Bread-price fixing class action won’t include Maple Leaf, judge rules
When the class-action lawsuit was originally certified in an Ontario court in 2021 against several grocery retailers and other food companies, Maple Leaf was not included.
An Ontario Superior Court judge has rejected a motion to include Maple Leaf Foods in a class-action lawsuit concerning the bread-price fixing scandal.
When the class-action lawsuit was initially certified in 2021 against various grocery retailers and food companies, Maple Leaf was not part of the case.
Last month, plaintiffs, backed by Canada Bread Co., argued that Maple Leaf should be named as a defendant due to its former ownership of the company.
In 2023, Canada Bread was fined by the Competition Bureau after admitting to four counts of price-fixing. As part of the class-action lawsuit, Canada Bread has contended that Maple Leaf, its majority owner at the time, should bear the responsibility for the actions.
Maple Leaf sold Canada Bread to Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo for $1.8 billion in February.
This class-action lawsuit is one of two that have been filed in the wake of an ongoing investigation by the Competition Bureau into an alleged conspiracy within the industry to fix bread prices.
