Over a year since the inception of the Buy Canadian movement, major grocery chains Loblaw and Sobeys are under heightened scrutiny for “maple washing,” which involves marketing imported products as domestically produced.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently penalized two Loblaw-owned stores with $10,000 fines each in January for maple washing. Additionally, two other Loblaw-owned stores received official warnings for the same offense a month later, according to CBC News.

Sobeys has also come under the CFIA’s watchful eye. The federal food regulator disclosed that it has received numerous complaints regarding Sobeys’ maple washing practices and concluded an investigation into the grocer’s advertising methods overseen by its head office.

The CFIA mentioned that no fines were issued in the Sobeys case as “corrective actions” were promptly taken following the investigation.

Notably, Sobeys seems to have phased out the red maple leaf symbol introduced last year to highlight Canadian products in its stores. During visits to nine Sobeys and Safeway locations in Halifax, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver over the past fortnight, CBC observed a significant reduction in the use of the symbol, leaving products such as Tim Hortons coffee and Real Dairy ice cream without a marker to indicate their Canadian origin.

Although Sobeys did not respond to comment requests, its parent company, Empire, informed The Canadian Press in late March that it had begun removing certain Canadian signage as consumers are deemed capable of discerning the origins of their food.

Consumer advocate Jay Jackson suggested that the ongoing CFIA investigation, initiated in March, might have prompted Sobeys to eliminate the symbol as a precautionary measure. “They are aware of heightened government scrutiny,” noted Jackson, who previously served as a senior analyst at Canada’s Competition Bureau.

As instances of maple washing increase, Jackson highlighted that frustrated consumers are urging the CFIA to take strict action against retailers violating regulations. “The public likely harbors hidden resentment towards misrepresentation, particularly concerning ‘Made in Canada’ claims,” he remarked. “They anticipate heavier fines and stricter enforcement.”

Although maple washing fines are infrequent, the CFIA identified 127 cases since the beginning of 2025 where retailers misrepresented imported products as Canadian. However, only two fines have been issued so far, both to Loblaw stores.

California walnuts marketed as Canadian

The absence of penalties has left Steve Palmer disheartened. In the past year, he lodged eight complaints with the CFIA about maple washing at a Loblaw store and two Sobeys-owned outlets in southwest Nova Scotia.

“I am appalled at the prolonged duration of this issue without any fines,” expressed Palmer, a retired large-animal veterinarian.

His complaints included instances such as Egyptian oranges falsely labeled as “Product of Canada” with a red maple symbol at a Loblaw-owned Superstore, and California walnuts showcased with the same symbol at a Sobeys outlet.

“There is no authenticity to these claims,” Palmer stated while holding a container of the walnuts, which clearly indicate their origin as California. “I demand an end to this deceptive labeling.”