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OTTAWA — As grocery prices remain high, federal inspectors say some food products sold in Canada are increasingly being scrutinized for misrepresentation, substitution and short weight as businesses and bad actors look for ways to cut costs or boost profits.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it prevented a significant amount of misrepresented food from reaching store shelves during the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, following targeted inspections, sampling and enforcement aimed at food fraud. Food fraud refers to false, misleading or deceptive practices related to how food is produced, labelled or sold.
Between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, the agency tested hundreds of products and carried out enforcement actions that resulted in thousands of kilograms and litres of adulterated or falsely labelled food being removed, destroyed or relabelled before sale.
The CFIA says rising costs across global food supply chains can increase incentives for misrepresentation, particularly for higher value products such as olive oil, honey, fish, grated hard cheese and fruit juice.
During the year, inspectors and contracted third parties assessed more than 1,000 samples through two streams. Marketplace monitoring focused on retail products such as coconut water, spices, sunflower oil and tea, while targeted inspectorate sampling focused on higher risk businesses including importers, processors and retailers with previous compliance issues or unusual trading patterns.
Targeted testing found lower authenticity compliance rates in grated hard cheese, olive oil and other expensive oils, while fish, meat, honey and fruit juice generally showed higher compliance. Label verification issues were most common in fish and premium oils, including problems with product descriptions, country of origin and net quantity.
Enforcement actions taken during the year prevented more than 8,000 kilograms of misrepresented fish, more than 10,000 kilograms of adulterated honey, and more than 37,000 litres of adulterated olive oil from being sold in Canada. Other actions involved fruit juice, specialty oils and grated cheese.
The agency also issued 44 administrative monetary penalties totalling $196,800 under federal food safety legislation. In some cases, products were removed voluntarily, while others were detained, destroyed or relabelled. One fish product was recalled due to an undeclared allergen.
The CFIA cautions the results do not mean food fraud is increasing overall, noting its surveillance targets higher risk products and businesses and changes from year to year. Officials say improved testing methods and more focused inspections increase the likelihood of detection.
The agency works with Health Canada, provincial and territorial partners, and international regulators to share intelligence and address fraud risks, particularly for imported foods. Canada is also part of a global alliance with food authorities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Food businesses are responsible for accurate labelling and representation, while consumers are encouraged to report concerns directly to the CFIA. Officials say continued monitoring is essential to protect shoppers and ensure fair competition in a market where food prices remain under pressure.
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