The dissapearance of Country Crock

Other / Canada

Today i’d like to talk about Country Crock and the overnight dissapearance of this marvelous spread.

Years ago I’d buy this odd margarine for a change of pace, it always tasted different then other spreads and was nice for a change.

One cold morning years ago after walking through 10 feet of snow to my local grocery,(OK Im exaggerating a little )  I was shocked.  Country Crock was no longer on the shelves! It had completely dissapeared.

How could this be?

A few years ago I contacted Country Crock asking why this product was no longer available in Canada. Was there something in the oils that is now prohibited from Canada?

The response was as follows:

Hello and thanks you for taking the time to contact Country Crock. This product has never been available in Canada, please ask your local grocerer to carry our products.  Thank you.

 Obviously, that got me nowhere. I’m not crazy, well for the most part i’m not. I know this product was once sold here, then suddenly dissapeared.

Perhaps the company changed hands, it wasn’t profitable enough in Canada, or one of the ingredients is prohibited.

Can anyone out there shed some light on Shedd’s Country Crock and its dissapearance?

Inquiring minds want to know.


56 responses to “The dissapearance of Country Crock”

  1. Boo Radley says:

    Interesting! 😀

    I’d say… you’re crazy and it was never sold here 😉

  2. Sally says:

    Lmao yah you would. Feel free to fix my grammar. I don’t feel up to it.

    Seriously it was sold here for years.

    I loved it on toast.

  3. benji says:

    You’re right..it was sold here…but I never noticed when it disappeared!

  4. ambie bambie says:

    it was sold here. it used to be my favorite but i stopped using it. maybe it was because they stopped selling it here. i work at a grocery store so i am going to ask my manager if she know’s why we don’t carry it anymore….spooky

  5. hm says:

    weird. and such a sketchy response from them. however, if this is a margarine-type product, that is probably one of the worst things one could consume, so it’s likely good to be gone. maybe the food regulators were doing us a service.

    • Jerry says:

      It’s not margarine. Basically what it is is butter mixed with canola oil and some light seasoning. You can do the same by adding canola oil to your own butter, mix it up and then store it in the fridge. I only use about one teaspoon of canola oil in with my butter and it never hardens in the fridge but stays nice and spreadable.

  6. nsangel says:

    Sally, if your crazy than so am i. because i was even able to buy this stuff a few weeks ago!

    the company is nuts.

  7. Sally says:

    Nsangel, a few weeks ago? Its been at least 5 years since I’ve been able to find it! Where did u buy it?

  8. Shelley says:

    I went looking for it a few weeks ago with no luck… My aunt used to use it and I would always have it on molasses cookies at her house, not only in Canada or Nova Soctia but Cape Breton!

  9. Tammy says:

    I know it was sold here as well, but could it be that maybe it was only seasonal? I remember I purchased mine near thanksgiving years ago. I now get mine in the states cause they have assorted flavors(I like the Honey spread)

    I don’t like the company’s response either. But it is possible that a sub-company has purchased the product in bulk and sold it to stores in Canada. I only suggest this cause I drive truck and I see how many times a product changes hands after it leaves the manufacturer(oh if you only knew the half of it).

    Maybe it will show up again.

  10. Curious George says:

    Yeah,
    could’t have bought this item here 2 weeks ago. I know like you that this product has been gone from Canada for a long while. Maybe this person went U.S shoppng and brought it home. I liked it too. I had to buy this item in the U.S. now. They would’t tell you the ingredient that was banned??

  11. kekes says:

    Used to buy it in Manitoba. I haven’t notice because once I moved to the country product choice was limited compared to the big city. and well … Im not driving and hour there and back for a special grocery trip! but yea, it was here, infact when it first came out I was on a plane trip with one of their reps. seated next to me. We talked about their products and they were so proud of Country Crock coming out at the time.

  12. AL says:

    Alex would know where to buy it? WM?

  13. CouponKristin says:

    Did it disappear at the time of trans-fats? I bet it’s loaded with them and couldn’t withstand the public pressure to take them out.

  14. Khristopher says:

    It most definitely was in Canada. I used to see it all the time in the stores.

    When oh when are you guys going to fix the comment box?!? The font is SO TINY!!

  15. Sally says:

    I don’t think its trans fats because they have trans fat free varieties, and it dissapeared before that.

    I only thought perhaps one of the oils was prohibited because one day on the Canada import site and saw somthing about certain ingredients.

    But it was never confirmed.

    I wish I could get a cleared answer from them.

    Kristopher, Really? Are you running IE? Its normal size for me.

  16. Tanya says:

    Country Crock is part of the Unilever group. I found an email address for you to write to them:
    [email protected]

    And I’m using Firefox and this font is so tiny I’m not sure I can even see what I’m writing…;)

    Good luck margarine hunting.

  17. I’ve only ever seen it at Safeway, but last time I was at one in Vancouver (like… a month or three ago) I saw it there.

  18. Anon says:

    “Unilever Canada Ltd turned Quebec’s margarine debate into a free trade issue as it battled against the provincial government in court last month over the color of its spread. A lawyer for Unilever called Quebec’s ban against yellow colored margarine an unfair restriction on trade.”

    They wouldn’t start putting in yellow die in the American factories for such a small market in Canada. That is why you no longer see the product up here.

  19. Jennifer says:

    that stuff was sold in Manitoba, I used to buy it before I started to care what I put in my body. All margarine are poison. Switch to butter, fewer ingredients!

  20. Sally says:

    Wow so it was a dye?

    How come some people are still finding it?

    I haven’t seen it for at least 5 years lol.

    Jennifer, I didn’t eat it all the time, just on occasion. I use PC brand of Almost like butter or something like that.

  21. Missy says:

    I had the same problem with Count Chocula Cereal. Found it at IGA in Quebec a few years ago but haven’t been able to find it since. I know they still sell it in the states along with Frankenberry and Booberry.

  22. Andy J says:

    I saw it in the Clearance section at a grocer in Aurora, Ontario. Maybe the distributer stopped carrying it?

    I can confirm it was sold here because the plastic tub had all information written in the both mandatory English and French.

  23. pippinelkhound says:

    I’ve seen it within the last five years at Safeway and StuporStore

  24. Ladyb says:

    I’ve seen it recently – it was either Giant Tiger or Wal Mart.

  25. L. Wilson says:

    I find this debate fascinating.

    I contacted Ruffles (Frito-Lay) recently, because I couldn’t find their Salt and Vinegar chips anywhere from Hamilton to London to Kitchener. Their response was similarly creepy (in a standard and unhelpful form letter).

    My Mom used to buy Country Crock in Michigan, because she could never find it over here, but that was years and years ago when I was growing up.

    I wonder what made you think of it again

  26. Sally says:

    I think of it time to time when I see the USA commercials. Its not on any Canadian channels.

    I just emailed them again. Perhaps I will call tommorow and get the low down on this debacle.

    On the email though there was no spot for provinces, USA only.

  27. Michelle says:

    I am sure that they had it at the Superstore in Burnaby, BC awhile ago, now I want to go shopping just to see if I can find it. I have an old Country Crock container holding clothes pegs in my laundryroom as we speak (well….type) so it was sold in Canada, unless its a total anomaly which I could therefore sell it on Ebay for millions like the toast that looked like Jesus or Brittany Spears or whatever it was.

  28. Sally says:

    Lol Michelle, theres nothing cooler then Michael Jackson toast Lol!

    Thanks for the laugh 🙂

    I don’t know about you but if my toast looked like Michael Jackson I’d probably faint in horror.

  29. benji says:

    Ooh…”it’s the dye”!

    Kinda like the tale that Smarties can’t be sold in the US because of something in the red dye?

    • Jase says:

      Smarties is a name of an entirely different candy in the US. It would be an uphill battle to rebrand it and compete against established M&M’s.

  30. Roxy says:

    It was sold here; I remember the commercials from when I was growing up and I found them sooooo annoying.

    It seems to be that if dye was the issue, then don’t sell it in Quebec. Lots of things are sold only in Quebec or not in Quebec but everywhere else. You got a lazy person in that department who gave you that answer.

    (And I am using FireFox and the font is tiny.)

  31. Khristopher says:

    I’m on Firefox. The font in the comment box is very tiny.

  32. Sally says:

    Hello Sally,

    Thanks for writing!

    Please call 1-866-561-1002, a Canadian representative will be more than happy to
    assist you.

    Kind regards,
    Your friends at Unilever

    Aw man, I got no further.

    Will call tommorow, I feel icky right now.

    Kristopher, Ill let Boo know.

  33. BreakAFortuneCookie says:

    My husband loooooved this stuff, and we were surprised when we couldn’t find it anymore either. He would love it if we found some! We looked high and low for it after it’s mysterious disappearance.

  34. Lana72 says:

    http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/food-beverage-stores/151334-1.html

    If you’re interested Sally, theres some insight into the “Oh No You Didn’t Just Take Away MY Country Crock” travesty. : )

  35. Sally says:

    Thanks so much for that link Lana.
    Im so confused though.

    My questions are.

    1. Why doesnt Quebec allow coloured margarines?

    2. So because of Quebecs yellow margarine ban they pulled it from all of Canada?

    3. Is this yellow margarine ban the most ridiculous thing ever?

  36. Wondering Goober says:

    Off topic, I just got back from US and while grocery shopping, it got me wondering…why Smuckers Goober peanut butter and jelly is not sold in Canada?

  37. Coupon Girl says:

    You are crazy! 😛 I have only seen it in the US.

  38. Sally says:

    I called Unilever today heres what I found out.

    Country crock has not been sold for many years in Canada. They discontinued it due to a marketing and projection of sales. She doesn’t even have Country crock on her information list since it hasn’t been sold for years in Canada.

    They as in Unilever have fleischmans(sp?), becel and I can’t believe its not butter.

    She recommended I try the newer ‘Becel buttery’ If I enjoyed country crock.

    It had zero to do with the yellow margarine controversy in Quebec.

    Extremely wonderful customer service today and well informed answers from Unilever, so kudos to them for that.

    Mystery solved!

  39. nsangel says:

    sally, lemme check this weekend, it would either be superstore or sobeys (east coast canuckland). but yeah, pretty sure i bought it when they ran out of my favorite healthy whatever it’s called.

    how come after 5 years, your just missing it now? LMAO! boo must be stressing you out.

  40. nsangel says:

    OMG I ATE 5 YEAR OLD MARGARINE??

    that wouldn’t surprise me, i bought 6 month past the expiry date sauerkraut at chris bros.. man was that stuff green. they closed up shop..wonder why???

  41. Sally says:

    Lmao Nsangel, that darn Boo eh!

    No I just think of it time to time again and hadn’t made a random blog post for a long time so I figured I’d share 🙂

  42. Franck Lalande says:

    Last time I ate country crock margarine was at MacDonalds with the Pancakes….

    In Orleans, Ottawa Ontario Canada

    But they don’t always have it.

  43. couponfreak says:

    Well now that you have discovered the great Country crock mystery..how about Chicken Tonight the commercial is stuck in my head.Also missing Fruity pebbles(flintstone cereal),and the before mentioned Count chocola. also there is this toothpaste I have always bought in the states one side was toothpaste and the other was a peroxide type mix I want to say it was called mentadent why cant we get the cool stuff here?

  44. Carol says:

    sometimes small companies will buy american products and sell it in canada. so it was prob. not 5 year old marg. lol

  45. Monika says:

    It was sold here. I watched a review on you tube and when you fry with it it turns into plastic. Thank God we live in a country that banned that crap. Just giving everyone a heads up.

  46. Dave says:

    Who cares, it was CRAP anyway.

  47. Rob says:

    It’s in me fridge.

  48. George says:

    I was a employee at a grocery store when it was pulled off the shelves; I was told health Canada ordered it pulled due to Cancer risk of one of the oils used to make the product.

  49. yvonne szakallos says:

    I’m totally alergic to butter and milk I can’t use any cows milk products even in Baking. While wintering in Florida this past season I tried Country Crock for the first time and was delighted with it. There was absolutely no alergic reaction. I brought some back with me. Now I’m shocked to find its not available in Canada.

  50. John says:

    I loved country crock when i was a kid until it disapeared in the 1990’s montreal quebec canada


















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