The Canadian grocery marketplace is in for dramatic change, and that should be of benefit to consumers
E-retailing giant Amazon has signalled a clear commitment to food products – and to millennials – with its new line of private-label foods. Amazon's move to food bearing its label follows in the footsteps of Target and Walmart. And the shift sends a clear signal about greater strategic intentions that should shake the foundations of the food…
Guelph University's compostable single-serve coffee pod offer a convenient food option without clogging up our landfills
Canadians love their coffee but the rise of single-serve brewers has created an environmental headache: What to do with used coffee pods? More than 91 per cent of Canadian adults drink some coffee, at home or elsewhere, every day. Not surprisingly, single-serve coffee has emerged as a significant consumer growth market. About 27 per cent of homes…
The Earls restaurant controversy is just the tip of the iceberg for a Canadian industry that has been slow to adapt to changing needs
The Earls restaurant decision to turn to a U.S. supplier for humanely-produced beef points to a significant problem for the future of the cattle industry in Canada. The Earls decision follows a similar one by A&W a few years ago. That chain had to procure beef from Montana and Australia for its “no hormones, no steroids”…
Campbell Soup's decision to be bisphenol A free by mid-2017 is more about perception than evidence-based science
A recent study by environmental groups suggests that more than 70 per cent of food cans in major Canadian retail stores contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical often linked to health complications. In fact, many studies have suggested that BPA can mimic the hormone estrogen and conceivably affect behaviour and neurological development in infants and young children.…
The consumer is becoming the true CEO of the food supply chain
The politics of food distribution is alive and well, or so it would seem. Without notice Loblaws decided to dump French’s Ketchup causing a two-day viral backlash by the public. The pressure was so large that Loblaws actually reversed its decision just a few days after making its decision public. Many are speculating how unfair…
The store’s aim is to reduce waste, repurpose unwanted food and raise funds for regions of the world where food supply is an issue
Apparently Copenhagen is home to the world's first supermarket to intentionally sell expired food products. It's about time. WeFood stems from a community-led effort. The charitable organization officially opened in February after a successful crowd-funding effort and is operated by volunteers. The store’s aim is to reduce waste, repurpose unwanted food and raise funds for regions of the world…
Wages are on the rise, and the food and hospitality industry is flourishing
Canada's food inflation rate remains at four per cent, yet there are encouraging signs for the consumer. Statistics Canada's recent consumer price index numbers, for example, show that the gap between the general inflation rate and food inflation is shrinking – the general inflation rate now stands at two per cent, its highest point in nearly two…
Food inflation is hammering Canadian consumers, but there are ways to reduce the price pressure
Food inflation is top of mind for Canadian consumers, with rampant claims about produce being grossly overpriced. And the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report won’t calm Canadian shoppers any time soon, since food inflation stands at 4.1 per cent. That's a significant contrast to the -0.4 per cent in food inflation reported in the United States…
Higher food prices lead to better quality and service and more selection than ever before
Why do Canadian consumers face escalating food prices while most of the industrialized world is seeing lower food inflation rates? And should we be concerned? Again this year, Canadian consumers had to cope with higher grocery prices: the cost of food in stores rose by 4.1 per cent, which was significantly above the nation's overall inflation…
With better technology in the hands of the consumer, food fraud will begin to disappear
Date tampering in food stores is in the news again, and horrified consumers want to know how it can be stopped. Over the last 12 months, reports from B.C., Ontario, Alberta and Quebec suggest store employees have been asked to repurpose food products and change expiry dates. Products include dairy, meats, and even fish and seafood.…
E-retailing giant Amazon has signalled a clear commitment to food products – and to millennials – with its new line of private-label foods. Amazon's move to food bearing its label follows in the footsteps of Target and Walmart. And the shift sends a clear signal about greater strategic intentions that should shake the foundations of the food…
