OTTAWA, Ontario – The Canadian government is crowdsourcing public opinion on proposed changes to the country’s “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” labeling claims.

Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food launched the initiative aimed at harmonizing rules for what can be called “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada.” The government believes aligning labeling rules will help Canada’s food producers better promote Canadian products. The use of “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” claims is voluntary.

“Consumers want to know when their food has a significant amount of Canadian ingredients, so that they make informed decisions and support domestic food producers,” Bibeau said. “This initiative is an important part of our Food Policy for Canada, and the Buy Canadian Promotion campaign, which will promote the great foods produced by our world-class farmers across the country and build pride and confidence in our food system.”

Amendments to the labeling guidelines, which came into force in 2008, will also support the C$25 million Buy Canadian Promotion campaign which promotes Canadian agricultural products through advertising and marketing.

The guidelines promote compliance with Canada’s Food and Drug Act and Safe Food for Canadians Act, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency provides guidance on the use of the claims while enforcing the guidelines.