The federal government announced new labelling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef (MTB) to help consumers know when they are buying MTB products and how to cook them. All MTB products sold in Canada must be clearly labelled as “mechanically tenderized,” and include instructions for safe cooking. The new labels will emphasize the importance of cooking MTB to a minimum internal …

Sobeys is trying to tackle poor food knowledge in Canada with its inaugural $500,000 donation to Free the Children to co-develop Home Cook Heroes, a National food skills program. It’s the next step in Sobeys’ better food journey that kicked off last fall with a partnership with Jamie Oliver. Better Food Fund supports access to and the advancement of better …

The University of British Columbia’s Sea Around Us project has received $2.6 million (U.S.) from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to provide African and Asian countries with more accurate and comprehensive fisheries data to help them better analyze and support their ocean resources and local economies. “This generous support will help UBC fisheries researchers work with countries to better …

Real Canadian Superstore locations in western Canada are making it easier for consumers to make nutritious food choices when shopping for groceries by launching the Guiding Stars program in British Columbia and Alberta. Guiding Stars is an objective, nutrition navigation program, providing at-a-glance nutritional ratings for foods found throughout the store. The program is designed to complement existing on-the-package nutritional …

Andrea Stone1 | Susan Jorgensen1 | Nienke Lindeboom2 | Michael Nickerson1* Although relatively unknown, the Canadian microalgae industry is blooming. Microalgae are simple unicellular (photosynthetic) organisms with exceptional growth potential, capable of doubling their biomass within a 24 h period. They can be cultivated in ponds and tanks using water that is unsuitable for human consumption and only need a …

WITH SUGAR UNDER ATTACK IN THE MEDIA, SOME COMPANIES ARE LOOKING AT SUGAR REDUCTION STRATEGIES. IT MIGHT BE EASIER SAID THAN DONE Text by Nicolas Heffernan First it was fat; then came salt; now sugar is in the crosshairs. Sugar has been under increasing attack in the media with reports comparing the overconsumption of the sweetener to cocaine addiction and …

H.P. Vasantha Rupasinghe Overview Canadian fruit crops are worth over $700 million annually post-farm gate to the food industry. Apples, blueberries, grapes, cranberries and strawberries represent the major fruit crops grown in Canada. However, recently market trends are shifting towards newer varieties, imported exotic fruits, and value-added fruit products as consumer demand is growing for healthier antioxidants-rich foods1. Emerging imported …

Debbie Lockrey-Wessel The role of science and technology continues to be critically important in maintaining the profitability and competitiveness of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector. At the same time, the sector’s science requirements are growing in complexity, new technologies are emerging, the government policy and program landscape is changing, and the science capacity of many players in Canada’s …

Alain Clément1 | Bernard Panneton2 | Nathalie Martin3 | Luc Lagacé3* Every spring, when daytime temperatures rise above the freezing point and night-time temperatures are below zero, the sap in maple trees starts moving from the roots to the stem. This sap contains everything the tree needs to prepare for the growing season: water, sugars, amino acids, vitamins, etc. Abundant …

Nicholas Low In the relatively short history of humans, our relationship with bees and the honey that they produce has been a mutually beneficial enterprise. It has been postulated that this relationship may have played an important role in our evolution, due to the fact that honey was a readily available energy dense food that is rich in the carbohydrate …