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Raw food, like edible seeds such as chia, hemp, flax, and sesame, boasts a broad range of health benefits and are growing in popularity. However, many consumers are unaware that raw unprocessed foods, such as seeds, may not be safe due to contamination by pathogens like E. Coli or Salmonella. This can have devastating effects on the health of consumers, …

Personalized dietary advice based on a person’s genetic makeup improves eating habits compared to current “one-size-fits-all” dietary recommendations, says a University of Toronto researcher. “We conducted the first randomized, controlled trial to determine the impact of disclosing DNA-based dietary advice on eating habits,” said Ahmed El-Sohemy, an associate professor in nutritional sciences and Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics. “We found …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

Susan Niczowski has taken Summer Fresh Salads a long way in two decades. In 1991, Niczowski left her job and started the company with her mother in her kitchen. “I was very fortunate she supported me both financially and mentally and then we started chopping away,” she says. Back then, hummus wasn’t exactly filling grocery store shelves. “I had to …

Natasha Vandenhurk, CEO of Three Farmers, is on a mission to educate Canadians about camelina, an obscure edible oil from Europe Text by Nicolas Heffernan “It’s definitely been an uphill battle,” says Vandenhurk. “Oils are a very hard category for people to understand as it is. There are so many different facets to it, like smoke points and flavours and …

Two of Ontario’s largest honey producers, Sun Parlor Honey Ltd. and Munro Honey, have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Canadian beekeepers to recover damages suffered by beekeepers due to the widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides. If successful, beekeepers who join the lawsuit could recover losses and damages from as far back as 2006. The Statement of …

The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) announced the top natural health trends to look for this summer at local health food stores. “Summer heat and seasonal changes put new stresses on our body’s systems,” said CHFA president Helen Long. “Leading experts helped us find new, exciting, natural solutions that we are pleased to share with Canadians across the country to …