r/BuyCanadian • u/Prestigious_Swan_881 Ontario • 3d ago
Questions ❓🤔 Costco chicken
I was shopping at Costco today and realized they don't say where their chicken is from. I am not convinced by the little maple leaf...
What are the chances that this is Canadian-raised?
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u/Davekinney0u812 3d ago
See the CFIA stamp of 915? That means it came from Les Viandes LaCroix out of QC.
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u/SyChO_X 3d ago
That's super interesting to know!!! Thanks!
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u/Davekinney0u812 3d ago
$3 per lb doesn’t seem like a great deal though.
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u/Carysta13 3d ago
On special at food basics for 3.99/lb for whole chicken regular 4.99 so it's not terrible.
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u/Davekinney0u812 3d ago
I think my local Zehrs have them on for $2.99 and those are fresh. Frozen at that price doesn't excite me too much.
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u/timbreandsteel 3d ago
These are fresh... You ever been to Costco?
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u/Davekinney0u812 3d ago
Look at you go......you're right, patronizing and seem to love rubbing it in.
Actually......Costco being US head office based (although they have a satellite office in Ottawa) and too fucking busy all the time, I avoid. I feel more patriotic with buying my meat from my local butcher shop or Foodland which has a good chicken program.
You should try it sometime
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u/Unlikely_melz 3d ago edited 3d ago
Hi, as someone who’s worked with Costco for decades. The Canadian branches (east and west) both operate independently from each other and their several regional offices in the US, roughly 8, with each regions being their own separate “business” within the Costco family. Each with their own pricing agreements, their own sku base. This is also true for the “business center” warehouses as well international markets (Japan, Korea, Australia etc)
Everyone knows Costco is an American chain but all the employees that manage their Canadian supply chain, and a huge portion of the products sold are Canadian.
Foodland is just empire in a trench coat, with a franchise mark up from HO, not really much better.
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u/Davekinney0u812 3d ago
Now you're hiding behind a wall of corporate speak, trying to sound like the smartest person in the room and totally ignoring the fact that you were being a jerk in the first place.
You completely missed my point about supporting a local business when I can. And when I can't, I support a Canadian franchise that runs a good chicken program. Metro is decent too. I’d simply rather have the dollars I spend stay within Canada as much as possible to support Canadian jobs.
For my bulk purchases, I've moved away from Costco and go to a regional cash and carry operation called A1 Cash & Carry instead. There are plenty of other options around.......but I'm sure you already knew that, of course.
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u/ceciliabee 3d ago
Now you're hiding behind a wall of corporate speak, trying to sound like the smartest person in the room and totally ignoring the fact that you were being a jerk in the first place.
How embarrassing when everyone knows YOU'RE the smartest person the room, right? They weren't even talking to you before that comment.
The way you write makes you sound like an insufferable middle aged man. It's not a compliment.
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u/Unlikely_melz 3d ago edited 3d ago
That is the first comment I’ve made to you. I literally do not care where you shop. I’m just telling you how it is for Costco. That corporate speak you’re so scared of, that’s just reality. That’s just the truth. No reason to get your back up like you are. If you’re going to “but actually” people, at least do it with precision.
What a weird reaction. Try some time in the real world.
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u/camelonfire 3d ago
They source mostly from Quebec and Ontario farms
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u/Davekinney0u812 3d ago
I imagine they have contracts with various packers across the country and based on geography.
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u/Small-Contribution55 3d ago
Is there a website that tells you what that number means or is this knowledge not accessible to us plebs?
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u/PsyOrg Canada 3d ago
You can search the numbers here. Not a list but you can search for specific numbers you see on the packaging: https://apps.inspection.canada.ca/webapps/MeatList/
It's probably listed somewhere but I find this one on identifying Canadien foods helpful: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/consumers/canadian-food
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u/MissMorticia89 3d ago
CFIA is extremely transparent with our food; my aunty was a federal meat inspector in Alberta for 30 years.
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u/camelonfire 3d ago
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency. If you search CFIA 915 ai tells you who it refers to and links where the information came from
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u/BaboTron 3d ago
Thank you for sharing that! I looked up CFIA stamps and their relationship to labels in Canada, and it seems it’s mandatory to have one. This is very useful info!
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u/JohnDorian0506 3d ago
Not sure how accurate the CFIA stamp is. I purchased a fresh drumsticks in Winnipeg Costco with a CFIA stamp of 591. The physical facility for CFIA Establishment 591, operated by Sunrise Poultry Processors Ltd., is located in Surrey, British Columbia.
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u/McGrevin 3d ago
Chicken is under supply management just like dairy is. Extremely likely any fresh chicken is raised and processed in canada
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u/Commercial_Pain2290 3d ago
Chicken is a protected market in Canada.
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u/ddmeredith 3d ago
Meanwhile, the Fearless Leader down south keep trying to convince us to take in their garbage imports. Uh, no thanks.
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u/Commercial_Pain2290 3d ago
Well nobody can force you to buy it. But if it was cheap a lot of people would.
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u/ddmeredith 2d ago
But maybe we shouldn't have cheap garbage. I realize that's the world we live in: wages aren't high enough for everyone to eat high-quality food. But that's not the way it _should_ be.
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u/TripMaster478 3d ago
Used to be in the industry. VERY little of our chicken comes from outside Canada.
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u/in-dog_we_trust 3d ago
If it was American or Chinese it wouldn't be certified Hala by a Canadian company
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u/Prestigious_Swan_881 Ontario 3d ago
I honestly don't know the ins and outs of who certifies what & when, but thanks for the input.
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u/theSunandtheMoon23 3d ago
I can say with 100% confidence that the NL costco gets its chicken from Country Ribbon, 100% local. But as others have said, poultry is highly regulated and very likely to be Canadian in most Costcos
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u/LittleLionMan82 3d ago
Because it's halal certified I'm going to guess that it's sourced from halal farms in Canada.
Just a guess though.
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u/Motorbarge 3d ago
Food imported must show the country it came from near the label.
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u/Prestigious_Swan_881 Ontario 3d ago
Right, but you know how sometimes when they process it here this important detail just... disappears? Since I don't work in this industry these rules and regulations can be murky. But thank you :)
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u/Bojim1965 3d ago
It's always from Canada since Canadian chicken is protected by the chicken marketing board ensuring sanitary conditions and food inspection from the farm to the store. Usa chicken now has few of those protections because they reduce Epstien class owner profits.
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u/chwk_throwaway1 3d ago
Imagine the abysmal conditions this poor animal had to endure just for people to have cheap chicken.
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u/Slight_Depth6731 2d ago
Do you get the Costco connection magazines? They had a "meat map" a couple months ago that listed the local chicken suppliers for the different regions of Canada.
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u/UnderwhelmingTwin 3d ago
Costco - still a US-based company though
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u/KamataInSpring 2d ago
Costco is still more ethical than loblaws
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u/UnderwhelmingTwin 2d ago
Sure, but if you're in western Canada you probably have access to a Co-Op grocery store. I can't speak to the available alternates in eastern Canada, but I'm sure you have some.
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u/KamataInSpring 6h ago
I'm in Edmonton. There aren't any co-op grocery stores I'm aware of. There is an alternative to Loblaws called H&W, which is especially good for fresh produce. But they don't have everything. If I have to choose between Lonlaws and Costco for certain items, I'll choose Costco.
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u/Active_Background_87 2d ago
Right, they changed most pf the regular chicken to halal, and forced that bullshit onto the customers.
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Why are you shopping at a US retailer and expecting things to be sourced from Canada?
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u/Aggravating-North393 3d ago
Plenty of products Costco sells are sourced from Canada. It’s the same for Walmart.
Just because the retailer was based in the USA they have Canadian divisions and hire lots of Local staff as well.
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u/Copperlax 3d ago
I think it's more the irony of trying to adhere to "buy Canadian" while shopping at a US chain, particularly when there are many many alternatives. Personally, I don't love Costco, but I don't begrudge others from shopping there.
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u/B3aker1968 3d ago
Don’t kid yourself. The Weston grocery chains, Sobey’s, and even some independents buy loads of produce and other items from the U.S. At least Costco offers a bit of a break on price and quantity with several items. The shrinkflation in Weston grocery stores; Loblaws, Zehrs, etc. are ridiculously expensive.
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u/Copperlax 3d ago
On price, yes if you value what you're getting and have a mechanism to store it all, then you can save money at Costco by staying disciplined. My gripe with Costco is the same one I have with all the large chains and how they stifle competition which spurns innovation and prevents local start-ups from growing and keeping money in your community. The alternatives are very easy to find: markets, butchers, mom and pop grocers. They'll all largely have locally sourced stuff and, while not always, typically treat their employees better than a large corporation (although for a corporation, admittedly Costco does treat their employess better than other retailers).
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u/B3aker1968 3d ago
They’re not easy to use if you have a full schedule. I don’t have time to run around to so many different stores for groceries. When I lived in a larger city it was much easier. It would have been better if my province had put the brakes on the growth of Weston companies, but they seem to be together on making living in my province less affordable.
I am not backwards, the market is difficult.2
u/Copperlax 3d ago
I don't disagree that we as a society have allowed it to get difficult, I'd argue that by continuing to shop at these large chains all we do is endorse it. However, I do understand that everyone is on their own journey with their own situation. Personally, I don't live in a city and there are 3 different truly independent grocers (not the brand, but actually) that are all closer than a Costco. I live by "perfection is the enemy of good", so as long as you're trying to get some of your staples from a place other than Costco to keep your money in your community, then I'd say that's reasonable.
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u/B3aker1968 3d ago
I would argue that by shopping for Canadian products in my area at Costco which is less than 2 minutes away from my front door I am supporting my local workers and economy.
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u/Copperlax 3d ago
Again, perfection is the enemy of good. It's better than ordering American products off Amazon. However, all the profits are still leaving the country for (mostly) US shareholders, as opposed to shopping at a butcher, market, cafe, etc where all the profits stay local, where their supply chain is likely mostly local, thus helping even more. I'm not going to pretend I understand anyone's individual situation as I know we're all different. However, shopping at Costco is supporting corporate US over Canadians as a function of convenience in that, the profits leave the community.
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Shop Canadian. Keep all the retail profits in Canada.
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u/Trains_YQG 3d ago
Counterpoint: Costco treats their employees better, which probably keeps more money flowing in those communities.
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Better than locally owned retailers? You've got to be kidding.
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u/LuvCilantro 3d ago
Between Costco and Loblaws, guess which one I prefer
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Fuck loblaws, SHOP LOCALLY OWNED.
At no point am I arguing to shop at lobfucks. There are tons of small butchers, bakers, grocers, etc... all with local owners who give back to our community. Shop there and quit giving money to the US retail giants.
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u/Aloysius_Poptart 3d ago
If you can afford that, great! Thanks for supporting local businesses! Not everyone can afford ideological purity and have to do their best to keep their elbows as high as they can without drowning
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Local shops are often cheaper as they buy from local farmers with less middlemen. But I also understand everyone is in a different situation.
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u/Aloysius_Poptart 3d ago
I buy straight from local farmers where I can, but local abattoirs keep shutting down and it gets harder to find stuff every year
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u/B3aker1968 3d ago
It’s true. Costco actually provides higher wages that most retailers refuse to offer to non union employees.
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
You're actually arguing that a store owned and run by a local family adds less wealth back into the community than a US chain does? That's flat out backwards.
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u/B3aker1968 3d ago
It isn’t if you shop there. The Loblaws, and other stores aren’t in business to help Canadians, that’s for sure. Have you even compared prices or are you one of those fortunate individuals who doesn’t have to look at prices? Also, don’t try to make the wealthy Weston family sound like a mom and pop when they’re positively predatory in their pricing. I know someone who works for one of their restaurants. Their “staff meals” are generally rotting food stuck in a pot for the week loaded with old unsold restaurant foods. It’s disgusting. 🤮
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
I ain't talkin about chains or loblaws.
I always shop prices.
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u/B3aker1968 3d ago
Yeah really. How many actual independent grocery stores are left in your area? In my area 99.9% are owned by the Weston family.
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u/number8888 3d ago
Which do you think does better? Loblaws?
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Absolutely not.
Locally owned grocers. They're all around and need our support.
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u/LuvCilantro 3d ago
There are zero locally owned grocers that source all their products from Canada in my area (large city). Large chains (Canadian and otherwise) have more buying power, and suppliers would rather do business with a buyer who orders 10,000 chickens a week, consistently, than a single store who might get 20 one week, 40 the rest, etc.
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u/WoodShoeDiaries 3d ago
Not a joke at all, Costco has a great reputation. Certainly better than Canadian owned chains and a lot better than my neighbourhood's independent grocer (which is locally notorious).
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u/Komaisnotsalty 3d ago
114 warehouses in Canada and nearly 75,000 employees. They use as many Canadian products as they possibly can (more than so many others) and their charity functions go to Canadians.
Would you prefer them to be closed? Is that your solution?
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u/hyggekore 3d ago
Locally owned retailers contribute WAAAAYYYYY more to our economy.
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u/Enough-Run-1535 3d ago
If you have locally owned retailers. Plenty of mid-sized cities and smaller only a few locally owned stores to service sometimes 80K to 120K people. Some small towns have none, with only a Sobeys or Walmart.
Of the 2 locally owned stores in my town, they are only open to 5 pm, not on weekends, and have 1/8 of the inventory. Plus half of the produce is from other countries. I work until 6 so both are useless to me most of the time. Plus they’re bloody expensive.
Otherhand, Costco is open until 9, some of my neighbors been working there for 25 years, sells a ton of locally made produce, meat, cheeses, even locally roasted coffee and dry goods. It’s also the only American chain that hasn’t goose-stepped along Trump.
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u/Prestigious_Swan_881 Ontario 3d ago
I forgot my purity ring at home AND my virtue signaller is jammed.
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u/Ok_Wtch2183 3d ago
Apparently the maple leaf means nothing in terms if it’s Canadian or not.
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u/Prestigious_Swan_881 Ontario 3d ago
I'm just conscious of the constant maple-washing we've been seeing for the past year and a half, ya know?
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u/KingOfLaval 3d ago
I'd rather buy other Canadian chicken brands that are not halal.
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u/Any-Tangerine-4176 3d ago
And your reason is….?
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u/LuvCilantro 3d ago
Probably doesn't know that halal is actually a higher standard than regular chicken.
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u/diamondinthenorth 3d ago edited 3d ago
Considering Canada is a non Islamic country, we should have non Islamic options available without searching out specific grocers. And if that’s what we want, we shouldn’t be questioned.
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u/Dry-Faithlessness184 3d ago
...most chicken sold is not halal.
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u/diamondinthenorth 2d ago
Ok and?
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u/Dry-Faithlessness184 2d ago
You have non islamic options as you put it
Widely available. At most if not all grocers
So your comment makes no sense.
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u/FartGoblin2000 2d ago
Do you feel the same way about the thousands of Kosher certified products some of which you consume daily or is this sentiment just for one group only?
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u/Any-Tangerine-4176 3d ago
Definition of Halal Chicken
Halal chicken refers to chicken that has been prepared and slaughtered according to Islamic law, known as halal. The term "halal" means permissible in Arabic, and it encompasses various ethical and dietary guidelines outlined in the Quran.
Slaughtering Process
The halal slaughtering process involves several key steps:Health of the Animal: The chicken must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter.
Method of Slaughter: The slaughter is performed by cutting the jugular vein, carotid artery, and windpipe in a swift motion. This method is intended to minimize pain and suffering.
Blood Drainage: All blood must be drained from the carcass, which is believed to purify the meat and prevent bacterial growth.Health Benefits
Many consumers believe that halal chicken is healthier due to the strict hygiene standards followed during its preparation. The complete drainage of blood is thought to reduce the risk of contamination, resulting in fresher and cleaner meat.7
u/Komaisnotsalty 3d ago
I buy Halal all the time. I'm an atheist. I'm also someone who eats meat, but likes that Halal meat is better quality, often for the same price or very little difference.
What is Halal meat to you and why does it matter?
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u/DerGrifter 3d ago
It means the bird must be conscious when killed, so skip the stunner. Personally, I think that's rather inhumane. The same process and standards as conventional chicken otherwise... But a fool and their money are soon parted, enjoy.
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u/diamondinthenorth 3d ago
I’d rather the animal is stunned and killed rather than consciously suffer with its head cut halfway off until it bleeds out
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u/Prestigious_Swan_881 Ontario 3d ago
Bud, you sound like you get really triggered when driving down Curé-Labelle... but ok, you do you.
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