Questions are still left unanswered after more than 750 Canadians received seed packages in the mail, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Canadians have been issuing reports since July, urging the agency, along with the Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post, to investigate the unsolicited seeds coming in from across the globe.
The seeds are considered low-risk but those who received the seeds are being asked not to plant them due to their unknown origins.
We have an update on our work regarding reports of Canadians receiving unrequested packages of seeds. Read about it here: https://t.co/CQJijh38WK pic.twitter.com/1NtcgC2Hra
— Canadian Food Inspection Agency (@InspectionCan) August 6, 2020
“It remains unclear why some Canadians are receiving the seeds, or their originators, although some of the recipients reported having ordered seeds online in the past,” reads a statement from the CFIA.
According to the agency, the seeds range from tomato, strawberry, and weed seeds among others such as flixweed and shepherd’s purse.
One reason this could be happening, stated the agency, is due to an e-commerce business trying to ramp up their online sales.
This is known as “brushing” where unsolicited products are being sent to people and positive fake reviews are being shared, according to the CFIA.
“The CFIA continues to work with the Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post, as well as with its international partners to identify the seed origins and stop the flow of unsolicited seeds into Canada.”
The agency asks those who have these unwanted seeds to report them to the CFIA office and to avoid “planting, flushing, or composting the seeds.”
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