One should also be questioning the environmental impact of all this shipping across borders several times for a single product. As well, consumers have been asking far too long for better and more detailed labeling on products. And don’t forget food safety concerns. That alone is worth a boycott on American fruit and vegetables. Explosive diarrhea salmonella listeria metal shards. Yikes!!!!
Once free trade started in the 1990's, many American owned food manufacturers consolidated production in the US. Smaller canners and juicers couldn’t compete on price. Also, stricter regulations meant to ensure food safety in large abattoirs and meat producers, were too expensive for small, local plants to implement and they closed. For example, fruit canners and juicers such as E.D. Smith in the Niagara area closed and more farms switched to wine grapes or were sold to developers. Juice companies switched to producing juice from concentrate that they purchased globally rather than from locally grown fruit. Consumer preferences switched to fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables rather than canned, closing more oroducers.
As the article notes, smaller producers have started to come back, but their production is not sufficient to satisfy the big chains which is why those products are rarely found on the Loblaws/Sobeys (and related) shelves. The other factor is that the multinationals like P&G, Grneral Mills, Nestle, etc. pay stores to put their brands at “eye level” so stores will promote them, and then their own brands. Everything else gets put on the top or bottom shelves.
With the destruction of regulations in the US, and other food shenanigans, knowing where our food is processed is equally as important as where it is grown.
Thanks. I'm glad I stopped eating meat decades ago, rarely use ketchup so never buy it, and already buy all my bread and most other baked goods from local bakeries. I don't intentionally buy anything from the USA, and didn't realize how complicated this is, so this is very useful information.
I knew that pork and beef bounce back and forth across the border, but I didn't realize about the rest. I thought that French's ketchup was made and bottled in the plant in Leamington. I don't think I have seen Sunbrite on the shelves. Also, even if we buy from a local baker, what is the chance that the flour they are using hasn't crossed the border several times?
Assuming they even know. Butter and milk will hopefully be product of Canada and not imports under CUSMA TRQ. Eggs, I am pretty sure the US doesn't have enough to export, but wheat can be grown in Canada but milled in the US and then soldmas 'product of Canada, which it is.
I can’t say for all bakeries, but the ones I go to are very careful and very aware of what they buy. They are also happy to sing the praises of their products and the producers.
One should also be questioning the environmental impact of all this shipping across borders several times for a single product. As well, consumers have been asking far too long for better and more detailed labeling on products. And don’t forget food safety concerns. That alone is worth a boycott on American fruit and vegetables. Explosive diarrhea salmonella listeria metal shards. Yikes!!!!
Is part of the problem that there are few/no Canadian companies wanting to process and package here in Canada?
Once free trade started in the 1990's, many American owned food manufacturers consolidated production in the US. Smaller canners and juicers couldn’t compete on price. Also, stricter regulations meant to ensure food safety in large abattoirs and meat producers, were too expensive for small, local plants to implement and they closed. For example, fruit canners and juicers such as E.D. Smith in the Niagara area closed and more farms switched to wine grapes or were sold to developers. Juice companies switched to producing juice from concentrate that they purchased globally rather than from locally grown fruit. Consumer preferences switched to fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables rather than canned, closing more oroducers.
As the article notes, smaller producers have started to come back, but their production is not sufficient to satisfy the big chains which is why those products are rarely found on the Loblaws/Sobeys (and related) shelves. The other factor is that the multinationals like P&G, Grneral Mills, Nestle, etc. pay stores to put their brands at “eye level” so stores will promote them, and then their own brands. Everything else gets put on the top or bottom shelves.
Another good Canadian ketchup is Twisted Tomato. https://twistedtomato.ca/
With the destruction of regulations in the US, and other food shenanigans, knowing where our food is processed is equally as important as where it is grown.
Thanks. I'm glad I stopped eating meat decades ago, rarely use ketchup so never buy it, and already buy all my bread and most other baked goods from local bakeries. I don't intentionally buy anything from the USA, and didn't realize how complicated this is, so this is very useful information.
I knew that pork and beef bounce back and forth across the border, but I didn't realize about the rest. I thought that French's ketchup was made and bottled in the plant in Leamington. I don't think I have seen Sunbrite on the shelves. Also, even if we buy from a local baker, what is the chance that the flour they are using hasn't crossed the border several times?
If you buy from a local bakery, you can ask them where their flour, butter, eggs, milk etc. come from.
Assuming they even know. Butter and milk will hopefully be product of Canada and not imports under CUSMA TRQ. Eggs, I am pretty sure the US doesn't have enough to export, but wheat can be grown in Canada but milled in the US and then soldmas 'product of Canada, which it is.
I can’t say for all bakeries, but the ones I go to are very careful and very aware of what they buy. They are also happy to sing the praises of their products and the producers.