Summary#
The bill would require sellers and advertisers in Nova Scotia to identify where certain produce was grown or harvested. It covers fruits, vegetables, sprouts, culinary herbs, nuts, and edible fungi. The apparent goal is to give consumers clearer information about the origin of food.
- Advertisements for produce would have to name the country or Canadian province of origin.
- Retail displays would need a sign showing the produce’s origin.
- Produce sold by weight would need the price per unit of weight on the display sign.
- Labels, packages, advertisements, and signs could not contain false or misleading information.
- Violations would be offences subject to the penalties used under the Consumer Protection Act.
What it means for you#
Consumers
- When buying covered produce at retail, you would generally see where it was grown or harvested.
- Retail signs would also show the price per unit of weight when produce is sold by weight.
- The bill does not say that stores must sell Canadian produce. It would require origin information, including when the produce comes from another country.
Retailers
- Stores selling covered produce would need signs on or immediately above the display.
- Signs would need readable print and would have to use specified wording, such as “Grown in,” “Country of Origin,” or “Province of Origin.”
- Retailers would need to avoid false or misleading information about origin, quantity, packers, and other listed details.
Advertisers and sellers
- Advertisements would have to identify the country or province where the produce was grown or harvested.
- The bill applies to any person who advertises produce, but it does not clearly explain how every type of advertisement would be monitored.
Producers and packers
- Packaging and labels could not misstate the place where produce was grown or harvested.
- They also could not misrepresent the packer, the person for whom the produce was packed, or the amount in a package.
What is unclear
- The bill does not explain whether it would apply to farmers’ markets, restaurants, online sales, wholesale sales, or temporary displays.
- It does not describe how sellers should label produce mixed from more than one country or province.
Expenses#
The bill may increase labelling, sign-making, record-keeping, and compliance costs for retailers, advertisers, producers, and packers. No estimate is provided.
- Retailers may need to create and update display signs.
- Businesses may need to change advertisements, packaging, or labels.
- Enforcement could create costs for government, but no estimate is available.
- The bill does not set a new fee or fine amount. It refers to the penalties that apply under the Consumer Protection Act, but the source material does not state those amounts.
No publicly available information.
Proponents' View#
No supporter statements were supplied. Based on the bill’s text, possible arguments for it include:
- Consumers would receive clearer information about where covered produce was grown or harvested.
- Origin labels could make it easier for people who want to buy Canadian or locally grown produce to identify those products.
- Requiring prices by weight on displays could make comparisons easier when produce is sold by weight.
- Rules against false or misleading information could improve accuracy in food advertising and labelling.
Opponents' View#
No critic statements were supplied. Possible concerns based on the bill’s design include:
- The bill may add paperwork, sign-making, labelling, and compliance costs for businesses.
- It is unclear how the rules would apply to produce mixed from several countries or provinces.
- The bill does not clearly explain how it would apply to online advertisements, farmers’ markets, restaurants, or wholesale transactions.
- Enforcement details are limited. The bill identifies an offence and refers to existing consumer-protection penalties, but it does not explain inspection powers or how violations would be investigated.
- The required origin information may not by itself show how the produce was grown, handled, or transported.