Walmart says Canadian parents love barbecuing but they often struggle to get their kids to enjoy it, too. According to a survey commissioned by Walmart Canada, 98 per cent of parents with a BBQ enjoy barbecuing, but nearly half (47%) of kids aged six to 11, dislike at least one aspect of foods cooked on the BBQ. One in three …

Iconic brand aims to stand out from its competitors Text by Kelly Townsend From Tony the Tiger to Buzz the Bee, the right mascot can be an essential part of creating lasting brand recognition for any food product. It was with this in mind that Planters Canada, owned by Johnvince Foods, launched its new peanut butter product with a focus …

Branching out to the beverage industry, Christie Lohr, Founder of Style Nine to Five and Beauty Nine to Five, and Jesse Bannister, launch Bev Nine to Five, an online job board for Toronto and Vancouver connecting beverage industry experts with the finest companies and the dream jobs they serve up. Extending the Nine to Five brand to other industries aside …

Market research firm Canadean’s latest long-term beverage predictions highlight the increasing importance of emerging markets. By 2021, Asia is predicted to contribute two-thirds of global incremental beverage consumption, with China alone responsible for one-third of the additional volume. Latin America is expected to achieve the second-highest incremental volume growth behind Asia, with Brazil the key contributor to the regional increase. …

Canadian celebrity chef shares insights from surveying how Canada eats Text by Kelly Townsend Canada is a country of rich and versatile flavours, and no one knows that better than Ricardo Larrivée, who has turned a love of cooking into a recognizable brand name with his own cooking show, a long-standing radio show with CBC and a magazine. His most …

Cluster impacts the value-added sector in Saskatchewan and across Canada Text by  Hermione Wilson The Agri-Food Innovation Cluster (AgFIC) was designed by scientists to fill the gaps that were impeding research and innovation and ultimately industry growth. Formed in 2015 by the University of Saskatchewan, POS Bio-Sciences and the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre (or simply the Sk. Food Centre), AgFIC …

Welcome back to the Regulatory Arena. We promised you an “issues facing industry” focus this year, and I’m hoping this installment doesn’t disappoint. One of the big issues I see in my practice relates to product classification: is my product a food or a natural health product (“NHP”)? It’s no secret that over the years many “food” manufacturers have taken …

Dumas versus Kjeldahl Text by Paola Ornaghi The Dumas high temperature combustion technique was first introduced in 1833 and although it was initially found to have shortcomings, current, modern-day fully automated systems are fully compliant with internationally recognized methods that include AOAC 99 series, CS Ba series, ISO 16634 series and more.  There are key advantages that the Dumas-based method …

Setting quality specifications and improving shelf life

Consumer appetite for healthy, local and 100% Canadian is good for business Text by  Theresa Rogers The New Year started with what has been dubbed “The Ketchup Wars”, when a Facebook post prompted a mess in the condiment aisles of grocery stores all over the country. Seizing consumers’ appetite for “Canadian” ketchup, Primo Foods entered the fray, launching its own …