Campbell’s has announced it will begin phasing out its “Designed in Canada” labels on soup cans sold in the country, following public criticism from Ontario Premier Doug Ford. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over the company’s branding practices, especially since its Canadian manufacturing operations were shut down in 2019.
In a statement, Campbell’s spokesperson James Regan clarified that while some products were developed by Canadian teams to match local taste preferences, the soups are manufactured outside of Canada. “This change should provide clarity moving forward,” Regan said, confirming that the “Designed in Canada” image will no longer appear on labels.
Premier Ford voiced his disapproval during a July 31 housing announcement in Thunder Bay, saying Canadians “shouldn’t be hoodwinked” by branding that suggests products are made locally. “They closed their plants here and moved everything down to the U.S. What sort of nonsense is that?” he said.
Campbell’s shut down its Etobicoke factory in 2019, cutting 380 jobs. Since then, its products have been manufactured in the U.S., although the company has retained its Canadian headquarters in Mississauga. Some items, like its broth products, are still made in Canada and carry the “Prepared in Canada” label with a maple leaf.
Ford’s comments also touched on the broader issue of domestic manufacturing. He called for reviving Canada’s aluminum can industry, lamenting that Canada currently lacks active rolling mills for can sheet production, despite having abundant raw aluminum in Quebec. “We can build anything here,” Ford said. “We’re an economic powerhouse.”
The controversy has sparked a broader conversation about product labelling standards. According to the Competition Bureau of Canada, terms like “Designed in Canada” are allowed as long as they are accurate and clearly understood to refer to a specific aspect of the product, not the entire manufacturing process.
Campbell’s, which rebranded in 2024 by dropping “Soup” from its company name to reflect its growing range of products, says it will continue to offer Canadian-specific recipes—even if they’re made elsewhere. But the labels, at least, will soon tell a clearer story.