The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released its latest annual report on food fraud, highlighting the growing concerns of misrepresented food in the country.
According to the report, the CFIA stopped more than 150,000 kg of "misrepresented food from being sold in Canada," including 133,420 kg of adulterated honey, from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. This marked a significant increase in the number of cases reported compared to previous years.
The agency found that compliance rates were broadly similar to years past, but pricey oils, grated hard cheese, and fish were among the frequently fraudulent foodstuffs. Olive oil was the worst offender in targeted testing, with 33% of 85 samples found to be unsatisfactory.
Further investigation revealed that fish labelled as Patagonian toothfish, which sells for approximately $41.70 per kilogram in Canada, was actually Antarctic toothfish, a lower-value species that sells for about $23.17 per kilogram. Oils were tested for adulteration or incorrect labelling as cold pressed or extra virgin, while hard cheeses were checked for excess levels of cellulose.
Honey and maple syrup were also checked for foreign sugars, and fruit juice was tested for dilution of water or cheaper juices. The agency says that in the 2024-25 year, it tested 886 samples for authenticity and did 362 "label verifications," confirming basic details such as the posted quantity of food.
Of the 37 samples of hard grated cheese tested, 16% didn't meet the grade. The report also found that 19% of its 81 samples of honey and 10% of 70 samples of fish were found to be unsatisfactory. Mislabelling was more pronounced with imports, as 16% of foreign fish was found to be unsatisfactory.
Meanwhile, all domestic honey passed the test, but 22% of the foreign stuff didn't. While fraud concerns among meat were rare, 6% of 95 samples were unsatisfactory, the report found. Meat complaints were typically about mislabelled weight or country of origin.
A renewed interest in buying Canadian goods towards the end of the 2024-25 period led to concerns about false or misleading Canadian content claims. Complaints on origin labelling exploded from one or two per month to 25 in February and 33 in March, the CFIA says.
The CFIA also reported that 7,245 litres of adulterated olive oil and 2,632 litres of fraudulent fruit juice were "either removed from Canada, voluntarily destroyed or relabelled before sale." Other suspicious items included 1,161 kg of fish, 132 kg of "misrepresented rice porridge," and 156 oat cakes.
A notable incident involved Cape Breton Oatcake Society oat cakes, which were made with almonds but didn't list the nut as an ingredient. The CFIA issued a recall in January 2025.
Maple syrup, however, was a standout, as every sample passed the test, the CFIA says. The agency also fined a company called MPY Trading Ltd. more than $1 million over mislabelled crab, which was imported from the U.S. and then exported to China but labelled as a product of Canada.
The CFIA stated that it tracks, monitors, and analyzes data and results from year to year to continually improve its food misrepresentation work, increasing the likelihood of detecting food misrepresentation, improving compliance promotion, and enhancing enforcement.
