIA had already identified 27 violations in 2025 where grocers, mostly national chains, made erroneous country-of-origin claims. Even so, the agency hadn’t issued any fines — which didn’t sit well with shoppers.
The agency said fines are just one of the tools it uses to enforce the rules. Other measures include warnings, business licence suspension or cancellation, or referral for prosecution when warranted.
The CFIA also highlighted the 2025 federal budget’s plan to review government-issued penalties. According to the budget, the review seeks to ensure fines are steep enough so that noncompliance is not just treated as the cost of doing business.
The federal government plans to reveal the results of the review in its 2026 budget.
