Canada Bread refutes allegations of a price-fixing scheme in its court submission.
The bakery supplier, which confessed to engaging in price-fixing earlier this year, asserts in recent court documents that any involvement in anti-competitive practices was carried out under the guidance and for the advantage of its former majority owner, Maple Leaf Foods.
In its response to a class-action lawsuit accusing it of a bread price-fixing scheme, Canada Bread Co. Ltd. refutes any involvement in a “prolonged, extensive conspiracy” to manipulate bread prices. The company also rejects claims of benefiting from the alleged conspiracy or from the price hikes it admitted to as part of the Competition Bureau’s investigation.
“To the extent that Canada Bread profited from any actionable anti-competitive behaviour, all of the material benefit accrued to Maple Leaf,” the company said its statement filed to Ontario Superior Court on Oct. 25.
Suzanne Hathaway, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Communications at Maple Leaf, dismissed claims of inappropriate pricing behavior at Canada Bread during Maple Leaf’s ownership as “completely baseless,” as stated in an email.