Special Reports

By: Kathleen A. Merrigan I participated in one of the famous Terra Madre Slow Food meetings in Italy years ago. At the opening ceremony, Indigenous peoples from around the world formed a procession through the venue, donning traditional wear and carrying objects of significance to their communities. It was beautiful and exciting but more importantly, it was a poignant reminder of …

By Kathleen Rogers and Dr. Shenggen Fan The way we produce, consume and discard food is no longer sustainable. That much is clear from the newly released UN climate change report, which warns that we must rethink how we produce our food – and quickly – to avoid the most devastating impacts of global food production, including massive deforestation, staggering biodiversity …

By Jana Manolakos While most Canadians seem to be throwing away or wasting food, 1.4 million children across Canada are struggling to have enough to eat, according to a landmark report issued earlier this year by Toronto-based food rescue organization Second Harvest and Value Chain Management International (VCMI), a global food waste authority. Their report, “The Avoidable Crisis of Food …

By Jana Manolakos Hers is the face that could have launched a thousand ships, but instead this stunning, petite brunette launched a Canadian beer, wine and spirits empire with sales topping $187 million last year. Meet Manjit Minhas, an entrepreneurial tour de force and a perpetual motion machine whose high energy catapulted Minhas Breweries, Distillery and Wineries, a company she co-founded …

By Hermione Wilson   “Food really is a common language that goes beyond borders,” says James Huang, chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), during his speech at the opening ceremonies for the 2018 Food Taipei expo. The audience is a diverse group gathered from all over the world to learn more about the Taiwanese market and to …

By Carol Zweep Active and intelligent packaging is a sector that continues to grow on a global basis. Active packaging changes the condition of the packaged food to extend the shelf life, or improve food safety or sensory properties of the packaged foods. Active packaging can be divided into absorbers (scavenging systems) and emitters (release systems). Antimicrobial Packaging Antimicrobial packaging is …

By Dr. Robert Hanner Food fraud is not a new problem, but consumer awareness of the issue is increasing thanks to an endless barrage of media reports that expose new cases of fraud almost every day. The globalization of commerce has resulted in ever more complex supply chains that obfuscate transparency and undermine traceability, while also creating more opportunities for tampering. …

Bread consumption has steadily declined in Canada over the last decade but growing diversity in the bread aisle is encouraging younger consumers to stay in the category By Chris Brockman Canadians are unequivocally eating less bread. According to Mintel, based on data from Statistics Canada and the Economist Intelligence Unit, per capita consumption of bread has shown a consistent decline in …

By Lily Huang Each month, 860,000 Canadians receive support from Food Banks Canada. This is a 28 per cent increase from the 2008 economic downturn and the need for resources is quickly increasing. The food community – from manufacturer through to retailer – has always stepped up to the plate to fill this essential need. In March, the Walmart Foundation offered …

By Alan Grant Verifying compliance of your supply chain can sometimes seem overwhelming, yet it is a critical task for assuring food safety and regulatory requirements are met. This year represents an unprecedented milestone in the North American food industry. The Food Safety Modernization Act is undergoing implementation and the Canadian equivalent, the Safe Food for Canadians Act, is about to …