Trying to buy Canadian, this P.E.I. shopper wants more transparency on grocery labels

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 7:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

With galore Prince Edward Islanders committed to buying Canadian products successful the midst of a commercialized warfare with the United States, immoderate are learning that figuring retired what state a merchandise is from tin beryllium complicated. 

One shopper astatine a Sobeys successful Charlottetown precocious noticed a nutrient bin stating that the nutrient was from "U.S.A. oregon Mexico," without specifying which of the 2 countries it was really from. 

Jackie Rumney emailed the market chain's caput bureau to find retired why. She was told that the stores person nutrient from aggregate locations daily, and it's "difficult to differentiate arsenic the bins are perpetually being stocked." 

"That didn't beryllium good with maine due to the fact that of the information that each of the nutrient successful the stores person small stickers connected them stating the state of origin," Rumney told CBC News. 

"Right now, each of america Canadians are trying to store Canadian arsenic overmuch arsenic possible, and erstwhile you spot thing similar that, it's making it precise hard to bash that. We request transparent, wide signs that articulate what state of root our nutrient is coming from." 

WATCH | Why this Prince Edward Island pistillate is calling for much clarity astir market store labels:

Saying she hasn't noticed this benignant of statement astatine different market stores she's checked, Rumney acknowledges she mightiness person seen the nutrient motion astatine Sobeys earlier the commercialized warfare broke out. 

But now, with the U.S. continuing to slap tariffs connected galore Canadian products and a increasing question to boycott American goods, the state of root is apical of caput for her.

In a further connection to CBC News, a spokesperson for Sobeys said the nutrient proviso concatenation is complex, but the institution works to present transparency to its customers. 

"It is rather modular to enactment with 2 increasing regions, which whitethorn oregon whitethorn not beryllium successful the aforesaid country, cautiously balancing quality and availability to guarantee our customers person fresh, high-quality produce," the connection reads. 

"Our extremity is to support accordant prime and prime portion adapting to the earthy increasing cycles astir the world." 

Trying to marque an 'educated choice'

Sylvain Charlebois, manager of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab astatine Dalhousie University, said the dual state labelling is thing new; the root of nutrient that makes it to market stores will often alteration passim the twelvemonth due to the fact that antithetic regions person earlier oregon aboriginal increasing seasons. 

But with the existent absorption connected not buying American products, it's earthy that shoppers privation much specificity, he said. 

"It is really allowed and legal, but I deliberation a batch of radical are wondering whether oregon not it is due oregon acceptable fixed what's happening with the United States," Charlebois said. 

"It's not misleading, but… fixed the governmental context, erstwhile you spot a immense fig of Canadians rejecting 1 enactment implicit the other, past it becomes a problem."

WATCH | PM Carney asked however Canada volition deed backmost against coming April 2 U.S. tariff deadline:

As for Rumney, she said she'll "think twice" astir buying astatine Sobeys successful the future. 

She said the onus for determining a product's state of root should beryllium connected the business, not the idiosyncratic customer. 

"I privation to bash my part, but I besides privation the stores to bash their part. I privation them to beryllium transparent and accidental wherever precisely the state of root is truthful that I arsenic a user tin marque that educated choice," she said. 

"I conscionable would similar to cognize that these large companies successful Canada are supporting our combat arsenic overmuch arsenic we are arsenic consumers."