Grocery shopping in 2025 has taken on a whole new vibe compared to 2024! You might notice people spending a bit more time in the aisles, and that’s because they’re carefully checking to see if the products are Canadian.

While we can’t influence the decisions coming from the U.S. administration, we can certainly make a positive choice by supporting Canadian products whenever we can.

I have watched a few videos and I see some common confusion about a few well-known brands.

This is the first installment looking at specific brands.

A Closer Look:

French’s Ketchup

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

Brand Support: French’s has been praised for its commitment to using Canadian ingredients and bottling its ketchup in Canada. 

French’s Brand Origin: French’s is an American brand, known for its mustards, condiments, and other food items. 

Ketchup Production: French’s Tomato Ketchup is made in Canada, using 100% Canadian farm-grown tomatoes. 

Canadian Ingredients:The ketchup is made with ingredients like tomato paste, liquid sugar, white vinegar, salt, onion powder, and spices. 

Canadian Production: French’s ketchup is bottled in Canada by Canadian workers, supporting the local community. 

Heinz

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

• Heinz is an American Company:The Kraft Heinz Company, which owns the Heinz brand, is an American multinational food company headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh. 
• Heinz Ketchup Made in Canada:Heinz ketchup is produced in Canada, with more than 1,000 Canadian workers at the Mont Royal, Quebec facility. 
• Canadian Tomatoes:The ketchup is made with tomatoes grown in Leamington, Ontario, known as the “Tomato Capital of Canada”. 
• Return to Canadian Production:Heinz returned to producing ketchup in Canada in 2020, after a period of producing it elsewhere. 
• “Made in Canada” Claims:Kraft Heinz has emphasized that its ketchup is “made in Canada, by Canadians, using Canadian tomatoes”. 
• Packaging Confusion:Some consumers have noticed that some Heinz ketchup bottles still say “Product of the U.S.A.” despite the company’s claims of Canadian production. 
• Kraft Heinz is Addressing the Issue:Kraft Heinz is working to clarify the packaging and highlight the Canadian-made nature of its products. 

According to Heinz:

In 2024, Kraft Heinz says the American bottles accounted for approximately 10 per cent of Heinz ketchup in Canada.

Generally, the company produces and bottles its Canadian ketchup in Mont Royal, using tomatoes from Leamington, Ont. Those bottles are labelled “Prepared in Canada,” as per Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidelines.

The vinegar, salt and spices are also sourced locally, but the sugar is imported, the company says.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/heinz-ketchup-usa-bottles-1.7444163

Primo Foods

Here’s a more detailed look:

• Canadian Ownership and Production: Primo Foods is a Canadian company based in Ruthven, Ontario, just outside of Leamington, a major tomato-growing region. 
• “Truly Canadian” Ketchup: Primo’s ketchup is marketed as being made with 100% Canadian tomatoes, using Canadian labor, and processed and packaged in Canada. 
• Parent Company: The parent company of Primo Foods is Sun-Brite Foods Inc 
• Other Products: Primo is known for its pasta sauces, tomatoes, and beans. 
• History: Primo pasta has been manufactured in their plant in Toronto since 1956. 

Bonus: Unico

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

• Canadian Roots: Unico was established in 1917 to cater to the growing Mediterranean community in Toronto, with the goal of becoming the country’s leading distributor of authentic Mediterranean ingredients and products. 
• Sun-Brite Canning Ltd. Acquisition: In 1997, Sun-Brite Canning Ltd., a family business located in Ruthven, Ontario, purchased Unico Inc. 
• “Unique” or “One of a Kind”: The company’s name, “Unico”, translates to “unique” or “one of a kind” in Italian. 
• International Network: While a Canadian company, Unico imports resources from other countries to develop an international network. 
• Headquarters: Unico’s corporate address is 8000 Keele Street, Concord, Ontario L4K 2A4. 

Canada Dry

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

• Origin and History: Canada Dry Ginger Ale originated in Canada, with John J. McLaughlin, a Canadian chemist and pharmacist, creating the drink in 1904. 
• Canadian Division: Canada Dry Mott’s, Inc., which operates as Keurig Dr Pepper Canada, is the Canadian division of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) and is responsible for manufacturing and distribution in Canada. 
• Global Production: While Canada Dry is produced in Canada, it is also manufactured in other countries, including the United States, Panama, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Japan, Turkey, and various European and Middle Eastern countries. 
• Ownership: Keurig Dr Pepper is an American company that owns the Canada Dry brand, which was spun off from Cadbury Schweppes in 2008.