The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating a Calgary food packaging company that used labels indicating a shipment of peas was from Canada, when the legumes were actually imported from China.
The label on a bag of peas purchased in Manitoba indicates the product was packaged in Calgary.
(CBC)
Mary Macdonald, who lives in Winnipeg Beach, Man., bought a bag of peas confident they came from Calgary, as the sticker indicated. But when she peeled off the top label, she discovered another one.
"In fact, they're actually a product of China, and that part was covered up," Macdonald said. "I felt really annoyed."
All the improperly labelled products have been pulled from stores.
Another sticker under the label on a bag of peas bought in Manitoba shows the peas are in fact a product of China.
(CBC)
Macdonald said she was concerned about a potential coverup.
"China has been on the media quite a bit, and we've been hearing that maybe things aren't produced quite as safely as we're used to here in Canada," she said.
Canadian law requires produce grown outside Canada's borders to say so on the label. Violators can face severe fines and even prosecution.
Macdonald said she was angry because she felt "the consumer was being tricked" in this case, but the company responsible for the blunder, Calgary-based Thomas Fresh Inc., said it was simply a mixup.
"That was an oversight," said company president Tom Byttynen. "My gang is used to having our labels say 'Product of China' on it. Unfortunately, they used old labels that did not say 'Product of China.' There was no malintent in anything there."
The CFIA says labelling problems are not uncommon. The agency investigates an average of 600 cases per year.
Corrections and Clarifications
- Tom Byttynen is the president of Thomas Fresh Inc., not Thomas International, as originally reported. Furthermore, Mr. Byttynen is not the co-chair of the Canadian Supply Chain Food Safety Coalition. He is the co-chair of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association's repack and wholesale food safety program committee. Aug. 31, 2007|11:50 a.m. ET
Related
Internal Links
Video
- Alex Freedman reports for CBC-TV (Runs: 2:01)
- Play: QuickTime »
- Play: Real Media »
More Consumer Headlines »
- Big consumer tax relief still years away: Flaherty
- It will take years before the federal government can bring in the kind of historic tax reductions for ordinary Canadians that it delivered for businesses in October, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said.
- Christmas car break-ins keep St. John's police busy
- Thieves in St. John's put a criminal spin on the Christmas spirit of sharing, leaving police to probe a series of robberies at cars parked outside church services.
- Canadians flock to Boxing Day bargains
- Millions of Canadians took part in the Boxing Day bonanza on Wednesday, although shopping malls may have been less crammed with bargain hunters this year.
- U.S. house prices drop by a record 6.7 per cent
- House prices in the United States fell in October for the 10th consecutive month, posting their largest monthly drop since early 1991, a widely watched index showed Wednesday.
- Toyota announces plan to sell 9.85 million vehicles in 2008
- In a neck-and-neck race that could dethrone General Motors as the world's top automaker, Toyota said it plans to sell 9.85 million vehicles globally in 2008.
Blog Watch
Most Blogged about CBC.ca Articles