Grocery Clerk

Loblaw backtracks on dropping country-of-origin produce labels after customer backlash. The grocer dropped the information from store produce signs earlier this month in most provinces. Sophia Harris, Andreas Wesley · CBC News · Posted: Aug 25, 2026 12:37 PM PDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago Estimated 6 minutes Social sharing. Loblaw has reversed its decision to drop country-of-origin labelling on produce signs in stores, following widespread customer backlash. The outcry began earlier this month after shoppers noticed the area on produce displays, which used to indicate where food was grown, had been left blank. "We should know what we're eating," said Karla Hennig of Penticton, B.C. The committed "Buy Canadian" shopper says she was disappointed when she discovered the missing information last week at her local Superstore. "I just think it's terribly disrespectful of my time and my money," she said. "They want me to support them, but they are not giving me what I've asked for." Produce signage at Loblaw stores across Canada reflected the same change, except in Ontario and Quebec; Canada's largest grocer continued providing origin details in those two provinces because provincial regulations mandate certain types of labelling transparency. But in other provinces, many Loblaw shoppers took to social media to denounce the policy change - which the grocer initiated just before Canada-U.S. trade talks collapsed, sparking a fresh trade war and renewed interest in buying Canadian products. After noticing that produce at his local Real Canadian Superstore lacked country-of-origin labelling, Edmonton resident Karl Mueller posted a complaint on Facebook and fired off a letter to the chain's head office. He said on Monday that recent trade tensions have only strengthened his resolve, suggesting this is the wrong time for Superstore to cut back on in-store food labelling. "It seems to me like a really un-Canadian thing to do," he said. "There's an economic attack on us. As just an ordinary citizen, my only way of fighting back is to support Canadian businesses, to shop local." On Monday, agricultural economist Ellen Goddard suggested Loblaw may backtrack on its decision. "They're probably thinking, 'Boy, we picked the wrong [time] to pull the labelling,' " said Goddard, a professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. "The emotion is much higher now." Goddard's prediction turned out to be accurate. Following a CBC News inquiry to the grocer, Loblaw responded by email that, "as Canada enters another period of trade uncertainty with the United States," the grocer is taking steps to help shoppers buy Canadian products. The grocer said those efforts include reintroducing country-of-origin information in produce aisles and a "T" symbol on shelf labels for American products affected by U.S. tariffs. The news was met with cautious optimism by some shoppers. "If Loblaws has actually changed their policy, I think that's wonderful," said Mueller. "It shows you the power that ordinary people can have if they put their money where their mouth is." He says he won't fully rejoice until he sees produce country-of-origin labelling return to his local Superstore. Loblaw's previous response. Despite reversing its produce labelling policy on Tuesday, Loblaw had defended its initial decision just one day earlier, citing the challenges of the task. "Sourcing can change frequently due to seasonality, supplier changes and availability," said the grocer in an email on Monday. Loblaw did not explain why it could still provide the source country for produce in Ontario and Quebec stores, despite these hurdles. The grocer also said that shoppers can find "the most current" source country details on individual produce stickers or the packaging, or by asking a store employee. But Hennig said when she tried to shop for broccoli and lettuce last week at the Penticton Superstore, she couldn't find the information on the products. "There was no indicators whatsoever." And when she asked two employees for help, Hennig said neither knew where the produce was grown. "I was very frustrated," said Hennig, who walked out of the story without buying anything. "I felt that I was just being dismissed," she said, adding that she didn't blame the store staff who had nothing to do with the policy change. What prompted the change? Loblaw's decision to initially drop produce labelling followed regulatory troubles for the grocer. Earlier this year, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) handed out two $10,000 fines and two warnings to four different Loblaw stores for incorrectly promoting imported food - including produce - as Canadian. The penalties, particularly the fines, made news headlines. Goddard, the agricultural economist, says the coverage likely influenced the grocer to initially remove country-of-origin signage for produce. "I think the last thing they want to do is be on the front page of the newspaper for doing something that may imply they are misleading customers," she said. "Their business rests on trust." Goddard says she doubts Loblaw set out to mislead shoppers, and had likely decided that offering produce labelling to shoppers - given the challenges - wasn't worth the risk. "They may be exhausted trying to make it work," she said. Loblaw isn't alone in scaling back source country information after regulatory scrutiny. Earlier this year, grocer Sobeys stopped adding maple leaf symbols to store shelf signs to promote Canadian products. The move followed accusations that the grocer had promoted imported food as Canadian and a subsequent CFIA investigation. Is it legal? Despite growing criticism, the CFIA has clarified that federal regulations do not require grocers to list a product's country of origin on store signage, and allow the sale of bulk produce without any source country disclosures. This position has prompted calls from some consumers for new federal rules mandating that grocers provide origin information for bulk produce. "I would like to see legislation that requires country of origin labelling, so that it's very clear to consumers where the product is coming from," said Mueller in Edmonton. "We should be making this easy for Canadians, not difficult." Business Reporter Based in Toronto, Sophia Harris covers consumer and business for CBC News web, radio and TV. She previously worked as a CBC videojournalist in the Maritimes, where she won an Atlantic Journalism Award for her work. Got a story idea? Contact: [email protected]

BTS-collaborated food brand ARIH expands into Japan, Canada. Published: Aug. 18, 2026 - 13:56:46 Kan Hyeong-woo Paldo and hy's global food and beverage brand aims to bolster presence in Asia, North America ARIH, a food and beverage brand developed by Paldo and hy in collaboration with BTS, is expanding into Japan and Canada, broadening its presence across key Asian and North American markets. According to the companies on Tuesday, ARIH products will be sold exclusively through 7-Eleven Japan, which operates more than 22,000 stores across Japan. They plan to leverage the convenience store chain's extensive nationwide network to increase brand awareness and reach consumers through everyday shopping occasions. ARIH is also partnering with Canada's largest retail group Loblaw, which accounts for about 30 percent of Canada's retail market and operates a broad network ranging from hypermarkets to community-based stores. Paldo and hy will use consumer responses to refine their product lineup and sales channels and develop an operating model tailored to the Canadian market. The companies will host pop-up events in both countries in accordance with the brand launch, combining product sales with hands-on experiences designed to communicate ARIH's brand philosophy and values. The Japanese pop-up will be held at Zerobase Shibuya in Tokyo from Wednesday to Sunday. Meanwhile, the Canadian pop-up will take place in Toronto from Friday to Sunday in conjunction with BTS' world tour concert "Arirang" in the Canadian city. Paldo and hy said interest in ARIH products has also been building ahead of its official launches in the two countries, as online reviews from consumers who first encountered the products in the United States and Korea have been generating inquiries about where to purchase the brand in Japan and Canada. Paldo - Korea's leading cold instant noodle producer - holds a majority 40.83 percent stake in hy, a Korean fermented dairy and probiotics maker. Unlike the conventional approach of establishing a brand domestically before expanding overseas, ARIH was designed from the outset with global markets in mind. The brand was first launched in the US through Walmart in April this year before making its debut in Korea in June. "Through various marketing activities that link sales with consumer experiences, we will communicate the ARIH brand's philosophy and product competitiveness to local consumers," said a Paldo and hy official. "We plan to carefully examine the distribution environments and consumer characteristics of each country and gradually expand our global sales network into regions including South America and Southeast Asia." [email protected]