Data shows food weight complaints in Canada have quadrupled in the last two years
If you’ve recently noticed some underweight items at the grocery store, new Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) data shows you’re not alone.
Daily Hive asked the CFIA if it has received complaints about incorrect weight labelling at grocery stores, and it looks like many people are upset about suspiciously underweight food items.
The agency said the manufacturer is responsible for meeting all applicable safety and labelling requirements for their foods, including declaring the net quantity when required.
“This must be done in a manner that is not false, misleading, or likely to create an erroneous impression about the quantity of food in a package,” officials told us over email. “It is mandatory that the net quantity on the label accurately reflects the contents of the package and that the labelled weight does not include the packaging itself, so the net quantity must reflect only the net quantity of the food.”
Data shared by the CFIA shows that between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, the agency received only 22 net-quantity-related food complaints, and that number has dramatically risen.
Between May 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023, there were 37 complaints. A year later, between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024, Canadians submitted 89 complaints.
That’s just a little over four times the figure from two years.
From May 1 to May 28 this year, the CFIA received eight complaints — a much higher monthly average than before.
Remember that not everyone who spots an underweight item while grocery shopping reports it to the CFIA.
Vancouverite Jacob MacLellan recently posted about his discovery on TikTok when he picked up a bag of No Name brand frozen vegetables sometime in the middle of May.
“So I went to the grocery store yesterday, and I just picked up some frozen vegetables because I was like, ‘They’re cheaper, they’ll last a while,’” he began. “I picked it up, and I was like, ‘750 grams? This is not 750 grams.’”
When this article was published, the video had amassed 735,000 views.
@jmaclellan Loblaws, count your days @CBC @Globalnews.ca #shrinkflation #canada #inflation ♬ original sound – jacob
And MacLellan was right.
He weighed the bag on a scale at home, and the display showed it was only 434 grams — about 42% less product than the bag claims it contains.
“We are being screwed,” he said. “I think that Canada needs to engage with our French side sooner than later and introduce Galen Weston to something that I call cake,” he added, referencing Marie Antoinette’s alleged infamous words during the French Revolution.
In August last year, another Canadian shared that he bought an underweight bag of onion rings at Loblaw-owned No Frills.
@tikytokytomy @No Frills #failed #nicetry food is to expensive already @ #fyi #canadiansnacks #canadianproblems #beaware ♬ original sound – TikTokTom
“I have not tampered with this bag at all,” he states. “That is all you get. It says 200 grams. Let’s see,” he said before placing the bag on a kitchen scale.
The display showed that the chips weighed a mere 132 grams—68 grams less than the stated weight on their packaging.
The national food agency said it takes these issues seriously and wants to know about products consumers think are labelled as misleading.
“Consumers can report these to the CFIA through our food complaint or concern webpage. They can also contact the manufacturer or importer if they want more information about a particular product,” the agency advised.
When a food complaint is submitted, the following steps are taken to determine its extent and nature and whether a potential health risk and/or contravention of legislation exists.
- If there is reason to believe that food is unsafe or does not comply with federal food laws, the agency initiates a five-step process to investigate and determine if a food recall is necessary.
- When assessing a product’s compliance, the agency reviews all information on food labels or in advertisements – including words, images, vignettes and logos – as they will contribute to the overall impression created by that product to determine whether a consumer would be misled.
- When labelling non-compliance is identified, the agency informs the regulated party that they must make the required corrections. It also works with the industry to explain the labelling requirements to promote compliance.
If non-compliance is found, appropriate action is taken, which may include:
- Notifying the manufacturer or importer,
- Requesting corrective actions
- Conducting additional inspections
- Doing further targeted sampling
- Seizing products, and
- Requesting food recalls
Fines may also be imposed, and the public is always notified.
Have you encountered an underweight food item while shopping for groceries as of late?
If so, send us a tip at [email protected] — we’re happy to investigate.
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