The Rural Voice, 1980-10, Page 8Do you know
what you're buying?
PRODUL, OF CANADA
PBODUIT DU CANADA
o
O
KNECHTEL
spatia'
oo &Food
fiLLD
E
Foodland Ontario has a distinctive green logo which is used to promote products
from Ontario.
PG. 8 THE RURAL VOICE/OCTOBER 1980
BY SHEILA GUNBY
Canada No. 1. What does it mean?
A random survey at the local super-
markets in Goderich and Seaforth
produced a variety of answers.
"Canada No. 1 means it's the best you
can buy - like its Canadian - except if its
oranges and then it comes from Florida."
"It's the best from Canada."
"That it's grown in Canada?"
"Some sort of grading system - so it
must be top grade."
"1 don't really know."
Frank Wall, director with the Ontario
Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
from Port Burwell, says it's a contentious
issue with fruit and vegetable people.
"Canada No. 1 is a grade de-
signation," Mr Wall says, "A standard of
quality, not a place of origin. It means the
product has been graded by federal
inspectors and is stamped Canada No.
1. But many people think it means it's a
Canadian product."
GRADING SYSTEMS
S. Veeraraghaven (Veera) Re-
search Dept. of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture, Toronto, explains the grad-
ing systems used in Ontario.
Canada No. 1 is a federal standard,
derived from the Agricultural Products
Standards Act. It is enforced by Con-
sumer and Corporate Affairs and applies
to all produce sold in Canada, irrespec-
tive of origin.
"Federal inspectors go to retail stores
and make sure the grade claimed is
indeed so," Veera says.
Ontario No. 1 is designated for Ontario
produce only and is derived from the
Farm Products Sales and Grades Act and
enforced at the point at which the farmer
is selling the product. For example, when
Ontario produce arrives at the Food
Terminal in Toronto, the grade must be
on it. But a provincial inspector checks to
make sure it is that grade. By the time it
reaches the store it could be graded
down, especially if it reaches its
destination after a length of time.
Both systems are similar but with a few
exceptions. For instance, Ontario No. 1
potatoes do not meet Canada No. 1
standards because they are smaller.
ONTARIO PRODUCE
Produce grown in Ontario has strict