For many years, observers have speculated that the price-fixing culture in the food industry might extend beyond just bread and also impact other sections of the grocery store, including meat. In 2017, when Loblaw and Weston Bakeries admitted guilt for fixing bread prices for 14 years, they also implicated Empire/Sobeys, Metro, Giant Tiger, Walmart, and Canada Bread.
Initially, all companies denied involvement, but Canada Bread, under new ownership, recently admitted their role and paid a $50-million fine, revealing a link between bread and meat price-fixing.Canada Bread was owned by Maple Leaf Foods during most of the 14 years when the alleged bread price-fixing scheme was ongoing. The email from 2007, likely written by Michael McCain himself, suggested that a “new pricing strategy” could be considered for other food categories, including meat.
For months now, many Canadians have accused the food industry of gouging consumers, citing “record profits” recorded by many companies. Coping with market conditions and higher operational costs is one thing, but colluding and breaking the law is an entirely different matter. The accusation of price-fixing, if proven true, strikes at the very core of fair competition, stifling the fundamental principles that govern a healthy market.
When corporations conspire to manipulate prices, consumers become the ultimate victims, forced to bear the burden of unjustified costs while their trust in the system erodes.