If you ask consumers, our food system is bad and getting worse. But if you look back and compare to say the 1980s, we're actually doing a much better job on many things, such as water and fertiizer efficiency, pesticide use, and more. It's all a matter of perspective – things are getting better, but... Read More
Category: Food
By Jeff English Canada’s Food Guide was updated this week and, not unlike anything done by government, it was met with a mixed reaction. The changes were not so big. We’ve gone from four food groups down to three. Given the year they’ve had on the trade front, it is easy to forgive our dairy... Read More
Within an hour of its release, those representing certain sectors of agriculture had their statements prepared and sent out to various media organizations. Their opinion of Canada's Food Guide was largely determined by where their commodity ended up on the new plate. Dairy industry Although Health Canada made it clear dairy was "still on the... Read More
Canadians have a brand new food guide to help them make decisions when it comes to their nutrition plan, and it's a large departure from the rainbow of four food groups most have come to recognize. Visualized as a dinner plate, Health Canada's new offering has plant-based protein and vegetables front and centre. Meat, eggs,... Read More
By Sylvain Charlebois Say goodbye to the four food groups; they are now gone. Almost 12 years after the launch of the previous version, the new food guide celebrates food by displaying a plate filled with greens, fruits, plant proteins and grains. And if you look very carefully, you’ll see a cup of yogurt, alongside... Read More
The Canadian Sheep Federation and the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) recently reached an agreement outlining the roles and responsibilities of each group in delivery of the Canadian Sheep Identification Program (CSIP). As part of the agreement, the per tag fee of $0.23 currently collected to fund the program will increase to $0.59/tag by the... Read More
In the coming months, Health Canada is expected to release the newest version of Canada's Food Guide. This is the first update since 2007, and the proposed changes are not without controversy. First looks at the new guide suggests a significant shift away from meat and dairy and increased focus on plant-based protein. "This has... Read More
The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity will soon be on the hunt for a new president, as Crystal Mackay has advised the CCFI board she will be leaving the organization at the end of April. Mackay has been with organization, previously under the Farm & Food Care umbrella, and now CCFI, for nearly 10 years.... Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has unveiled its GMO labeling law laying out the minimum labeling requirements for food companies and retailers set to go into effect at the start of 2020, with a mandatory compliance date set for the beginning of 2022. As part of the standard, the USDA has created a... Read More
Have you heard about veganuary? It's January, but where you give up eating meat and other animal-based food and home products. The latest celebrities to jump on this bandwagon are Beyoncé and Jay-Z (in case that matters to you), and given that it's "new year, new you" season, I'm sure there will be many, many... Read More