So you’re strolling through the grocery store, proudly tossing “Canadian” staples into your cart — but how Canadian are they really?
With all the talk in recent months about supporting local, especially during trade tensions with the U.S., a lot of Canadians have tried to make more conscious choices at the store. But here’s the catch: even if a product has a big ol’ maple leaf slapped on the packaging, that doesn’t always mean it’s actually 100% Canadian.
Words like “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” are everywhere — but in many cases, the companies behind the brands are American-owned, even if the product was invented here. That happens to be the case with beloved coffee chain Tim Hortons, which was the subject of a recent MTL Blog deep dive.
From comfort foods to classic condiments, here are seven grocery store items you probably thought were proudly Canadian… but aren’t.
Clamato
The bloody Caesar is undeniably Canadian — invented in Calgary, no less — but its key ingredient? Not so much.
Clamato is made by Mott’s, a U.S.-based company, and while it’s deeply linked to Canadian brunch culture, it’s not homegrown.
Canada Dry
This popular ginger ale was invented in Canada back in the early 1900s by Toronto chemist John A. McLaughlin, and yes, it once featured a beaver and a map of Canada on the label. But today, the Canada Dry brand is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, an American company.
Coffee Crisp
A beloved chocolate bar with major Canadian street cred — but it actually started out in the U.K.
Originally called the “Rowntree Wafer Crisp,” it was introduced to the Canadian market in the 1930s and later flavoured with coffee. Today, it’s made by Nestlé, which is based in Switzerland.
Kraft Dinner
KD may be the ultimate Canadian pantry staple, but it’s technically not Canadian at all.
The product was born in the U.S., and while it’s manufactured in Montreal today, Kraft Heinz — the parent company — is American. FYI, Americans know it as “Kraft Mac & Cheese,” not KD.
Kraft peanut butter
Another Kraft classic that feels Canadian but isn’t.
Yes, it’s made in Montreal and features two adorable bear mascots waving from a maple-leaf-emblazoned jar, but Kraft Peanut Butter is still an American product at its core.
French’s ketchup
This one’s confusing: it’s made with Canadian ingredients in Canada… but the company behind it, McCormick & Company, is based in the United States.
So while it’s more local than some others on this list, it’s still not fully Canadian-owned.
Smarties
Not the little chalky candies — we’re talking about the colourful chocolate kind.
Smarties were created in the U.K. in 1937 by Rowntree (the same folks behind Coffee Crisp) and made their way to Canada shortly after. Today, they’re produced in Toronto by Nestlé, but again — Swiss company, not Canadian.
At the end of the day, even if a product feels very Canadian, it’s worth digging a little deeper into who actually owns the brand. As it turns out, supporting Canadian-made and Canadian-owned companies is harder than it looks — but knowledge is power, eh?
This story was adapted from the article “8 products you buy at grocery stores that aren’t as Canadian as you think,” which was originally published on Narcity Canada.
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