Holy cow, or should I say holy plant — there’s a lot to choose from when you head to the meat aisle at the grocery store. With time, and as demand for niche food rises, consumers will have even more options available than ever before. Recently, I got a little confused with all that’s in… Read More
For those who handle the grocery shopping in the household, you might be surprised to hear that recent run ups in grocery store prices are somewhat of an anomaly. As Kevin Grier, with KG Market Analysis and Consulting explains, price inflation of grocery items has actually been low to negative in the past few years,… Read More
Some things are a fad — like fanny packs — whose popularity seems inexplicable, but wanes quickly. A fad, even as terrible as a fanny pack, can and does come full circle, as it is now, but it’s rare that its popularity will stand the test of time. A trend, however, is usually larger, more… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has announced it will be fining food businesses for violating federal food safety rules. Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) can range from a notice of violation with no monetary fine to as serious as up to $15,000 for serious offences or repeat violators. The penalties have been used in the… Read More
Canadian supply chain data platform, TrustBIX, has officially gone public as of Tuesday morning, listing on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) in Canada. Formerly known as Reco Northern Alberta Inc. (RNAI), the Edmonton-based company merged with ViewTrak Technologies Inc., to create TrustBIX. The new company focuses on the supply chain of agricultural products, as well… Read More
Canada, and Western Canada specifically, has been incredibly successful at growing millions of acres of plant-based protein in the form of peas, chickpeas, and canola meal. With a few exceptions, nearly all processing of Canada’s pulse crops happens outside of the country. Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, has been tasked with changing that…. Read More
Dairy giant Saputo has completed its transaction to purchase Dairy Crest, a United Kingdom-based dairy company. The final sale for £975 million (approximately $1.7 billion) was first announced on February 22, 2019, and finalized April 15, 2019. According to a news release, Dairy Crest manufactures and markets cheese, butters, spreads and oils, under leading British… Read More
La Broquerie, Manitoba-based HyLife announced today it is being bought by Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl (CPF) for $498 million. HyLife is a vertically-integrated pork production company, from feed processing, to hog production, and pork processing and distribution of pork products. HyLife employs over 2,500 people, and has processing plants in Canada, including Neepawa, Man.,… Read More
With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill in the United States, the hemp industry is looking for a major boom for the crop. Long looked upon as a food and fibre play, hemp’s latest opportunity is CBD. According to a CNN Business story Carl’s Jr planned to test a CBD-infused burger on April 20th… Read More
The Canadian dairy industry has made great strides in cow comfort over the past 20 years. It’s a story EastGen genetics veterinarian Dr. Tim Henshaw feels all dairy farmers should be actively telling all friends, neighbours ,and consumers within earshot. From mats and bedding for cows to lie on, to adequate stall space and better… Read More
Perhaps lost in the hustle and bustle of the USMCA trade dealings is the fact that Canada did retaliate against the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs with tariffs of our own on over 40 grocery and food related items. The full brunt of those tariffs is likely just beginning to be felt at the consumer… Read More
While attending the Council of Dairy Farmers of Quebec’s annual general meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the federal government is providing $376,668 to the Cheese Expertise Centre (CEC). This money will go into two projects to keep Canadian cheese makers “competitive and innovative,” according to Bibeau. “With the assistance provided by… Read More
If you had to name the top four food and farming-related topics discussed on social media in the last two years, would cannabis top the list? Possibly, given the lead-up to changed legislation last fall, but would you have guessed climate change taking the second spot? A new study led by the Canadian Centre for… Read More
Following the recent release of Canada’s Food Guide, Dalhousie University launched a survey to judge awareness, understanding, and affordability of the new guide. Led by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, senior director at the Dalhousie University Agrifood Analytics Lab, the study suggests that although more than one-quarter of those surveyed say the new Food Guide recommendations are not affordable,… Read More
Researchers in Ontario are working on establishing safe use guidelines for meloxicam, a pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication, in grain-fed veal production. The product is currently approved for use in dairy and beef cattle, but not for veal as there is no established withdrawal interval. Two University of Guelph professors, Dr. Ron Johnston and Dr. Dave… Read More