Six Apps That Make Shopping Canadian Easier

At the grocery store and not sure how to tell if the products you’d typically grab are truly Canadian? Well, there’s an app for that (actually, there are quite a few). 

These apps—which generate information based on a product’s barcode—aim to help you understand just how Canadian your groceries are, because it can get confusing. I took 13 for a test drive during my weekly grocery shop. Based on my experience, here are six worth checking out.  

Canly

This app provides a detailed set of product information, including its country of origin and where its parent brand is headquartered. I tried it and found the app easy to use and understand. I was happy to find out my go-to granola bars are Canadian (but I had to come to terms with the fact it might be time to switch to a different brand of chewing gum). 

Canadian Made 

The Canadian Made App sources product information from World Open Food Facts and Made in CA. The app includes a searchable product list and a news tab with tailored content surrounding tariffs, trade, recalls and a directory of local businesses across Canada. I found its search function slower than that of other apps I tried, but the information provided was clear and accurate and I appreciated the additional in-app info. 

CanMade

Beyond providing information on a product’s parent company, manufacturing and any additional products from the same brand, CanMade has a variety of additional features that make it unique among the bevy of CanCon apps I tested. The lists tab allows you to make grocery lists and keep track of what percentage of items on your list are Canadian, while a tariff search allows you to see whether a specific item is impacted by tariffs. I tried it and found the amount of information helpful. I loved creating lists of my personal grocery essentials and finding out how Canadian they are (though I had some difficulty adding items manually without a bar code). 

RedLeaf 

RedLeaf allows you to scan a product or search for it by name, providing easy to read information on its parent company and ingredients, as well as its manufacturing. I found it simple to use, but less comprehensive than many other options. It didn’t return  information for some of the products I scanned, including a household cleaner for which product info was widely available on other apps, and provided inaccurate “likely Canadian” results for others—including my most definitely American-made gum.

O SCANada

This app—developed by a Calgary-based mother and son— provides in-depth grocery product information, including company ownership, manufacturing locations, the number of Canadians employed by the company and where each ingredient is sourced. It also provides a list of alternative or similar Canadian products for each item scanned. I tried it and found the amount of information provided very useful. Scanning a jar of tomato sauce, for instance, told me that its ingredients were sourced from Italy and prepared in Quebec by a Canadian-owned company. 

Is This Canadian?

This app provides a detailed breakdown of a product’s ingredients, manufacturing and parent company. Its most useful feature, however, is its  “find alternative tab,” which provides multiple substitutions for American products from Canadian and international brands. When scanning a case of Coca-Cola, for example, it suggested PC Cola and Jones Soda as Canadian alternatives. 

Find out more easy ways to shop Canadian.