The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) prevented more than 150,000 kilograms of misrepresented food from reaching consumers in the 2024-25 fiscal year, with adulterated honey accounting for the vast majority of the seized products.
According to the CFIA's latest annual report on food fraud, 133,420 kg of honey was found to be adulterated with foreign sugars or other additives. The agency tested 81 honey samples, of which 19% were unsatisfactory. Notably, all domestic honey passed inspection, but 22% of imported honey failed.
Olive oil and other frequently fraudulent foods
Olive oil was the worst offender in targeted testing, with 33% of 85 samples found unsatisfactory due to adulteration or incorrect labeling (e.g., false claims of being cold-pressed or extra virgin). Other problematic products included hard grated cheese (16% of 37 samples failed), fish (10% of 70 samples unsatisfactory), and fruit juice (2,632 litres of fraudulent juice were removed from the market).
The report also highlights a case where fish labeled as Patagonian toothfish—which sells for about $41.70 per kilogram in Canada—was actually Antarctic toothfish, a lower-value species worth approximately $23.17 per kilogram. Imported fish showed a higher mislabeling rate (16%) than domestic fish.
Maple syrup and other successes
Maple syrup was a standout, with every sample passing the test for purity and labeling. The CFIA also tested 95 meat samples, finding only 6% unsatisfactory, mostly due to mislabeled weight or country of origin.
In total, the agency conducted 886 authenticity tests and 362 label verifications during the 2024-25 period. Besides honey, olive oil, and fruit juice, the CFIA removed 1,161 kg of misrepresented fish, 132 kg of rice porridge, and 156 oat cakes—the latter recalled because they contained almonds not listed as an ingredient.
Rise in origin-labeling complaints
The report notes a surge in consumer interest in buying Canadian goods toward the end of the fiscal year, coinciding with the federal Liberal election campaign under Mark Carney (who later won a minority government in April 2025). This led to a spike in complaints about false or misleading Canadian content claims, from one or two per month to 25 in February and 33 in March 2025.
The CFIA also issued eight administrative fines totaling $60,000 and a $1 million fine against MPY Trading Ltd. for mislabeling crab imported from the U.S. as a product of Canada before exporting it to China. The company pleaded guilty in November 2024 and has since ceased operations.
“We track, monitor and analyze the data and results of our food misrepresentation work from year to year,” the report states. “Our program design is continually improving because we use previous findings to increase the likelihood of detecting food misrepresentation, to improve compliance promotion and to enhance enforcement.”
