I was very fortunate to be offered a trip abroad in early April 2019 to the Italian region of Emilia–Romagna, courtesy of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Ontario. The goal for this trip was to take Canadian chefs and introduce them to the regional products and producers that make Emilia-Romagna so unique. In turn, having the information and the appreciation to educate our guests back home and becoming unofficial ambassadors of the Italian products we encountered. I learned that, In Canada, our rules for labeling foreign foods are lax and it’s difficult to regulate all the items coming through our borders. Unfortunately, some companies recognize this and can misrepresent products to the uneducated consumer, who often purchase over priced imitation products.