June 11, 2021 A private–public coalition of 34 diverse partners is pushing for the creation of Canada’s first agri-food sustainability index. To that end, it has released the Business Case for Establishing the National Index on Agri-Food Performance. Sustainability has been a growing concern within foodservice, food manufacturing, and related industries for some years, but the conversation keeps on growing. Around ...Read more about this post
June 4, 2021 The Retail Council of Canada has announced the winners of its annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards for 2020. The winning products were evaluated by a jury comprised of food and grocery experts who judged the entries based on innovation, taste, experience and packaging. The winners selected from this year’s finalists are as follows: FOOD BIMBO CANADA | Oroweat Organic 22 ...Read more about this post
May 26, 2021 Amid the uncertainty and change of the past year, organic food is prospering. U.S. organic sales jumped by a record 12.4 per cent to US$61.9 billion in 2020, according to the 2021 Organic Industry Survey released by the Organic Trade Association (OTA). That marks the first time that total sales of organic food and non-food products have surpassed ...Read more about this post
May 19, 2021 Loblaws is doing what it can to promote local Ontario brands through its new Ontario Made program. In partnership with Grey Jay Sales & Distribution, the Canadian chain is featuring products from 12 Ontario-based suppliers in more than 150 stores under its Loblaws umbrella, including Zehrs, Your Independent Grocer, and Valu-Mart. Suppliers include Jakeman’s (maple products), Urban Hippie (granola), Yawdi’s (marinades and sauces), ...Read more about this post
May 13, 2021 Food and Beverage Ontario has launched CareersNOW!, a province-wide program that is designed to rapidly fill immediate job vacancies in the food and beverage processing sector and attract talent for the future. CareersNOW! will optimize Food and Beverage Ontario’s initiative Taste Your Future to profile careers and will also expand Frontline Food Facts to provide essential skills training and ...Read more about this post
May 10, 2021 Walmart Canada is now sourcing beef from certified sustainable farms and ranches according to standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). Additionally, the chain is sourcing enough beef from sustainable sources for its Your Fresh Market brand beef patties that it has been granted permission to include a sustainability certification label on each ...Read more about this post
May 5, 2021 A new certification seal aims to help consumers easily find plant-based foods and vegan products on store shelves. Plant-Based Foods of Canada (PBFC) has partnered with the U.S.-based Plant-Based Food Association (PBFA) to make its “Certified Plant-Based” food certification program available in Canada. The first products carrying the seal have already hit shelves in Canadian grocery ...Read more about this post
April 11, 2021 Empire has expanded its Voilà grocery home shopping offering to Alberta. The launch of “Voilà by Safeway Curbside Pickup” sets the stage for its online grocery home delivery service ultimately coming to the province in 2023. In support of the expansion, a Customer Fulfilment Centre is being built in Rocky View County, just outside of Calgary. The new ...Read more about this post
April 8, 2021 The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has revealed the finalists for the 28th Annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. The finalists represent the 124 most impressive new food and consumer packaged goods products launched into the Canadian market in 2020. Submissions include established companies as well as new suppliers, smaller boutiques, and family-owned retailers across Canada. “Canadians ...Read more about this post
April 1, 2021 RestoBiz spoke to numerous foodservice operators about the bold steps they have taken to keep moving forward throughout COVID-19. By Tom Nightingale Faced with mounting pressure, closures, razor-thin margins, and a range of health and business concerns, foodservice operators have had to tread where they have never stepped before during the COVID-19 pandemic. Battening down the hatches and ...Read more about this post
March 24, 2021 In a time when ghost kitchens and meal kits are in vogue, Toronto’s Lavish focuses on unique quality. By Tom Nightingale For much of the last 12 months, eating at home has been the new dining out. The stark reality is that the physical dining experience as we knew it pre-COVID-19 may not be back for some ...Read more about this post
March 23, 2021 Planta, the Canadian plant-based, full-service restaurant that creates all its own vegan menu items from scratch, is expanding in the United States. Planta is opening its seventh location in Florida this month, with plans to open more units in the New York and Maryland later this year. The brand operates four different versions of its concept in ...Read more about this post
March 23, 2021 Burger King Canada has announced that it has begun serving the plant-based Impossible Whopper in stores across Canada as of April 12. The meal is now available in other Canadian provinces, after launching in Ontario locations in March. After a successful launch in the U.S., the Impossible Whopper, a collaboration between Burger King and Impossible Foods, ...Read more about this post
March 22, 2021 More Canadians are now looking to seek out Canadian-produced food, according to a recent survey from Farm Credit Canada. The survey, which was conducted between January 8-12, 2021, found that six out of 10 Canadians are more likely to purchase Canadian-made or -grown food. “We had surveyed 2000 Canadians across the country, reflective of how the country ...Read more about this post
February 16, 2021 New trends emerged across almost every industry in 2020 as consumers and businesses adjusted to the realities of a global pandemic. Drink trends within the beverage alcohol industry were no exception. Just like in fashion, drink trends regularly come and go as the seasons change and the calendar flips to a new year. This year, however, ...Read more about this post
