The protein war isn’t about the amount of meat we should eat, but rather about how studies on nutrition should be interpreted. It's messy
For a few years, we’ve been force-fed the notion that red meat and processed meat products threaten our health. But the protein war between the livestock industry and plant-based supporters has taken an interesting twist. In 2015, the World Health Organization went as far as to say that processed meats were carcinogenic, adding them to…
If A&W is seen as a disrupter in food service, McDonald’s could become the exclamation mark in an era of protein plurality
When McDonald’s makes a move, everyone pays attention. That’s just the way things are in the food service industry. For months, rumours swirled around when McDonald’s would launch a plant-based product. We now know McDonald’s will enter the plant-based game by running a 12-week pilot in Ontario. This is a global first for McDonald’s. That’s…
A recent poll tells us that 26% of Canadians have either adopted the ketogenic diet, tried it or considered it in. But there are meany health questions
Are you on the ketogenic diet? Apparently, many people are or have tried it in the last year or so. It may be the most popular dietary trend in North America right now. Over the last 12 months, the word ‘keto’ was the most googled food-related topic in the world, not just in Canada. The…
Suggesting that food products with the Non-GMO Project label are safer and more nutritious is simply misleading and rests on scrawny scientific evidence
Most consumers have seen Non-GMO logos on bread and other food products at the grocery store. But the verification program now faces criticism. The Non-GMO Project verified logo is now on over 50,000 food products in North America that bring in more than $30 billion in retail sales. The green leaves and orange butterfly logo first…
The great protein war is heating up as several major restaurant chains embrace the plant-based movement while others firmly position themselves as guardians of the mighty meat-eater. It’s getting hard to keep track. A&W, Canada’s first Beyond Meat ambassador, started it all a little over 12 months ago with its surprisingly successful campaign. Since then,…
Weaponizing Canada’s Food Guide to promote certain foods against other sources never results in a positive outcome.
If elected as our next prime minister, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer vows to review Canada’s Food Guide, which was just introduced in January. And while the idea is desirable, politicizing healthy eating can’t be a good thing. The new food guide was 12 years in the making. However, its review should be a continuous process,…
But a great deal of work must be done to turn the vision into a reality that serves all Canadians
For the first time, we have a national food policy. That’s good news. The vision is that all people in Canada have access to sufficient safe, nutritious and culturally diverse food. And that Canada’s food system is resilient and innovative, sustains our environment and supports our economy. It’s easy to support such a vision and…
Vegan activists are wilfully interfering with the livelihoods of farmers and invading the social interactions of consumers celebrating food
Vegan groups are using billboards in the Atlantic region to denounce dairy farming practices and tell consumers that dairy is scary. Some of these ads show a young calf with a caption that says someone “took its mom, its milk, then its life.” The intention is to encourage people to switch to a plant-based diet.…
The Senate has delayed for eight months its final vote on restrictions to food marketing to children
By Peter Mansbridge and Yves Savoie “Delay always breeds danger; and to protract a great design is often to ruin it.” Miguel de Cervantes put this astute observation in the mouth of his most famous literary character, Don Quixote. Though written more than 400 years ago, the lesson applies very well right now to the…
With the help of the new food guide, Canadians are looking differently at protein sources. That doesn't mean beef is doomed, but it will have to adapt
Plant-based nutrition is alive and well in Canada, according to a recent poll. The poll from Angus Reid Global, in partnership with Dalhousie University, found that by April 2019, 38 per cent of Canadians had tried a plant-based protein food item in recent months. British Columbia had the highest rate, at 44 per cent, followed…
For a few years, we’ve been force-fed the notion that red meat and processed meat products threaten our health. But the protein war between the livestock industry and plant-based supporters has taken an interesting twist. In 2015, the World Health Organization went as far as to say that processed meats were carcinogenic, adding them to…
