PM Announces Changes to Canada Food Labels

[scribblet]

I'm glad to hear this, it's a needed change. Don't know why the Liberals don't like, guess they don't like anything any other party does.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

PM announces changes to Canadian food label laws

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced tough new guidelines for the "Made in Canada" label on food, but Liberals have dismissed the changes as a "photo-op."

Ottawa is introducing new laws so that food products processed in Canada, but made with foreign ingredients, will have to say so on the label, Harper told reporters in Vineland, Ont.

"The truth is, foods marked 'Product of Canada' or 'Made in Canada' actually may not be very Canadian at all," he said. "Our new guidelines are designed to redefine Canadian food content labels to better reflect the true origins of products in today's global marketplace"

Under current laws, Harper said, it's legal to call a product "Made in Canada" if 51 per cent of production costs were incurred here and the final transformation of the product was in Canada.

The current laws are largely unchanged since the 1980s -- before the rapid globalization of food production changed the origin of many of the products in grocery stores.

cont...

[Bryan]

I saw the piece they did on Marketplace about this, and was quite appalled that things that were imported and repackaged could legally be sold as a product of Canada. This is a loophole that definitely needs to be closed. I'm totally in favor of an open market with respect to what types of food is allowed to be sold at what cost, but the bare minimum I expect is honest disclosure on the labels.

[margrace]

Mr. Harper must have gotten a lot of flack to have him recognize this. Heinz for one won't like it. Heinz original Beans with pork and Tomato sauce with that lovely Heart and Stroke check on it, no where lists on the can either where it is manufactured or grown. The only information is that it is Union Made.

Closing the only peach manufacturing plant in the Niagara region now needs to be looked into. Its time sombody proctected our food supply

[Remiel]

The Conservatives do not do much that I can get behind, but I heartily support honest labelling of food, and to an extent merchandise in general.

[scribblet]

Actually this has been going on for a long time with various study groups looking into it, I'm guessing people have had enough of contaminated Asian products.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...c7-e690ac434a24

this one gives a bit more info. and states that the Liberal critic for agricultural affairs, Wayne Easter, supports the move.

I heard recently about a problem with contaminated fish labeled as Canadian but caught and frozen elsewhere but could only come up with this. I will only be buying fresh fish from now and and asking where that is caught.

http://www.highliner.com/site/eng/art0044.asp

Edited May 22, 2008 by scriblett

[Fortunata]

Don't know why the Liberals don't like, guess they don't like anything any other party does.

Where do you get that the Libs don't like this ... they are taking credit for it.

From your cited article:

Liberal agriculture critic Wayne Easter said his party has been pushing for changes for the past three years, after "broad consultations" with farmers.

"We heard their calls and began pursuing the needed changes. The Prime Minister's photo-op only proves that he's been hearing what the Liberal Caucus and Canadian farmers have been demanding ever since," Easter said in a press release.

Finally this government gets something right.

[jdobbin]

Where do you get that the Libs don't like this ... they are taking credit for it.

Finally this government gets something right.

I agree. I've been hearing about the consultations for the last years and the the Liberals have been asking for a labeling program for some time now. Hopefully, the Tories will actually introduce legislation. I'd hate this to be like their military strategy which they refuse to put down on paper.

[scribblet]

Where do you get that the Libs don't like this ... they are taking credit for it.

From your cited article:

Finally this government gets something right.

From the CTV link in my first post;

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced tough new guidelines for the "Made in Canada" label on food, but Liberals have dismissed the changes as a "photo-op."

[jdobbin]

From the CTV link in my first post;

Which doesn't say they look like the idea of food labeling. They are criticizing the announcement as a photo op rather than concrete action.

[M.Dancer]

I've been hearing about the consultations for the last years and the the Liberals have been asking for a labeling program for some time now.

You would think that the liberals weren't in power for most of the 21st centrury or the greater part of the 90s.....I can only assume that the Liberlas were asking while the Liberals said no to them. Lucky for the Liberals the Conservatives listened which should annoy the heck out of the Liberals. I suppose we could ask them.

[scribblet]

You would think that the liberals weren't in power for most of the 21st centrury or the greater part of the 90s.....I can only assume that the Liberlas were asking while the Liberals said no to them. Lucky for the Liberals the Conservatives listened which should annoy the heck out of the Liberals. I suppose we could ask them.

LOL

As far as I know, this is concrete action by the CPC, the CTV piece said they are introducing legislation.

[Shakeyhands]

LOL

As far as I know, this is concrete action by the CPC, the CTV piece said they are introducing legislation.

Well thats great then! Lets hope its implemented soon instead of just being announced 3 or 4 times!

Edited May 22, 2008 by Shakeyhands

[jdobbin]

Well thats great then! Lets hope its implemented soon instead of just being announced 3 or 4 times!

Like the Tory military strategy which they refuse to put to paper.

[Wilber]

This is hilarious. Something is done that everyone agrees on and look what happens. What a hoot.

[Fortunata]

I've been hearing about the consultations for the last years and the the Liberals have been asking for a labeling program for some time now.

I have to agree with M.Dancer on this one. The Libs had a lot of time in power to do things like this and they didn't. They refused labels that would identify GMO's, they allowed (as does this gov't) round-up ready crops (do I want to eat round up or gmo's unknowingly?). Today was a good step (if it actually goes through as you have noted) but really it is only a first step in keeping citizenry apprised of what they are consuming.

[jdobbin]

I have to agree with M.Dancer on this one. The Libs had a lot of time in power to do things like this and they didn't. They refused labels that would identify GMO's, they allowed (as does this gov't) round-up ready crops (do I want to eat round up or gmo's unknowingly?). Today was a good step (if it actually goes through as you have noted) but really it is only a first step in keeping citizenry apprised of what they are consuming.

The only labelling that anyone seemed to be interested a number of years ago was GMO labelling. You are quite correct that the Liberal government defeated the GMO labelling. I happen to think they were wrong on that subject.

Wayne Easter has been one of the few voices on made in Canada labelling going back to 2005/2006.

Back in 2005, Easter authored the first report on the subject and tabled it over in Parliament shortly before the election.

http://www.ellenroseman.com/?p=79

As the Agriculture Critic for the Official Opposition and author of the 2005 Report, “Empowering Canadian Farmers in the Marketplace”, I would draw to your attention to the recommendations in that report relevant to this issue:

• That the federal government ensure foreign products entering this country meet the same quality, safety, health, environmental and labour standards as Canadian products.

• That the federal government consider implementing labeling regulations that allow information about the health benefits of certain foods on their label.

• That the federal government act to differentiate Made in Canada food products from those products merely processed in Canada.

These recommendations have not been acted upon, and I believe they offer a starting point which would restore confidence in our food system. The Harper government has failed to act and public pressure on his government to do so is certainly needed.

That report has sat for some time in the office of the last two Tory ag ministers.

The all party committee has been working steadily since 2006 to consult in regards to what the legislation should like and in April pushed the government to act.

The previous Liberal government might not have acted on the subject of made in Canada labels but the Opposition didn't bring it up either. It started with Easter.

[margrace]

The stratagy has been to sit on this until the peach trees and vegetable areas are all gone. When it is considered too costly to bring back the farms and orchards, then we will be stuck with contaminated foreign food then the people will realize What has happened.

. The program on CBC about highliner fish hit home to a lot of people and the common comment was "I will never buy Highliner fish again. This is a good example of why the Conservatives want rid of the CBC

[scribblet]

The stratagy has been to sit on this until the peach trees and vegetable areas are all gone. When it is considered too costly to bring back the farms and orchards, then we will be stuck with contaminated foreign food then the people will realize What has happened.

. The program on CBC about highliner fish hit home to a lot of people and the common comment was "I will never buy Highliner fish again. This is a good example of why the Conservatives want rid of the CBC

Whaaattt !!

[Fortunata]

The stratagy has been to sit on this until the peach trees and vegetable areas are all gone. When it is considered too costly to bring back the farms and orchards, then we will be stuck with contaminated foreign food then the people will realize What has happened.

. The program on CBC about highliner fish hit home to a lot of people and the common comment was "I will never buy Highliner fish again. This is a good example of why the Conservatives want rid of the CBC

What would any government gain by this?

[Wild Bill]

What would any government gain by this?

What does a government gain by allowing heavily subsidized foreign food into Canada that puts Canadian farmers out of business?

Every year I see strawberries from Yugoslavia in the local grocery stores, cheaper than local product, after what was obviously air freight to keep them fresh!

No government that I can remember has ever seemed to care about such issues. No government seems to care that they can ban a chemical that works from Canadian crops while letting foreign food loaded with the same chemical across the border. It only means that our farmers are at a competitive disadvantage.

This is all so simple that surely even a politician can understand it. The fact that it goes on must mean that politicians either don't care or have a vested interest. There used to be dark rumours in farmer circles that Chretien would allow lots of subsidized food into Canada as part of deals to get the originating country's support for him at the UN. Personally, I find that a bit of a stretch even for Chretien but it does make a nice conspiracy theory.

I think the key to understanding your question is to stop thinking that any government is motivated solely by the good of its citizens and think about any and all factors that would benefit them PERSONALLY!

[margrace]

What does a government gain by allowing heavily subsidized foreign food into Canada that puts Canadian farmers out of business?

Every year I see strawberries from Yugoslavia in the local grocery stores, cheaper than local product, after what was obviously air freight to keep them fresh!

No government that I can remember has ever seemed to care about such issues. No government seems to care that they can ban a chemical that works from Canadian crops while letting foreign food loaded with the same chemical across the border. It only means that our farmers are at a competitive disadvantage.

This is all so simple that surely even a politician can understand it. The fact that it goes on must mean that politicians either don't care or have a vested interest. There used to be dark rumours in farmer circles that Chretien would allow lots of subsidized food into Canada as part of deals to get the originating country's support for him at the UN. Personally, I find that a bit of a stretch even for Chretien but it does make a nice conspiracy theory.

I think the key to understanding your question is to stop thinking that any government is motivated solely by the good of its citizens and think about any and all factors that would benefit them PERSONALLY!

EXACTLY, no place to sell your produce,so where does it go, under factories, well we know that really works, under houses, who can afford them when the factories all close.

[Michael Bluth]

The program on CBC about highliner fish hit home to a lot of people and the common comment was "I will never buy Highliner fish again. This is a good example of why the Conservatives want rid of the CBC.

The Conservatives want to get rid of the CBC because of Highliner?

Wow margrace. You got it. The vast conspiracy has finally been brought to light.

You will go down in history for uncovering this huge threat to Canadian society.

[Remiel]

What was the issue with Highliner fish? That is not fished in Canada, or that it is not safe?

[M.Dancer]

I think it has something to do with highliner not recommending toatser ovens to cook the fish sticks with....

[Remiel]

<--- Microwaves Highliner's tempura fish. Every day.