THUNDER BAY, ON – June 12, 2008 - Today, the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food presented to Parliament its report on “Product of Canada Claims”.  Ken Boshcoff M.P. Thunder Bay-Rainy River is a member of the Committee.  He has been a vocal participant in the review and was instrumental in including two Rainy River District representatives as witnesses on this topic.
 
“This report on truth and transparency in labelling is long overdue,” said Boshcoff.  “I strongly believe in the value of our local producers and I am especially pleased that the report recommends financial support for agricultural buy local initiatives developed by farmers.  This is an issue that I have been promoting for some time as it will be of great assistance to farmers across the riding.”
 
The Committee makes six recommendations that would result in a significant change to the use of “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” labels:
• Amend guidelines so that the “Product of Canada” claim is reserved for foods and food products that are processed in Canada and contain 85% Canadian content;
• That the “Made in Canada” claim be reserved for foods for which the last substantial transformation occurred in Canada and at least 51% of the total direct costs of production or manufacturing is Canadian;
• Better define claims such as “Prepared for”, “Packed for”, and “Made for”;
• Review regulations on quality grades and remove the term “Canada” from those claims in order to not mislead consumers as to the product’s origin;
• Allocate necessary resources to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to improve enforcement and compliance measures; and,
• Launch a national awareness campaign on “Product of Canada” claims and provide financial support for agricultural product promotion initiatives by farmers such as buy local or buy national campaigns.
 
The full report is available at www.kenboshcoff.ca.