Canadian, eh? Why some Heinz ketchup bottles still say 'Product of USA'

The plot has thickened in the Justin Trudeau-Heinz ketchup controversy, as consumers with bottles that say "Product of USA" question how Canadian the popular condiment really is.

Kraft Heinz took aim at the prime minister last week, saying comments he made in relation to a looming Canada-U.S. trade war gave the impression that Heinz ketchup was not made in Canada.

"HEINZ Ketchup is made in Canada, by Canadians, using Canadian tomatoes," Kraft Heinz said in a statement.

The company then ran a full-page ad in the Monday edition of the Globe and Mail, touting its Canadian identity. 

At least two dozen readers have contacted CBC since Trudeau's remarks, however, to say their Heinz ketchup bottles are labelled "Product of USA." Many sent photos to back up their claims.

Consumers reported American bottles in multiple provinces, in towns and cities spanning the country from Pender Island, B.C., to St. John's. So what's really happening? Kraft Heinz provided us with an answer.

American bottles shipped north when demand spikes: Kraft Heinz

In an email to CBC News, a Kraft Heinz spokesperson said ketchup produced in the U.S. is shipped to Canada only when there are "unanticipated increases in consumer demand" that cannot be met by the Canadian facility in Mont Royal, Que. The company also produces some specialty ketchups that cannot be made in Canada, so those bottles also have U.S. labelling.

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.

WATCH | The man who started the ketchup war:

The man who started the Ketchup Wars | The Ketchup War

2 months ago

Duration 1:22

When an Orillia, Ont. construction worker named Brian Fernandez saw a bottle of French’s ketchup at the grocery store, he made a Facebook post about his support for the made-in-Canada ketchup and went on with his day. He had no idea what he was about to kickstart with one simple post. Watch The Ketchup War on CBC Gem.

Company returned to Canadian tomatoes in 2022

In 2014, Kraft Heinz sold off its 100-year-old tomato processing plant in Leamington, leaving local farmers and workers in the lurch and setting off a rivalry with French's, the company that took over the factory and won over many patriotic Canadians in the process.

After fierce consumer backlash, Kraft Heinz returned to producing ketchup in Canada in 2020. The company went back to Canadian tomatoes, "with the first full crop occurring in 2022," according to the spokesperson.

Kraft Heinz says it uses more than 220 million pounds of tomatoes each year to make products like ketchup, tomato sauce and tomato juice, and it recently renewed its agreement with Highbury Canco to continue through 2027.

Politicians across the country have been encouraging consumers to buy Canadian, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened heavy tariffs on Canadian goods starting Feb. 1.

Last week, Trudeau urged consumers to seek out Canadian-made products to avoid U.S. imports. "The example from last time was Heinz's ketchup being replaced by French's ketchup because French's was still using Canadian tomatoes in its ketchup," he said.

While Trudeau's statement was not completely wrong — it is true that Kraft Heinz was not making ketchup in Canada from 2015 to 2020, and he was speaking about the past — the company said it was misleading, since it has moved its production back to Canada.

Kraft Heinz and French's are both based in the U.S. So, while both companies employ Canadian workers and use Canadian ingredients, profits still flow south of the border.