CFIA fines Real Canadian Superstore $10K over misleading ‘Product of Canada’ display

Real Canadian Superstore at 201 Talbot St E in Leamington, Ont. (Courtesy Real Canadian Superstore / Facebook)

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a $10,000 penalty to a Real Canadian Superstore location in Toronto for what it calls a “misleading Product of Canada” display.

The fine, issued Jan. 15, 2026, stems from a violation under the Safe Food for Canadians Act related to inaccurate labelling and advertising by a retailer — part of a broader push by the agency to crack down on food labelling accuracy.

The agency said the penalty was issued to Real Canadian Superstore #1033 (located at Dufferin Street and Steeles Avenue West) after inspectors found maple leaf advertising stickers placed next to a product information tag for products not originating from Canada.

“This created a product advertisement that is misleading to consumers regarding the origin of the product,” the CFIA said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.

The CFIA said the inspection and penalty were “not triggered by a consumer complaint,” but rather by “intelligence” that has pointed to potential labelling accuracy issues over the past two years. The agency adds it has expanded enforcement efforts in response, as outlined in its Food Fraud Annual Report.

Under subsection 6.1 of the Safe Food for Canadians Act, foods packaged, labelled or advertised by a retailer must not be false or misleading.

However, in a statement to CP24 Saturday morning, Loblaw Companies, the parent company of Real Canadian Superstore, said it takes labelling responsibilities seriously.

“We take our labelling and signage responsibilities seriously and are committed to meeting applicable requirements. With thousands of products in our stores, many of which are sourced from different countries regions throughout the year, information can change quickly. While we work hard to keep everything up to date, there are times when signage may not be refreshed as quickly as inventory is replenished,” the statement read.

A spokesperson later continued adding, “We have processes in place to support accuracy, but like any retail environment, there is still the potential for human error. That’s why we’re continuing to strengthen our processes.”

“We’re sorry for any confusion this may have caused. If something doesn’t look right, we encourage customers to let us know so we can correct it as quickly as possible.”

The CFIA said it takes labelling issues seriously and is encouraging consumers to report products they believe are misleading through its online complaint page.