Country-of-origin produce signs are returning to Fernie Independent Grocer after parent company Loblaw reversed its controversial decision to remove the information from produce displays.
The reversal follows widespread customer backlash across Canada after shoppers discovered that signs for loose fruits and vegetables no longer identified where the produce was grown.
Fernie shoppers were among those speaking out.
On August 18, Fernie.com reported that the change at Fernie Independent came directly from Loblaw head office and was not a decision made by the local store. The store owner said at the time that numerous customers had already complained.
Our editorial ended with a prediction: “Perhaps by the time Fernie’s Mountain Market season wraps up at the end of September, Loblaw will have listened to customers and reversed the policy.”
It took one week.
Loblaw has now confirmed it will reintroduce country-of-origin information in its fresh produce aisles. The company is also bringing back its “T” symbol on shelf labels for products imported directly from the United States whose prices are affected by tariffs.
Loblaw had defended removing the information by saying produce sourcing can change frequently because of seasonality, suppliers and availability.
The policy was particularly controversial because many Canadians are actively trying to identify Canadian products and support Canadian growers.
Federal regulations require country-of-origin information on imported prepackaged fresh fruits and vegetables, but do not generally require grocery stores to display the same information on shelf signs for loose bulk produce. Ontario requires retailers to display the country or Canadian province where produce was grown or harvested, while Quebec requires retailers to identify fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Quebec. These provincial rules meant Loblaw could not apply the same blank-sign policy in those provinces.
The issue also came after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency fined two Loblaw-owned stores $10,000 each for misleading Canadian-origin claims.
For Fernie shoppers, the result is straightforward: the information they asked for is coming back.
Sometimes customer feedback works.
