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What does country of origin really mean?
In these days of globalized food production, trying to understand what "country of origin" means is not as easy as it used to be. Take for example that famous Canadian product "frozen concentrated orange juice," which when processed in Canada becomes a product of Canada and is further subject to grade marking requirements under the Processed Products Reguhtions. This allows it to be claimed as "CANADA A" (eh!). The Canadian citrus crop must be one of the world's best-kept secrets.
Domestically processed foods are generally not required to declare a country of origin. The Competition Bureau, which is part of Industry Canada, has guidelines for what constitutes a factual "Made in Canada" claim. The criteria apply to both labelling and advertising, and include implicit declarations that a product might be of domestic origin. These include statements such as "Proudly Canadian" and "Buy Canadian," or symbols generally associated with Canada, such as the Canadian flag or the Maple Leaf. The Competition Bureau's guideline for claims related to "Made in Canada" is hinged on two basic criteria. The first is that the...