Maplewashing and Buy Canadian Show and Tell
Introduced by Henry Antolic and Elka Enola
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Maple Washing
The on-again, off-again threats of tariffs and invasions from U.S. political leaders has created a burst of retail patriotism among Canadian shoppers.
Whether because of the threat of higher prices that may result from retaliatory tariffs or just a ‘no thanks’ attitude towards all things American, consumers have shown a taste for Canadian products, in grocery stores and elsewhere.
The phrase ‘maple-washing’ has been coined in popular discourse to describe the lengths that retailers and producers have gone to make their products appear as Canadian as possible.
Red maple leafs have appeared on many products, ‘buy Canadian’ signage is being displayed in stores and on grocers’ web sites. And sales pitches talk about how certain potato chips were made from Canadian potatoes, processed and packaged by Canadian workers in Canadian facilities.
Every step related to supply matters, because some consumers would prefer only Canadian products sold in Canadian stores, while others might care less about the retailer, and others might have no preference for product origin. Some consumers, surveys say, are willing to pay more for Canadian products, which is quite a turnabout from shoppers’ attitudes a year ago, when the top complaint about groceries was how much they cost, not their origin.
But while consumers used social media a year ago to share outrage of underweight packages, now they’re abuzz about patriotic claims.
Campbell’s Soup has added a “Designed in Canada” mark on can labels. A grocer prominently placed “packaged in Canada” stickers on greens also labelled “Product of USA”. Others have pumped up the use of Canada Grade A Beef, and Canada Grade vegetables to get a little Canadiana on the label, even though those criteria refer to Canadian standards, not country of origin.
In one typical social media feed, Canadians can see promotion that Cadbury’s Creme Eggs and Mini Eggs are “proudly made for Canada, in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients”, Breyer’s ice cream is “made in Canada with high quality ingredients and Canadian dairy”. Black Diamond cheese will also promote its Canadian origins and production, and sometimes cheekily notes it is made with 0% American cheese.
Some consumers will appreciate this presentation and favour those products.
Of course, Cadbury is a British company, owned by Mondelez international. Breyers has a production facility in Simcoe, Ontario, but it’s owned by Unilever. Black Diamond has origins and production in Belleville, Ontario, but is owned by Lactalis Canada which is part of the Lactalis Group, headquartered in France.
What “Maple Washing” Means
It refers to marketing products as “Made in Canada,” “Canadian,” or using Canadian symbols (like the maple leaf) when:
The product is mostly made elsewhere
Only minor processing happens in Canada
The ingredients or manufacturing are primarily foreign
Because Canada has a strong reputation for quality, safety, and ethical standards, companies sometimes try to benefit from that image.
Laws in Canada About Product Origin
In Canada, origin claims are regulated by the Competition Bureau under the Competition Act.
There are specific standards:
“Product of Canada”
At least 98% of total direct costs must be Canadian.
“Made in Canada”
At least 51% of total direct costs must be Canadian.
Must include a qualifier (e.g., “Made in Canada with imported ingredients”).
False or misleading claims can result in fines or legal penalties.
Why It Matters
Consumers may pay more believing they’re supporting Canadian businesses.
It disadvantages truly Canadian manufacturers.
It can mislead buyers who care about local jobs, safety standards, or sustainability.
Questions
1. What are some examples of Maple Washing that you have experienced?
2. How do you determine something is Canadian when you go shopping?
3. Have you ever called a retailer out for Maple Washing or refused to shop somewhere?
Here are some articles:
No fines for big grocers that promoted imported food as Canadian | CBC News
Some Canadian grocery stores are being accused of 'maple washing'
Videos
Maple washing: Where is your ‘Canadian’ food really from? | Full episode | Marketplace - YouTube
Consumers call out "Maple Washing" store products claiming to be Canadian
Maple washing of products make it hard for consumers to make informed choice
Buy Canadian Show and Tell
In Whole Foods, an American owned company, great effort has been taken to replace American products with Canadian ones, and where not possible, with imports from any place other than the USA.
Especially noteworthy is their cookie effort. 'Tate', an American brand of very good cookies, took up a huge section of shelf space. There was a very small amount of Canadian cookies and they were hard to locate. Almost 'all at once' the Tate cookies remained virtually untouched on the shelves and all Canadian cookies were sold out. There is now a large number of exceptionally high quality Canadian cookies for sale at Whole Foods, most of them produced locally. Tate now occupies only token shelf space.
The same can be said of chocolate products. Most of the better quality chocolate in Whole Foods is not only Canadian, but is local.
So... Canadian jobs + Canadian taxes + Canadian products - American company = not perfect, but a pretty guilt free place to shop.
For show and tell time, bring examples of Canadian gems you've uncovered...snacks, produce, jams, cereals, frozen foods, canned or packaged foods, and, of course, potato chips.
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