Trying to buy Canadian, this P.E.I. shopper wants more transparency on grocery labels

With many Prince Edward Islanders committed to buying Canadian products in the midst of a trade war with the United States, some are learning that figuring out what country a product is from can be complicated. 

One shopper at a Sobeys in Charlottetown recently noticed a produce bin stating that the food was from "U.S.A. or Mexico," without specifying which of the two countries it was actually from. 

Jackie Rumney emailed the grocery chain's head office to find out why. She was told that the stores receive produce from multiple locations daily, and it's "difficult to differentiate as the bins are constantly being stocked." 

"That didn't sit well with me because of the fact that all of the produce in the stores have little stickers on them stating the country of origin," Rumney told CBC News. 

"Right now, all of us Canadians are trying to shop Canadian as much as possible, and when you see something like that, it's making it very hard to do that. We need transparent, clear signs that articulate what country of origin our food is coming from." 

Saying she hasn't noticed this type of label at other grocery stores she's checked, Rumney acknowledges she might have seen the produce sign at Sobeys before the trade war broke out. 

But now, with the U.S. continuing to slap tariffs on many Canadian products and a growing movement to boycott American goods, the country of origin is top of mind for her.

In a further statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Sobeys said the produce supply chain is complex, but the company works to deliver transparency to its customers. 

"It is quite standard to work with two growing regions, which may or may not be in the same country, carefully balancing quality and availability to ensure our customers receive fresh, high-quality produce," the statement reads. 

"Our goal is to maintain consistent quality and choice while adapting to the natural growing cycles around the world." 

Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, said the dual country labelling is nothing new; the source of produce that makes it to grocery stores will often change throughout the year because different regions have earlier or later growing seasons. 

But with the current focus on not buying American products, it's natural that shoppers want more specificity, he said. 

"It is actually allowed and legal, but I think a lot of people are wondering whether or not it is appropriate or acceptable given what's happening with the United States," Charlebois said. 

"It's not misleading, but… given the political context, when you see a huge number of Canadians rejecting one option over the other, then it becomes a problem."