Polina Buchan

Have you noticed any “maple-washing” lately? 🍁

I was grabbing a sandwich from the deli counter at a grocery store the other day. The tag said “prepared in Canada”. I burst out laughing. Isn’t that just a basic expectation from a grocery store sandwich? Yikes, imagine an imported chicken salad sandwich? 😅🤢 I would have been much more interested to know whether the chicken in it was Canadian…

And what about more misleading claims, like “designed in Canada”? That’s an unregulated claim that can mean almost anything. Campbell’s Habitant soup came under scrutiny recently with their official-looking “designed in Canada” seal right above the “product of USA” label.

I think Canadian consumers are smarter than such tactics, and brands and retailers need to do better if they want to keep our trust.

Have you seen any “Canadian” claims that you found puzzling?