Nutrition North retailers must hand over profit margin data

Funding agreements for all Nutrition North-registered retailers now include a clause requiring them to make profit margin data available to independent auditors.

The Harper government made the announcement in a news release April 1.

Theissue has sparked controversy since the food subsidy program, which gives money directly to retailers, first began. Without profit margin data, consumers wondered how the government could know retailers were passing on the subsidy.

Mark Strahl, the parliamentary secretary for the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, told CBC Nunavut about the changes last month.

"I would think that retailers should be eager to show customers who are purchasing their products that they are passing along those subsidies to them," Strahl said at the time.