Determining Canadian Content Can Be Tricky: the case of Smart Sweets

Figuring out if a product is Canadian can be tricky. There are several questions to think about:

Update: Since this was originally posted, Smart Sweets has updated their website so that each item made in Canada is clearly noted on the individual product’s listing.

Is the product made by a Canadian Company? Is it manufactured in Canada? Do the ingredients come from Canada? On this site I’m focusing mainly on if a product is manufactured in Canada and to a lesser extent if the ingredients are coming from Canada as by my understanding that is what tariffs will impact on. Take for Example the Canadian company Smart Sweets, a Vancouver based company (majority owned by a USA based private equity firm) making delicious low sugar candies which you may have noticed at retailers in bright colourful packaging. The company’s website notes they’ve helped their customers avoid a total 6.2 billion grams of excess sugar since July 2016, which I take to mean they are manufacturing at a fairly large scale. The packaging I’ve reviewed only says “manufactured for Smart Sweets” and lists an address in Vancouver. I emailed the company and got a quick reply indicating that all Canadian plant-based gummies except for Gummy Worms are made in Canada and that they are working to update the packaging to make it clearer. Note the company sells several candies that don’t contain the word gummy, I’ve emailed back asking for clarification on where those products are made.

There is nothing wrong with a Canadian company having some manufacturing in the USA or elsewhere and until just recently the free trade agreements made it quite normal for products and ingredients to cross the border once or twice before reaching the customer. Companies like Smart Sweets will have to adapt to tariffs and increasing interest in buying Canadian made products, likely shifting their focus to selling their made in Canada products through their Canadian distributors and their made in USA products through their American distributors. I suggest all Canadians give Smart Sweets gummies a try, just avoid the Gummy Worms and try the Sweet Fish, Cola Gummies, Sourmelon Bites, Peach Rings, Sour Blast Buddies, Cinnamon Bears, Pink Lemonade Dream, or Tropical Sours.