Canadian regulator fines Oxford Frozen Foods over blueberry origin labels
Canada's food regulator fined Oxford Frozen Foods C$10,000 for labelling blueberries as Canadian, tightening scrutiny of origin claims as shoppers look harder for local food.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has fined Nova Scotia-based Oxford Frozen Foods C$10,000 for mislabelling its blueberries as Canadian. CBC reported that the case lands at a time when shoppers are paying much closer attention to country-of-origin claims and actively trying to support domestic food businesses through the wider Buy Canadian movement.
According to the agency, Oxford Frozen Foods is one of five businesses that have together been fined C$47,000 since April 2025 for inaccurate or misleading origin claims. The CFIA said Canadians have made it clear they want to support Canadian businesses and buy Canadian products, and that consumers deserve labels they can trust in order to make informed choices. That makes origin compliance more than a technical packaging issue; it directly affects market transparency and buying decisions.
Oxford Frozen Foods describes itself as the world's largest supplier of wild blueberries. The company has manufacturing facilities and farming operations in the Maritimes and in the United States. Blueberries, carrots and battered appetizers are processed in Oxford, Nova Scotia, while the group also has facilities in Halfway River, Nova Scotia, and Bois-Gagnon, New Brunswick. Storage and manufacturing also take place at the company's site in Maine.
The CFIA said the fine was issued last September, although it did not provide more detail on the inspection or complaint that led to the penalty. The agency said it responds to complaints and carries out inspections to verify origin claims on labels, in advertising and on store signage. Other fined businesses included a Loblaw-owned grocery store in Etobicoke, another Loblaw-owned Real Canadian Superstore, a Calgary business and an Edmonton-based food supplier. The products involved included banana bread, ghee, broccoli slaw and cheese.
Oxford Frozen Foods did not respond to CBC's request for comment. The broader context is a stronger push by consumers to identify genuinely local food after trade tensions with the United States intensified. In February 2025, the Nova Scotia government announced a C$300,000 pilot program aimed at helping shoppers identify local products more easily, and the CFIA also maintains an online guide explaining how consumers can assess a product's stated origin. For fruit processors and marketers, the case is a reminder that origin claims are now facing much closer regulatory and public scrutiny.