CFIA reverses decision to flag wine from two West Bank wineries as mislabelled
TORONTO — Wines from the West Bank can continue to be sold in Canada with the label “Product of Israel,” the federal food inspection agency said Thursday, reversing an earlier decision that drew condemnation from Jewish groups.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s initial decision — deeming the wines mislabelled — had led the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to ask vendors to stop selling and importing wines from the Psagot Winery and Shiloh Winery since their grapes were grown, fermented and processed in an area where the CFIA said the federal government doesn’t recognize Israel’s control.
The CFIA said Thursday afternoon it had not fully considered the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement when dealing with the matter.
“The Canadian Food Inspection Agency regrets the outcome of the wine labelling assessment which led to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s response regarding products from two wineries labelled as ‘Product of Israel,’” the CFIA said in a statement.