Loblaw Caught Slapping Maple Leafs on Imported Food — Twice

If you shop at Fortinos or Superstore, you might want to look a little closer at those maple leaf symbols on the shelf tags. Because apparently, they don't always mean what you think they mean.

What happened

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) just slapped two Loblaw-owned stores with $10,000 fines each for promoting imported food as Canadian-made.

The first case: a Fortinos in Toronto had Président-brand Rondelé cheese spread on the shelf with an 11-point maple leaf symbol on the price tag. The cheese is made in France. Not exactly local.

The second: a Superstore, also in Toronto, was selling President's Choice broccoli slaw with maple leaf decals and "product of Canada" labels. The bags themselves were clearly marked "Product of USA." The shelf signage just... ignored that.

Both violations were discovered back in October 2025. The fines came in January 2026. (Source: CBC News)

Why this matters more than you'd think

This isn't just about some sloppy shelf tags. Since the "Buy Canadian" movement picked up steam in February 2025 — partly as a response to ongoing trade tensions with the U.S. — Canadians have been actively trying to support local producers. People are changing what they buy based on those little maple leaf symbols.

When a store puts a Canadian flag on French cheese or American vegetables, they're not just breaking labelling rules. They're exploiting trust. Customers who genuinely want to buy Canadian are being tricked into buying imports at what may be a premium price.

It's not an isolated incident

Between November 2024 and February 2026, the CFIA has identified 78 country-of-origin violations across Canadian grocery retailers. Seventy-eight. That's not a rounding error — it's a pattern.

Back in July 2025, a CBC investigation found US strawberries displayed with Canadian branding at a No Frills location. And Sobeys is reportedly under investigation now too.

The CFIA has been clear: "Grocery retailers have had sufficient time to ensure correct signage." No more warnings. Fines are the new default.

The bigger picture — trust in grocery stores

This lands at a moment when trust in Canada's big grocery chains is already pretty thin. Loblaw's parent company settled a $500-million class action over the bread price-fixing scandal — a 14-year scheme where major bakeries coordinated to inflate the price of bread across Canada. Loblaw received immunity for cooperating with the Competition Bureau, but the stain on their reputation stuck.

Now add misleading "Canadian" labels to the list. It reinforces a feeling a lot of shoppers already have: these companies aren't on your side.

What you can do

Here's the frustrating truth — you can't always trust the shelf tag. But you can get better at protecting yourself:

• - Read the actual product packaging, not just the shelf label. The real country of origin is printed on the product itself. If the shelf says "Canadian" but the bag says "Product of USA," trust the bag.
• - Be skeptical of maple leaf symbols that aren't backed by specific claims. An 11-point maple leaf doesn't legally guarantee Canadian origin unless it's accompanied by a compliant "Product of Canada" statement.
• - Track what you're actually paying. Whether or not the food is Canadian, you deserve to know if you're overpaying. Scanning your receipts and tracking prices over time is the simplest way to catch when something doesn't add up — whether that's a quiet price hike, shrinkflation, or a premium you didn't agree to.
• - Report suspicious labelling. You can file a complaint directly with the CFIA online if you spot something that looks misleading.

The takeaway

A $10,000 fine for a company that reported $56.5 billion in revenue last year is essentially a parking ticket. The real consequence has to come from shoppers paying attention.

The stores are counting on you trusting the shelf tag and moving on. Don't. Check the label. Check the price. And when something feels off — it probably is.