Canadian Officials Caught More Than 150,000 Kilos of Fraudulent Food in 2024–2025
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published its 2024–2025 Food Fraud Annual Report, detailing efforts to prevent misrepresented food from entering the Canadian marketplace between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
Fraudulent Foods Subject to Enforcement Actions
During the reporting period, CFIA tested 886 food samples for authenticity, conducted 362 label verifications, and prevented more than 150,000 kilograms (kg) of misrepresented food from being sold through enforcement actions like product removal, destruction, detention, and relabeling. These 150,000 kg of foods included:
- 1,161 kg of misrepresented fish
- 2,632 liters (L) of adulterated fruit juice
- 133,420 kg of adulterated honey
- 7,245 L of adulterated olive oil
- 132 kg of misrepresented rice porridge
- 156 misrepresented oat cakes.
The agency issued 13 letters of non-compliance, eight administrative monetary penalties totaling $60,000, two notices of violation with warnings, and six notices of violation with financial penalties.
Additionally, CFIA highlighted a 2025 prosecution that resulted in a $1.16 million fine against MPY Trading Ltd. for offenses under the Safe Food for Canadians Act. The company, which is no longer operating in Canada, had falsely described crabs in export certificates to China as being the product of Canada when they actually originated from the U.S.
Authenticity Testing Results
Overall compliance rates remained similar to previous years. Olive oil had the lowest authenticity compliance rate among commodities tested, while fish, fruit juice, maple syrup, and meat achieved the highest compliance rates. Grated hard cheese showed improved authenticity compliance compared with previous years.
'Buy Canadian' Interest Drove Misrepresentation Complaints
CFIA also received more than 380 complaints related to food misrepresentation or misleading advertising during the fiscal year, with meat garnering the most complaints. Common concerns included underweight products and misleading country-of-origin claims. Complaints regarding Canadian content claims increased sharply following heightened consumer interest in "Buy Canadian" labeling beginning in February 2025.
Future Food Fraud Prevention Work
The report also outlines CFIA's food fraud prevention activities, including analytical method development, international collaboration, consumer awareness campaigns, and expanded testing capabilities for high-value tuna species and edible oils. According to the agency, findings from the 2024–2025 program will be used to guide future food fraud surveillance, compliance promotion, and enforcement efforts.
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