For a few years, we’ve been force-fed the notion that red meat and processed meat products threaten our health. But the protein war between the livestock industry and plant-based supporters has taken an interesting twist. In 2015, the World Health Organization went as far as to say that processed meats were carcinogenic, adding them to […] Read more
Stories by Sylvain Charlebois
Canada’s first food policy is pointless
After more than two years of work and hearing from almost 45,000 Canadians, Agriculture Canada has released its first ever food policy. A total of $134 million will be spent to support this five-year plan that centres around four major pillars: food security, health, environment, and the sustainable growth of the agriculture and food sector. […] Read more
Canada’s food processing needs a lift
Maple Leaf Foods, the largest pork processor in the country, has opted to build its new meatless plant south of the border. The iconic Canadian food company recently announced plans to spend US$310 million on building a 230,000 sq. foot processing plant in Indiana where its Lightlife Burger will be made, along with other products. […] Read more
Scientists fixate on plant-based diet
When the prestigious medical journal The Lancet published a 51-page report this month laying out a plan for a sustainable “planetary diet” that transforms how we eat and live, it made a big splash. The group of 37 experts are members of the EAT-Lancet Commission, which was brought together by the Stockholm-based non-profit EAT, dedicated […] Read more
Online groceries change retail business
One after the other, grocers are going online. All of them, at some point over the last 12 months, have announced some sort of commitment to an e-commerce strategy. Costco launched its home delivery pilot in Ontario, while Maxi, Loblaws’ discount stores in Quebec, jumped on the virtual bandwagon with their Click and Collect program. […] Read more
Meat is not the ‘new tobacco’
The idea of having to pay a sin tax for environmentally detrimental foods is gaining support. For some, eating meat is a sin, and therefore meat products should be taxed like alcohol and tobacco. A new report published recently by a British group called Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return Initiative argues that a tax […] Read more
Loblaw, Weston bake the numbers, burn consumers in price-fix scandal
Most Canadians were stunned and dismayed to learn that the country’s leading grocer was caught in a price-fixing scheme with bread-maker George Weston Ltd., which is owned by the same company. The scheme lasted from 2001 to 2015. As a result, Loblaw Companies Ltd. fired several people and gave $25 gift certificates to millions of […] Read more
Tax reforms fail to understand ag sector
Until recently, two things were certain in life: death and taxes. We can now add a third one: botching the promotion of a tax reform for political gains. Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s tax reform has been a communications disaster. Claims about Ottawa’s intentions to revamp our tax system for small corporations have been ridiculous. Some […] Read more
Brazil in mother of all food fraud cases
Brazil, the largest exporter of meat products in the world, faces a food fraud crisis — and it seems federal authorities have been complicit. There’s a lesson here for Canada. Brazilian authorities recently announced they would investigate several companies, including meat packing giants JBS SA and BRF SA. The companies are accused of bribing licensed […] Read more
Cheap food challenges food industry
Making money in the food business isn’t nearly as simple as it once was. It’s becoming cheaper to buy food in Canada — prices fell in August for the first time in years in every province except Alberta. And the Statistics Canada data may indicate the start of significant ongoing food deflation. But while consumers […] Read more
