Are record-high food costs finally slowing down?

Consumers and restaurants continue to battle food inflation, but some costs have started coming down since January, albeit not to pre-pandemic levels. Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of the Agri-Foods Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, recaps the items with the largest price reductions so far this year: Tomatoes (- 38 per cent) Cucumbers (- 31 per […]

According to experts, there’s no end in sight for food inflation

Food inflation continues to weigh on restaurants and consumers. We have watched food costs reach record-breaking levels in this last year and experts predict that it will continue beyond 2023, offering elevated numbers into 2025. Current inflation has surpassed previously predicted numbers for 2023, reaching 10.6 per cent in February year over year, significantly above […]

Rising food prices: inflation or “greedflation”?

Food, whether it is in the grocery store or in a restaurant dining room, is significantly more expensive than it was a year ago. While general inflation, as well as the lasting impacts of COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine, have driven this trend, some are placing blame on grocery stores and other sellers for […]

Why cooking oil could cause surging menu prices

Restaurants are already grappling with numerous crises that are causing pressures on menu prices, from climate change to the lasting effects of COVID-19 to the devastating effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on food production. In recent months, cooking oil has been adding to the maelstrom. Global cooking oil prices have been rising since […]

The delicate balance between grocery store profit & food security

By Janet Music & Sylvain Charlebois Food prices in Canada continue to soar in the face of labour shortages, the rising cost of goods and supply chain disruptions. Statistics Canada recently reported that the food inflation rate in the country has reached 7.4 per cent and that it will most likely rise again in the […]

Canada’s Food Price Report 2022 predicts unprecedented spike

The pandemic has already raised costs in foodservice and beyond, wreaking havoc on supply chains and food availability. And Canadians are about to start paying a whole lot more for food, according to Canada’s Food Price Report 2022. The guide, released on December 9, is published annually by researchers with Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, […]

Canadian food prices rising amid higher production costs & climate change

Canadian grocery and food prices are slowly but surely rising in recent times, and one expert cites not just the pandemic but rising production costs and the toll of climate change as reasons why. “For the longest time, the last 12 months or so, we were able to import our way out of food inflation […]

Is it time to include tips in menu prices?

By Sylvain Charlebois and Poppy Nicolette Riddle Tipping is a cultural practice strongly supported in Canada, with most patrons feeling good about their experiences. However, tips can have hidden consequences for those working in foodservice. With staff recruitment a problem as the easing of pandemic guidelines are allowing restaurants to reopen, our research suggests it […]

Canada’s Food Price Report expects restaurant spending to reach record levels in 2018

La Niña and convenience will drive food expenditure increases for Canadians Press release The annual food expenditure for a family of four is expected to rise by $348 to a total of $11,948 in 2018, according to Canada’s Food Price Report 2018. The 8th edition was jointly released today by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph. “Canadians want to know what will […]