The brand, called Bettergoods, is just hitting Walmart stores and the company’s online shopping site. Walmart said Tuesday it expects to have 300 products in the line by the fall, including frozen foods, dairy items, snacks, beverages, pastas, soups, coffee and chocolate. The prices range from under $2 to under $15, with most products costing under $5.

The Bettergoods line is divided into three categories: plant-based options like desserts made with oat milk and non-dairy cheeses; products catering to other dietary lifestyles, such as gluten-free, or made without artificial flavours, colourings or added sugars; and “culinary experiences.” The last category features items like creamy corn jalapeno chowder and pasta from Italy.

The launch comes as inflation has driven shoppers to seek less-expensive alternatives, lifting the popularity of private-label brands. Private brands accounted for nearly 26 per cent of the overall market share in the number of units in the food and beverage category sold last year, up from 24.7 per cent during the previous year, according to market research firm Circana. That compares with 74.5 per cent for U.S. national name brands last year, down from 75.3 per cent in 2022.

For so-called core pantry items, including breakfast meats, baking items, fresh bread and salty snacks, private brands accounted for 36.6 per cent of market share in dollars in 2023, up from 36.2 per cent in 2019. That compares with national brands, which accounted for 63.4 per cent last year. That’s down from 63.8 per cent, according to Circana.

But these store brands are becoming tastier and higher quality, mirroring national brands. Walmart’s rivals, including Target, have been growing and sprucing up their own labels. Target’s Good & Gather food and beverage brand, launched in 2019, has expanded to include dishes such as chicken tikka masala.

Many U.S. grocery retailers face increasing competition from Trader Joe’s, which offers shoppers a treasure hunt experience with its variety of high-quality meals, ingredients and snacks.

Bettergoods joins Walmart’s other store label food brands, including Great Value and Equate, that provide lower-priced alternatives to branded products. In contrast, many of Bettergoods products are designed to be unique to Walmart while introducing its customers to new trends and flavors, the retailer said.

“As an industry, we’re seeing younger customers be more brand agnostic, prioritizing quality and value, and driving increased interest in private brands,” Scott Morris, Walmart’s senior vice president of private brands, food and consumables, said.

The brand, first launched in 1949, has also added a new variety of microwaveable cups to the Minute Rice lineup – Mexican-style rice.

Photo © Meg Moon

“Minute Rice’s new campaign and refreshed packaging embody the timeless essence of the brand while embracing the contemporary needs of today’s consumers,” Garima Jain Patodia, senior brand manager of rice portfolio for Riviana said.

“The brand relaunch not only reflects our commitment to quality and convenience but also demonstrates our dedication to ensuring Canadians can enjoy reliable and fulfilling meals, whether they are cooking for themselves, their family or even hosting friends,” she added.

Patodia further said the brand recognizes that Canadians are changing, and they are focusing on the needs of the younger generation.

“Gen-Z and millennials are going into new life stages and have more purchasing power…our instant and microwavable cups fit right into their lifestyles,” she said.

Photo © Meg Moon

Minute Rice organized an intimate dinner at Patois in downtown Toronto to celebrate the brand’s relaunch. CTV’s Milk Masters’ judge Chef Craig Wong fused his signature Caribbean and Asian dishes with Minute Rice’s kitchen staples and created dishes Like Pearl Siu Mai Dumplings, Crispy Hoisin and Sesame Chicken Wings, Oxtail Gravy Glazed Spiced Ham Musubi, Honey And Maggi Beef Short Ribs, Juicy Jerk Chicken, Popcorn Shrimp Fried Rice, Jamaican Coleslaw and Yeast-Raised Beignets.

“Minute Rice is such a great product because you’re never going to end up with something overcooked or undercooked…all the hard part is done for you,” Wong said.

“I (am) proud of Ranger. He fused the rice into rum, and it had all the nuttiness from sesame and a bit of mango. You can do anything that you want with this product and it’s really fun to cook with at the same time,” he added.

Photo © Meg Moon

Michael Ranger, bartender at Patois, created ‘The Patois Minute’ cocktail made with Minute Rice-infused rum, sesame, coconut, mango and nutmeg. Other beverages in the drinks menu were Patois Rum Punch cocktail, Domaine Gayda Syrah-France red wine, Domaine Gayda Viogner-France white wine, Red Stripe beer and Fresh Jelly Coconut and Jamaican Soda in non-alcoholic drinks.

To drive collective action and continued progress toward the company’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain by 30 per cent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050, General Mills also released its first Climate Transition Action Plan.

The plan details the company’s integrated approach and evolved decarbonization strategies across four key climate levers — agriculture and ingredients, energy and manufacturing, transportation, and packaging.

General Mills is committing to no deforestation in the supply chains of the palm, cocoa, and fibre it sources by 2025.

The company surpassed its 2030 Scope 1 and Scope 2 SBTi goals in 2022 and is driving further reductions across its owned operations. Nearly half of the company’s GHG emissions occur upstream of its direct operations, in agriculture, ingredients and packaging. Through 2023, General Mills reduced total value chain emissions by seven per cent and further reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 12 per cent compared to last year, and 51 per cent compared to its 2020 baseline.

“The health of our planet and our ability to make food the world loves are inherently intertwined,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer, General Mills. “Our Climate Transition Action Plan and continued progress demonstrate how we are working from the ground up, with partners across our value chain and industry, to help solve today’s food and agriculture challenges and build a resilient future.”

For the first time ever, the company reached gender parity at the director level and increased female representation at the officer level by four per cent since last fiscal year.

This is in response to Health Canada’s consultation request about its proposal to modernize regulatory frameworks governing food additives and compositional standards, microbiological criteria and methods of analysis for food.

In their response, the associations voice support to “proposed changes that would repeal the food compositional standards from the Food and Drugs Regulations and move them into a Food Compositional Standards Document, which would be incorporated by reference into the Food and Drugs Regulations on an ambulatory basis.”

However, they urge the federal government to adopt a co-development approach for fostering a more inclusive, transparent, and effective decision-making process.

They also request the government to consider exempting naturally occurring contaminants from paragraph 4(1)(a) of the Food and Drugs Act, as “grain products naturally contain certain contaminants that are inherent to the environment.”

“Our request is grounded in the premise that these contaminants, similarly to microorganisms found in food, are inevitable and, within a tolerable limit, pose no harm to human health,” the joint submission said.

The associations recommend new compositional standards for semolina and durum flour and whole grain whole wheat flour in order to distinguish it from whole wheat flour. They also recommend removing Vitamin B White Flour (Canada Approved) from the list of compositional standards, as it has become obsolete.

To read the full submission, click here.

“By bolstering the cultivation and processing of fava beans for use in Canadian ingredients and food, this project will increase the selection of healthy and sustainable food options for Canadians,” said François-Philippe Champagne, innovation, science and industry minister. “Projects like these show how Protein Industries Canada and its partners’ innovative approaches to food will not only increase Canadians’ access to nutritious options, but also build stronger and more resilient supply chains in Canada and abroad.”

As a crop growing in both acreage and use in plant-based products, fava is an ideal option for innovative work in the ingredient and finished goods market. Prairie Fava is building on this by growing DL Seeds’ fava varieties and then utilizing them in their patented processing methods, testing them for functionality and feeding information back to DL Seeds in order to inform new variety development. They’ll then supply Three Farmers with fava ingredients for further functionality testing in Three Farmers’ line of snack foods.

“Prairie Fava, DL Seeds and Three Farmers have taken a full value chain approach to strengthening the fava bean supply chain and market in Canada—an approach that’s needed if we’re going to make Canada truly competitive in the global plant protein space,” said Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel. “By working together across the ecosystem, crop breeders, ingredient manufacturers and food processors can capture the growing global protein opportunity, while providing consumers with a variety of healthy, high-protein snack options.”

The development of each the new varieties, ingredients and finished products will strengthen the supply of fava beans in the Canadian market, helping meet the rising demand for new sources of sustainable protein. The project will also enable each company to scale its product offerings and operations, including at Three Farmers’ recently opened facility in Saskatoon. Together, the partners will create new jobs and new opportunities for Canadians.

A total of $13.2 million has been committed to the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing $5.4 million and the partners investing the remainder.

“Three Farmers is thrilled to embark on this journey with our new Protein Industries Canada consortium, dedicated to amplifying production and innovation in the realm of fava beans as a value-added food item. We remain committed to enhancing the agricultural landscape of the prairies, continuously adding value to crops and fostering growth for our communities,” said Three Farmers founder and CEO Natasha Vandenhurk.

In partnership with design agency, Pigeon, Flourish’s new look includes an updated logo, vibrant packaging designs with a modern aesthetic.

“After months of planning and creative collaboration, we are thrilled to reveal Flourish’s revitalized visual identity,” said Andrew Maida, founder, Flourish. “Our updated branding reflects our ever-evolving commitment to innovation while providing nutritious breakfast solutions that delight both taste buds and hearts.”

“We wanted to create a brand that breaks through at shelf, injecting positivity into the packaging with a bold, modern design,” added Sienna Skelton, design director, Pigeon Brands. “Recognizing the challenge of balancing joy with nutrition, we designed Flourish to reflect the positive feeling you have when you make healthy choices. The previous packaging delivered on the functional aspect of what the brand offered but we wanted to enhance the emotional benefit.”

Additionally, Flourish adds a blueberry and apple cinnamon whey-based mix and blueberry plant-based mix to it lineup of high-protein, low-sugar pancakes.

This spring, Flourish will introduce two new products – Flourish Protein Mug Cakes and Sugar Free Maple Flavoured Syrup.

“We welcome Wayne’s customer-first approach, which was developed over years in strategic management, manufacturing, and brand development. His passion for building partnerships and empowering teams strongly aligns with Avena’s vision of Partnering for safe, healthy diets and a sustainable world,” said Pete Samson, Avena board chair.

Arsenault set up his first company at age 16. By age 29, he was the youngest plant manager in the Coca-Cola Enterprises system, responsible for the Toronto plant. Arsenault then went on to become general manager at Molson Canadian, Vancouver, where he was awarded ‘best performing brewery’ for two consecutive years.

Over the years he has held a number of leadership roles, including president and CEO of Calgary’s Big Rock Brewery, and vice-president, operations & human resources and vice-president alignment champion at Moosehead Breweries.

“Andriani’s significant investment will spur growth throughout our province’s agri-food supply chains and help to further establish London as a hub for food production, technology and innovation,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Despite economic headwinds, companies, across all sectors, are choosing Ontario because of our competitive business environment, our access to markets and our world-class workforce.”

Andriani’s investment will be used to build a new, 61,225-sf facility to make gluten-allergen and GMO-free pasta. Once the new facility is operational, Andriani plans to manufacture products for the North American market in Ontario instead of importing products from Italy.

As part of this investment, the Ontario government is providing Andriani with $1.5 million through the Regional Development Program’s (RDP’s) Southwestern Ontario Development Fund.

“We want to thank Ontario for this recognition and the support offered so far,” said Michele Andriani, Andriani group president and CEO. “We share with Ontario a vision of a future driven by innovation and shared value. In London, we found the premises to ground the next steps of our international development, which aims at increasing the potential of having a positive impact on people’s lives through food innovation: highly qualified and professional people, focus and investments on food innovation, sustainability and regenerative agricultural practices and overall a competitive agricultural and food business ecosystem.”

The Ontario government is also investing in Stanpac, a manufacturer of dairy, food and beverage packaging for businesses around the world. With an investment of over $35 million in advanced equipment, robotics, and upgrades, Stanpac will increase the efficiency of its facility in Smithville, Ont., including creating a machine shop to service all machinery in-house. The project is supported by more than $3.3 million in funding through the RDP and will create 30 new jobs.

St. David’s Cold Storage, a company that provides cold, freezer and ambient storage solutions to food and beverage manufacturers, is investing $9 million to expand its facility and double its refrigerated storage space. This will include one of the first CO₂-based refrigerant systems in Canada, as well as additional upgrades to limit energy consumption, helping the company to scale up their operations to begin exporting. The project is supported by over $1.3 million in funding through the RDP and will create seven new jobs for recent graduates and local young professionals.

Applications are now being accepted for the next intake round of RDP funding until January 25, 2024.

The planned closure of the facility reflects Post’s need to reduce capacity in its cereal production network. The Lancaster facility has approximately 200 employees and is expected to close by the end of September 2024. Facility production capabilities will be transferred to other Post Consumer Brands manufacturing locations.

Regarding the closure, Post Consumer Brands president and CEO Nicolas Catoggio said, “We are continuously optimizing our network so that we can best serve our customers and consumers. This facility closure enables Post Consumer Brands to continue offering a diversified portfolio of great products at a great value.”

The Lancaster facility has been part of the Post Consumer Brands business since June 2021, when Post acquired the TreeHouse Foods ready-to-eat cereal business.

Post Consumer Brands has engaged in discussions with the union representing employees at the Lancaster facility and has notified employees of the decision.

“At Mazola, we believe in the thoughtful art of cooking. That’s why we’ve embraced change with our newly refreshed look. These labels aren’t just about aesthetics; they’re are a reflection of our commitment to helping shoppers make informed choices in the kitchen,”says Sandro D’Ascanio, general manager, ACH Food Companies, Canada.

Mazola’s new packaging acts as a practical guide for home cooks and chefs, with ‘great for’ recommendations on the front of the bottle, making it easy to choose the right oil for the right occasion.

Founded by Donna Dooher and Kevin Gallagher in 1989, Mildred’s is well-known for its brunch menus that include their signature pancakes, biscuits, and scones. When the restaurant had to close during the pandemic-induced lockdowns, Dooher began bagging and selling her pancake mixes from the restaurant itself.

“People were desperate for our pancake mixes,” recalls Dooher.

The demand surprised Dooher. Customers also wanted Mildred’s blueberry compote. Dooher offered the recipe, but the demand was for the finished product. This way, a pantry product line started taking shape. It is now a permanent addition to Dooher’s restaurant business.

Mildred’s sells through the pantry section pancake mixes, their blueberry compote, Mildred’s own apple butter, maple syrup from a friend’s farm in Lanark County, Perth, Ont., brunch boxes, gift baskets, hot sauce, as well as frozen and ready-to-bake buttermilk and cheddar garlic biscuits, Mildred’s famous lemon currant scones, and a cheese tart. These products can be ordered online and picked up at the restaurant or shipped to anywhere in Canada. During the pandemic, Midlred’s also partnered with Fogo Island Workshops to create their version of the famous Daybreak Box from Fogo Island Inn, N.L. The handcrafted wooden box is packed with Mildred’s pancake essentials and gifts.

Retail calls

The retail sector seems like a natural extension to this pantry and Dooher’s team is taking baby steps into the CPG world. This summer, I had the opportunity to talk to Dooher about her plans. The question uppermost in my mind was why Dooher, a legend in the Canadian foodservice industry, picking up a new challenge instead of planning a well-deserved retirement after 34 years in the business.

The author of multiple cookbooks, 69-year-old Dooher created Cookworks Cooking Studio, which morphed into the The Cookworks show on Food Network. She’s also served as the national chair of Taste Canada, CEO of Restaurants Canada, co-chair of the Yes Chef! Fundraising Campaign at George Brown College, Toronto, and has worked extensively with Brand Canada to promote Canadian hospitality around the globe.

Dooher admitted that when the pandemic hit, she and her late husband, Kevin, considered retiring. There were, in fact, working on an exit strategy.

“We love what we do even though it’s a challenging, hard business. We’re tremendously passionate about it, and we’ve been successful. When the pandemic shut everything down, I recall having a conversation with Kevin. I said, maybe we should call it a day. It would be very easy for us to sunset the business,” recalls Dooher.

However, the couple decided to push through the pandemic.

“We’ve had hard times before. We’ve built such a great brand, so we both agreed to keep going,” recounts Dooher.

Additionally, staffing issues, supply chain challenges and inflation meant Mildred’s, like many other restaurants, couldn’t go back to business as usual when they re-opened after pandemic-induced lockdowns. Mildred’s eliminated the dinner service and limited themselves to brunch service. In the evenings, the restaurant now hosts weddings and other social events.

The team decided to keep open the pantry section, though, and diversify and expand it while staying within their niche of brunch-related foods. The pantry business became successful. But Kevin, who was ill for a few years, died during the pandemic. Dooher, however, decided to carry on.

“It’s going to be part of my succession plan. I call it Grow to Go for Donna,” she says. “I don’t feel old at all. I work with incredible, delightful people who are younger than I am. I learn from them every day because they’re constantly challenging me, bringing in new ways of doing things that I would never have thought of. I’d like to leave this business better than I found it. I don’t feel we’ve achieved that yet. That’s a huge burden to put on oneself. [But] there are a lot of flaws in this business. It’s getting better but there’s still a long way to go.”

Baby steps

Dooher partnered with Conestoga College, who tested Mildred’s products for shelf life as well as performed nutritional analyses. The college also helped them with labelling. Dooher then sought the help of food consultants to develop the products and comply with food regulations. Currently, Mildred’s is redesigning the packaging to meet various provincial labelling laws. Once that’s finalized, their co-packer, Dawn Foods near Burlington, Ont., will begin production.

At this point, Mildred’s pancake mix and blueberry compote will hit retail stores first.

“I’m on a massively steep learning curve,” says Dooher. “Understanding pricing, distribution, margin, scale, compliance, there are so many things. I’m learning every day about the competitive nature of the products that are available and why is someone going to choose my pancake mix over others displayed on the shelf on the retail store. What is the differential? Is it price? Is it reputation? Is it the storytelling? Is it the packaging? We’re fumbling our way through, but we have a vision to disrupt grocery stories aisles.”

Instead of having separate aisles for cereal, beverages, and frozen foods, Dooher hopes to one day see brunch aisles that’ll house all the products one needs for a brunch. A bold vision, indeed, but Dooher may be able to pull it off. After all, her restaurant, Mildred’s, is synonymous with brunch culture in Toronto.

Rinker, however, has a personal connection with the mill. “My dad had a business right across the highway from the mill,” he explains. “I knew that the mill had a unique history. In fact, we’re the oldest water-powered flour mill in North America, and we’re Canada’s oldest continuously operated flour mill. We’re Canada’s sixth oldest business, and we’ve been in continuous operation for over 204 years.”

Prior to buying the mill, Rinker worked in management and sales in the pharmacy industry for the better part of 35 years. However, when the pharmacy automation company Rinker was working for was sold, he decided to turn the page and start a new chapter in his life. 

“I retired from the company, and then eight days later this mill popped up for sale,” he adds.

Rinker says that his more than 35 years of experience in sales is helping him with his new venture. 

“Whether you’re selling a bag of flour, cereal, or a piece of diagnostic equipment, it’s all the same,” he says. “Although I never sold anything food-related, I figured I had the skillset that would transfer over and allow me to succeed.”

Challenges

Although Rinker says he was right about having transferable skills, he admits that things haven’t gone as smoothly as he had initially hoped. 

“Soon after we took over the business, war broke out in Ukraine. Since we buy our flour on the spot market, the price of grain doubled for us overnight,” he adds. “We had to eat some of those costs. We couldn’t pass them on. We’re competing with national brands that buy on the futures market and their prices were locked in.”

That challenge, however, proved to benefit Rinker since it forced him to develop new products. “We started thinking about how we could make the flour work harder for us,” he explains. “So, rather than just putting it in bags, we started to use our flour to make different types of dry mixes, and they ended up selling extremely well.” 

Red River Cereal

Eight months after purchasing Arva Flour Mills, Rinker purchased Red River Cereal. “This iconic hot cereal was invented in Winnipeg in 1924, but had been discontinued,” Rinker says. “I could clearly see a fit for a nearly one-century-old brand to come home to a two-century-old mill. So we contacted Smuckers Canada who owned the brand, and we came to an agreement that made sense for both sides.”

Despite some setbacks and challenges, Rinker says that when he looks at his five-year plan, he’s right where he thought he would be two years in. Having developed a host of new products (including a new gluten-free flour), and having resurrected the Red River Cereal brand, Rinker says he is now focused on production and distribution.

“When it comes to hitting our targets for our five-year plan,” he says, “that’s going to require a combination of growing our products under the Arva Flour brand and under the Red River Cereal brand, while also increasing the distribution points for both. I’m confident we’re well on our way to achieving our goals.”

“For more than 70 years, Ben’s Original rice varieties have been the cornerstone of meals around the table,” said Eric Huston, general manager, Mars Food and Nutrition Canada. “The launch of Ben’s Original 10 Medley provides a wholesome selection of vegetables, grains, legumes, and herbs in each meal without compromise on taste, nutrition, value or convenience.”

New Ben’s Original 10 Medley gets its name from a mix of 10 different grains, vegetables, legumes and herbs that come together as a ready-to-heat product. Every pouch of Ben’s Original 10 Medley has at least 10 g of fibre from diversified sources and 10 g of protein.

Ben’s Original 10 Medley is now available in four internationally inspired flavours and combinations: Chinese Style Five Spice, Caribbean Style, Smoky Southwest, and Tomato & Herbs.

The Cheetos brand plans to settle this score once and for all with their new Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese Cheesy Ketchup flavour pasta with sauce.

“Canadians are passionate about their mac & cheese, and so is the Cheetos brand,” said Logan Chambers, senior director of marketing, PepsiCo Foods Canada. “New Cheetos Mac ‘n Cheese Cheesy Ketchup may not be for everyone, and that’s okay. The Cheetos brand is mischievous and is not afraid to defend an unpopular opinion. We know ketchup and mac & cheese are a perfect pair!”

The merger augments Bunge’s existing footprint with significant grain and softseed handling capacity, while expanding origination capabilities in regions and crops where Bunge is underrepresented.

The combination is expected to generate approximately $250 million of annual gross pre-tax operational synergies within three years of completion.

Greg Heckman, Bunge’s CEO, said, “The combination of Bunge and Viterra significantly accelerates Bunge’s strategy, building on our fundamental purpose to connect farmers to consumers to deliver essential food, feed and fuel to the world. Our highly complementary asset footprints will create a network that connects the world’s largest production regions to areas of fastest growing consumption, enhancing the geographical balance and adaptability of our global value chains and benefitting farmers and end-customers. With a diversified global mix of earnings across processing, handling and merchandising, and value-added products, we will increase the resiliency of our cash flow generation.”

David Mattiske, Viterra’s CEO, added, “Viterra and Bunge are two leading agriculture businesses. In combining our highly complementary origination, processing and distribution networks, we are better positioned to meet the increasing demand for the food, feed and fuel products we offer. Together, we will play a leading role in the future of the agriculture industry, developing fully traceable, sustainable supply chains and moving toward carbon-neutral operations, while creating a strong growth platform for our combined business.”

The combined company will be led by Heckman and John Neppl, Bunge’s CFO. Mattiske will join the Bunge’s executive leadership team in the role of co-chief operating officer.

The combined company will operate as Bunge with operational headquarters in St. Louis, Mis. The merger is expected to close in mid-2024.

“At Kraft Mac & Cheese, we believe in the positive power of comfort,” said Rachel Drof, director of brand communications, Kraft Mac & Cheese. “As we look to create new offerings, we lead with comfort as our north star. With the new Deluxe Frozen offering, we are excited to invite our busy fans to a ‘deluxified’ experience and to take their comfort to the next level.”

“The EU and member country Italy are at the vanguard of food safety, quality and environmental sustainability, which elevates almost all culinary creations,” said ITALMOPA president Andrea Valente. “This centuries-old mastery, coupled with modern production technologies and E.U.’s stringent standards, yields the highest quality flour and semolina available for professional chefs and bakers and discerning consumers.”

Valente says the campaign addresses the growing worldwide demand for nutritious, eco-friendly ingredients grown without synthetic fertilizers.

Beginning in May, Canadian culinary professionals, opinion leaders, distributors and retailers, food journalists and content creators, and consumers preferring premium organic, sustainable flours and semolina will experience the benefits of the Pure Flour from Europe program.

ITALMOPA will exhibit at SIAL Canada in Toronto’s Enercare Centre, May 9-11. At Booths 819, 821 and 823, attendees can see cooking demonstrations and taste the culinary delights of handmade pasta using Italian flour.

These far-out throwbacks of bodacious cereal boxes from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s feature iconic mascots as well as fun cereal facts. These are only available until the end of May 2023 while supplies last.

“Our collective memories flash back to those familiar Kellogg’s cereal boxes that sat on our breakfast table every morning while we were growing up,” says Emma Eriksson, vice-president, marketing and well-being, Kellogg Canada. “Whether it was Toucan Sam, Tony the Tiger, Cornelius (the Corn Flakes rooster) or Snap! Crackle! and Pop!, these images are remembered fondly in the hearts of Canadians who can now share them with their own families with our Kellogg’s Retro Series. The nostalgic designs will take Canadians back in time, while the cereal provides the easy, convenient nutrition that today’s consumers demand.”

The Bocuse d’Or is a gastronomy contest, created by chefs, universally recognizing the best in the industry. The competition is held every two years in Lyon, France.

Chantal Van Winden, Sirha Lyon 2023. Photo: Delphine Denans.

Oliméga, the Quebec-based family-owned company behind the Signé Cameline brand, collaborates with various Canadian producers to produce and refine the camelina seeds.

Sourced from Canadian fields, the cameline plant produces small yellow flowers. Its seeds are harvested and cold pressed mechanically to create cameline oil, which is filtered before bottling to avoid deposits. No other treatment is applied to the non-GMO and QCF quality oil.

Chantal Van Winden, CEO of Oliméga, tells Food in Canada, “We have spent eight years selecting different varieties and developing the taste of the oil. To produce the roasted camelina oil, we roast the camelina seeds before pressing. This roasting process develops amazing notes of roasted peanuts in the oil.”

Originating in Northern Europe and Central Asia, camelina was used in the Bronze Age to make oil and to feed animals. A native plant in many parts of the world, including Canada, camelina is now part of the agricultural production in many of these regions, particularly Quebec. The plant is said to be a good source of vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acid, antioxidants like tocopherols and alpha-tocopherols. It contains more antioxidants than other oils, including grapeseed, sunflower and linseed, According to the Oliméga website. Camelina oil can remain stable under heat up to 475 F. It has a shelf life of over 24 months at room temperature.

“We heard about camelina in 2006 from a German scientist. It is an ancient plant with exceptional properties that has been forgotten. I was impressed that an oil containing 35 per cent omega-3 was totally unknown. This was so mysterious,” recounted Van Winden.

Van Winden’s husband Raymond Durivage is a farmer and “introduced camelina into his agricultural production cycle for biodiversity.”

Oliméga tried different varieties of camelina before selecting a few of them for their yields, taste, and properties.

“The taste varies depending on the varieties such as with wine. In 2015, after eight years of research and development, we were ready to let the world know about camelina, this exceptional plant and its exceptional products,” explained Van Winden.

Signé Camelina Roasted Oil can now be found across the world, including throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The roasted oil is most popular in Asian dishes such as stir-fry, rice dishes, and vegetables. Other products by Oliméga include cameline seeds, honey, chocolate and beauty products, all of which are manufactured in Quebec.

“This investment supports the group’s strategic growth plans by reinforcing core merchandizing activities, in this case, with additional capacity to originate and process Canadian canola seeds to provide nourishment for people and livestock. It also positions LDC as a strategic feedstock provider to renewable energy producers and accelerates our contribution to a global energy transition that we are excited to be a part of,” said Michael Gelchie, LDC’s CEO.

LDC has been operating its canola processing complex in Yorkton from 2009, employing approximately 120 people today, in the production of food grade canola oil and feed meal.

“This project reflects our long-term commitment to North America as a key market for LDC, both in terms of origination and distribution, and is expected to contribute to continued local economic development,” said Brian Conn, LDC’s country manager for Canada.

Construction of the additional canola crushing line is expected to begin later this year and will more than double the facility’s annual crush capacity to over 2 million metric tons upon completion.

While the company names will change upon spin completion, the “Kellogg’s” brand will remain on product packaging of both companies around the world.

The global snacking, international cereal and noodles, plant-based foods, and North American frozen breakfast business will be named Kellanova.

Kellanova will include Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats, MorningStar Farms, Incogmeato, Gardenburger, Nutri-Grain, Rxbar, and Eggo. Kellanova will also steward a suite of international cereal brands, including Kellogg’s, Frosties, Zucaritas, Special K, Krave, Miel Pops, Coco Pops, and Crunchy Nut.

“The name Kellanova signals the company’s ambition for the future, building on the strong brand equity and legacy built over the past 117 years as Kellogg Company,” said Steve Cahillane, Kellogg Company’s chair and CEO, and future chair and CEO of Kellanova. “The ‘Kell’ overtly recognizes our enduring connection to Kellogg Company, while ‘anova,’ which combines ‘a’ and the Latin word ‘nova,’ meaning ‘new,’ signals our ambition to continuously evolve as an innovative, next generation, global snacking powerhouse. The Kellanova logo retains the iconic Kellogg Company ‘K’ to intentionally connect to our heritage and the strong foundation that got us to where we are today. The forward curved and extended ‘v’ embodies our forward momentum as we embark on this next chapter.”

The North American cereal business will be named WK Kellogg Co. Its portfolio of brands, including Kellogg’s, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Mini-Wheats, Special K, Raisin Bran, Rice Krispies, Corn Flakes, Kashi, and Bear Naked, will be available in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean.

“The name WK Kellogg Co honours the legacy of founder W.K. Kellogg, celebrating his spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. At the same time, we are looking forward, focused on propelling the company into the future. We eliminated the use of periods in the name to signal the start of a new, unwritten chapter,” said Gary Pilnick, CEO-designate of WK Kellogg Co. “The logo itself stems from the iconic signature of Mr. Kellogg. We have taken his instantly recognizable script and then underlined and elevated the ‘Co,’ emphasizing our ambition as a 117-year-old start-up taking Mr. Kellogg’s original company to new heights.”

With the help of employees, Kellogg engaged in a process to create names that would maintain a strong connection to its legacy while also capturing both the spirit and ambition of each company’s portfolio and trajectory. Kellogg invited employees from around the world to submit company name suggestions along with thoughts on what they hope to carry forward from Kellogg Company to each company. Nearly 1,000 employees submitted more than 4,000 name suggestions along with qualitative feedback. Approximately 20 per cent of employees who submitted names suggested a variation of “W.K. Kellogg” for the North American cereal business name, “WK Kellogg Co.”

Cahillane added, “Unveiling the names for the global snacking and North American cereal businesses is an exciting milestone for both companies as we progress towards unleashing their full potential as standalone businesses. Upon spin completion, we believe both businesses will be better positioned to focus on their distinct strategic priorities, execute with increased agility and operational flexibility, realize improved outlooks for profitable growth, and shape distinctive corporate cultures, each rooted in Kellogg Company’s strong values.”

“In recent years, there has been a huge trend toward portability for food, especially as busy schedules and life’s everyday curve balls prevent traditional sit-down meals,” said Chris Stolsky, marketing director at Kellogg Company. “We created Kellogg’s Instabowls as an easy solution for the ‘anytime cereal break’ so you can now bring your favourite Kellogg’s cereals with you wherever life takes you and not have to worry about milk, dishes, or clean-up.”

Each portable bowl is pre-portioned, single serves. Consumers need to add cold water to the fill line and the instantized milk turns into real milk with a stir.

The USD2.3 million investment enables Alus to grow its Growing Roots pilot program, offering both technical and financial assistance to farmers. The partnership aims to remove barriers to entry and maximize benefits for local producers, communities, and the environment.

“We were drawn to Alus’ grassroots approach with farmers at the centre,” said Mary Jane Melendez, chief sustainability and global impact officer, General Mills. “Now, interested farmers in these communities can gain a greater understanding of regenerative agriculture and how best to apply those principles to their farm’s unique environmental, social and financial context, along with the power of peer knowledge-sharing and community support.”

Alus supports General Mills’ commitments to advance regenerative agriculture on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030, reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions – 60 per cent of which are from agriculture – across its value chain (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 30 per cent by 2030, and ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The investment from General Mills provides robust support to increase farmer mentorship and fund in-field projects that follow regenerative agriculture techniques. Funding also provides enhanced data collection, scientific research, and the sharing of this critical information with key stakeholders.

“ALUS has been interested in developing a comprehensive on-field program focused on soil health for years and we’re delighted that General Mills, a leader in this area, has become our foundational partner,” said Bryan Gilvesy, CEO, Alus. “We believe the creation of this program is a catalyst for engagement from other corporate, government and philanthropic partners interested in Alus programming and its outcomes and impact across Canada.”

Each organization encourages farmers, companies, and others who may be interested in growing the regenerative agriculture farmer-led movement in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada to visit Alus.ca or reach out to Nicole Baldwin at nbaldwin@alus.ca to learn more.

“Since acquiring Arva Flour Mills last Fall, hardly a day went by at our retail store without a customer asking if we carried Red River Cereal. This prompted our initial research, and we soon came to the decision that this iconic, nearly century old brand would be a natural fit alongside the historic, Arva Flour Mills Brand,” said owner of Arva Flour Mills, Mark Rinker. “”We know that the countless customers who used to start their day with Red River Cereal share in our excitement to get this beloved brand back on store shelves.”

In 2011, the Red River Cereal recipe was slightly altered to include steel cut wheat and rye. Arva Flour Mills plans to revert back to the original recipe to include cracked wheat and rye. The mill is in the process of acquiring a hammer mill to crack the wheat, rye and flax ingredients. Cracking the grain will result in a more creamy texture.

This insight brought together a group of food companies – Ardent Mills, Dare Foods, Everspring Farms, Griffith Foods, Mondelez International, and P&H Milling, all members of the Ontario Cereal Industry Research Council (OCIRC) – to support a research project led by Prof. Iris Joye at the University of Guelph into new products and processes for wheat. The project is part of the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) Emerging Science Research Cluster.

“Up to 30 per cent of people have decreased their wheat consumption, but that means they are also losing the health benefits associated with wheat consumption, like a high fibre intake,” says Dr. Joye, adding that a failed wheat harvest can have devastating impacts around the world which underscores wheat’s importance as a global food staple.

“Wheat is so important around the world and should still be part of a healthy diet, so we are working to unlock new functionalities and health benefits of wheat,” she adds.

Her research focuses on unlocking new functionalities and healthy properties of soft wheat through sprouting and of coloured wheat through fractionation; and identifying what impact the aging of sprouted and coloured wheat flour or whole meal will have on functionality and health properties.

Sprouted wheat has health benefits, including a higher availability of health-boosting antioxidants. Joye’s team has developed an in-lab sprouting process where soft wheat varieties are sprouted for different lengths of time and then tested in dough and bread-making trials to see how sprouting time affects the quality of end products, such as bread that is larger, darker or has a softer crumb.

“We need to know how enzyme activity and polymer activity change and how that impacts breadmaking, for example,” she says.

According to Joye, the goal is to end up with a product that can be blended with a regular unsprouted flour, resulting in shorter ingredient lists and cleaner labels on food products.

Coloured wheat varieties have anthocyanins in their outer layers whose benefits are often not used to their full potential. Joye and her graduate students are looking at ways those antioxidants can be extracted and then used to provide health benefits in other applications, as well as how sprouting coloured wheat varieties could impact anthocyanin extraction yields.

“What we really want is something we can blend with regular unsprouted flour so that we can have product labels with fewer ingredients while maintaining or improving the quality of the bread,” she says. “So, we are looking at whether sprouting will affect the end product quality, and how we can use antioxidants for best results in commercial applications.”

Photo © Nata_Vkusidey/Getty

Project partner Everspring Farms works with a wide range of grains and seeds used in bakery products and other food manufacturing applications and is keen to take advantage of new opportunities in the sprouted ingredients market.

“Sprouting resonates with people because it is a natural process, but there is a lot we don’t yet know about what happens during the sprouting process and why,” says Everspring President and Co-Founder Dale Donaldson. “This research with Dr. Joye is helping find those answers so we can provide better, more precise products to our customers and provide the scientific evidence they need to meet their specific labelling and product certification requirements.”

Ultimately, he adds, the project’s outcomes will help increase the value of a commodity crop like wheat for everybody along the value chain, including consumers who are seeking healthier, more nutritious food products.

Being able to work with Joye and her graduate students means Everspring can be involved with important research activities that would normally be beyond both its financial and human resource capacities. Without the funding from the cluster, Donaldson notes, the project wouldn’t have taken place, leaving important market opportunities for both farmers and food manufacturers unaddressed.

“The funding is the key to the whole thing. As a business, we are trying to cater to the needs of a very changing, diverse marketplace that is very segmented – people are demanding a lot of benefits to their food but don’t want to sacrifice taste,” he says. “The link is the understanding how to do that and university research is a perfect tool to accomplish that.”

Why is this innovation important?

• Expands understanding of health benefits of wheat sprouting
• Improves taste, texture and shelf life with fewer ingredients
• Creates new product opportunities for consumers reducing wheat intake

What does this project mean to Canada’s food processing industry?

Wheat is an important part of a healthy diet, as well as playing a significant economic role in the food manufacturing industry. New functionalities and health benefits of wheat can open up new product opportunities and markets for Canada’s food manufacturing businesses.

About Ontario Cereal Industry Research Council

The Ontario Cereal Industry Research Council (OCIRC) is a privately funded, open collaborative organization that supports a unique research program at the University of Guelph in cereal science and technology. OCIRC uses its members’ contributions to leverage additional public research dollars to fund discovery, innovation, and development of skilled people.

About the project team

Dr. Iris Joye is an associate professor in cereal chemistry and biochemistry in the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph. She completed her B.Sc., M.Sc. and PhD in bioscience engineering at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium), where she remains active as a part-time lecturer.

Dale Donaldson is the co-owner and president of Everspring Farms, a food ingredient business in southwestern Ontario.

The Canadian Food Innovation Network Emerging Science Research Cluster is funded in part through the AgriScience Program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. For more information, contact Laura Sider, science co-ordinator, CFIN.

“There’s a demand for locally-sourced craft malt, produced in a small system and in local production; it feeds into the ethos of what craft brewing represents,” says Dr. Alex Speers, Professor of Brewing Science at Dalhousie University.

Historically, malting involved soaking barley in water, laying it out on the floor to germinate, and then drying it. This is a process called floor malting. Today, pneumatic malting is automated with large maltsters spreading the barley out on a perforated floor and blowing air through that floor to precisely control temperature and humidity before drying the malt.

Two concerns about floor malted barley have been hindering the growth of craft malting: the potential for higher levels of a flavour-altering compound called Dimethyl Sulphide (DMS), and a condition called premature yeast flocculation where yeast clumps early and falls out of the fermenter before the beer is completely fermented.

“We wanted to look at the differences between craft and pneumatic malting to address rumours in the brewing industry about these potential problems,” says Speers. “There’s very little available in the literature about this, so we wanted to try to get a better understanding of DMS and premature yeast flocculation before launching into other craft malt projects.”

Photo © Blackcat/Getty

With project funding from the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) Emerging Science Research Cluster, Speers partnered with two Nova Scotia breweries, 2 Crows Brewing Company and Propeller Brewing Company, to find answers. The goal was to test the suitability of different Canadian barley varieties to floor malting and determine whether there was any truth to industry-held perceptions about the traditional process.

Three graduate students worked on the project with Speers looking at DMS, the yeast issue, and also the potential for fungal growth in floor malted barley.

Although the fungal growth component of the project is still underway, the research team found no problems with the other two components, potentially enabling broader use of craft floor malt by craft brewers.

“This is good for the industry. It gets rid of some of the myths, like that craft malt has high levels of DMS, which is not always the case,” notes Speers. “We also didn’t see premature yeast flocculation in the study we did, so brewers and maltsters can rest a bit easier on that front as well.”

For Jeremy Taylor of 2 Crows Brewing, the results open up new product development opportunities, as well as the possibility of sourcing more local ingredients for their products that are already on the market. The young Halifax brewery has made supporting small, local producers a big part of its identity.

​“There’s been a real rise in small scale maltings including a traditional floor malting resurgence, and we’ve been trying to figure out how we as a brewery can support those smaller producers,” Taylor says. “For us, the main goal of the project was looking at whether flavour would be a problem with floor malt compared to conventional malt and we now know it’s not really an issue.”

The cluster funding was critical in making this research a reality; a project of this scale would’ve been beyond the resources of a small start-up brewery. An added benefit for Taylor has been the opportunity to work with Speers, a world-renowned expert in the field of brewing science, which also wouldn’t have been possible outside of the research project.

“For us as a (beer)producer, it really has opened up the avenue of being able to use some of this smaller, locally produced malt,” Taylor adds.

Through the project, Speers’ three graduate students were each able to gain valuable industry work and research experience, making them very employable in an industry constantly in search of skilled workers.

​“This type of collaboration between industry and academia is also great for students because it exposes them to jobs in the sector and gives them valuable training and experience,” adds Speers. “All three students from this project have gone on to good industry jobs since.”

Why is this innovation important?

• Dispels common myths about floor malted barley
• Creates new opportunities for craft brewers and maltsters
• Supports local economic growth

 What does this project mean to Canada’s food processing industry?

​This research dispels commonly held industry myths about floor malted barley, opening up new market and product development opportunities for both craft maltsters and brewers.

About 2 Crows Brewing Co.

2 Crows Brewing Co. is a small craft brewer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company, founded in 2017 by Mark and Kelly Huizink and Jeremy Taylor, brews a wide range of craft beers with a focus on creating quality, local product.

About Propeller Brewing Co.

Propeller Brewing Co. has been brewing craft beer in Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1997. Founded by John Allen, the company is the city’s oldest craft brewery.

About the project team

Dr. Alex Speers is a professor in the Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science at Dalhousie University where he specializes in brewing science. He’s also an Honorary Professor at the International Centre of Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and completed both his master’s and PhD at the University of British Columbia.

Jeremy Taylor is the co-founder and head brewer at 2 Crows Brewing in Halifax. He’s a graduate of the University of British Columbia and completed a Master’s in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh under Dr. Speers.

The Canadian Food Innovation Network Emerging Science Research Cluster is funded in part through the AgriScience Program under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. For more information, contact Laura Sider, science co-ordinator, CFIN.

“Our latest findings clearly demonstrate that messages surrounding sustainability are having an impact on consumers,” said Nese Tagma, managing director of strategy and innovation for Cargill’s global edible oils business. “Insights like these help guide our consumer-focused approach to innovation, enabling us to partner with customers to co-create new products and solutions that reflect current consumer trends and ingredient preferences.”

Cargill’s global Fatitudes survey is pivotal to these efforts as it provides a window into consumers’ awareness, perceptions and behaviours around the fats and oils found in packaged food. The latest global survey, conducted in summer 2021, included approximately 6,000 primary grocery shoppers in 11 countries.

For the first time, the survey also asked consumers what type of sustainability claim they were looking for. “Sustainably sourced” and “conservation of natural resources” topped the list, ranking well ahead of more specific claims such as Fair Trade, reduced packaging and fair/living wages in most every country included in the survey.

“These insights further affirm our commitment to embed sustainable practices into every aspect of our operations,” said Florian Schattenmann, chief technology officer and vice president of innovation and R&D for Cargill. “This includes everything from our sourcing practices to processing facilities, and even extends to new product development, where decisions to commercialize innovations now consider sustainability alongside performance and cost.”

“The location of Cargill’s new facility will give canola farmers easy access for their deliveries, and in turn, allow Cargill to efficiently deliver grain, oil and meal to end-use customers,” said Jeff Vassart, president of Cargill Canada. “We see strong potential in the growth and competitiveness of the canola processing industry and look forward to helping farmers access the increasing market demand.”

Cargill plans to begin construction on the project as soon as possible once appropriate approvals are received, with plans to be operational by early 2024. As previously announced, the new processing facility will have a similar design to Cargill’s existing Camrose facility and is projected to have an annual production capacity of 1 million metric tonnes.

(Picture: One of CPI-IPC’s existing products)

The $27.3 million project will result in an innovative proprietary process to produce high-quality and highly sought-after soybean protein ingredients and soybean oil that comply with non-GM and Organic labelling standards. Canada Protein Ingredients (CPI-IPC) will process the crops at a brand-new, first-of-its-kind facility in Canada, expected to break ground in the next 18 months.

“The project being announced today is a clear example of how the Protein Industries Supercluster is supporting the plant-based protein industry, creating new opportunities for industry and providing more options for consumers in Canada and around the world,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “The Supercluster is playing a key role in connecting the right partners, who together have the potential to access untapped opportunities in the plant protein market.”

“As worldwide demand continues for high-quality protein ingredients, Canadian farmers and processors are rising to the occasion. Today’s announcement is a big first step to putting exciting new Canadian-grown soybean products on the market. This collaboration shows the results we are achieving with the Protein Supercluster, helping to position our agriculture sector as a global leader of innovation,” said The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Semences Prograin will develop and test new non-GM soybean varieties optimized for Canada’s growing conditions, while DJ Hendrick International and Agrocorp Processing will assist in developing, testing and marketing the new end products to international markets. This will add increased value across the Canadian agri-food value chain; farmers will receive premiums for growing specialty crops, and food manufacturers will benefit from a local source of plant-based protein ingredients that currently can only be imported.

“Helping Canada rise from being a commodity supplier to a world-renowned supplier of plant-based ingredients is part of Protein Industries Canada’s mission,” CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Greuel said. “This project is yet another step we take in that direction. Harnessing the potential of new crop varieties developed and grown in Canada generates more opportunities across our entire value chain, from farmers to food manufacturers.”

Plans for the upcoming processing facility are currently at a site selection stage. Once completed, the commercial plant will process 25,000 MT of crops per year, with the potential to increase capacity and expand to other crops, following the growing demand for clean-label plant-based protein products.

A total of $27.3 million is being invested in the project: approximately $20 million committed by CPI-IPC and the consortium members will be met by $7.3 million from Protein Industries Canada.

“This investment enables Canada Protein Ingredients to meet growing global demands with completely made-in-Canada products,” said CPI CEO Jim Millington. “There is currently no soybean protein isolate or concentrate manufacturing capacity in Canada, despite soybeans being a major crop for farmers. CPI is poised to commercialize Canadian science, further process Canadian soybeans, and respond to a global market hungry for plant-based protein.”

“At Prograin, we define innovation as the successful connection of our leading Non-GM food grade genetics and the agronomic expertise of Canadian soybean growers. The CPI-IPC project provides this opportunity” says Alain Létourneau, Prograin’s CEO. “The CPI-IPC process provides the opportunity to market the “made-in-Canada” food ingredients – not just the whole bean. Further processing in Canada was one of the pillars of the Barton Report released in 2016. We look forward to supplying Canadian farmers and CPI-IPC soybean varieties that will make this project a success.”

“We are excited to partner with CPI-IPC and Protein Industries Canada on this initiative. Being protein processors ourselves, we have seen the growth of the industry firsthand and we are looking forward to marketing the CPI-IPC soy protein ingredients to our customers and using it in our brands as well. We are thrilled to be part of the exciting ecosystem that Protein Industries Canada is fostering.” says Vishal Vijay, Director of Agrocorp Processing Ltd.

This is the 17th technology project announced by Protein Industries Canada. Together with industry, Protein Industries Canada has committed more than $347 million to the Canadian plant-protein sector. They are currently accepting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for both their Technology and Capacity Building programs.

Currently, the food industry uses fumigants to destroy microorganisms and insects in stored grains. However, these compounds, which evaporate or decompose into gases into air or water, threaten human health and the environment. “When grain is fumigated, a small amount of gas is absorbed by the grain and released into the atmosphere. For food irradiation, the treatment is physical. If “new molecules” are produced, they are no different than those produced by normal processes applied to food, such as heat,” says Professor Monique Lacroix.

Food irradiation refers to the exposure of food to ionizing radiation, including gamma rays and X-rays. The research team has determined the effectiveness of these two processes, both with and without essential oils.

Increasing radiosensitivity

The study aimed at testing whether the energy level of the irradiation source with variable flow rate could affect the dose (or treatment time) needed to kill 90% of insects or molds. The research team showed that gamma rays were more effective against insects than X-rays. In addition, a higher dose rate with gamma rays proved to be more effective than a low dose rate.

Moreover, by adding eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils, the effectiveness significantly improved. “With the addition of essential oils, the dose needed was four to six times smaller depending on gamma dose rates. In fact, oils increase the sensitivity of insects to radiation” says Professor Lacroix.

Similar results can be seen for bacteria and moulds, even though they are more resistant to radiation. According to a previous study, microorganisms’ sensitivity to irradiation increased by about 1.5 times with the addition of thyme and oregano essential oils.

The team also conducted experiments with essential oil vapors diffused in 5 kg bags of rice. In the future, the team would like to test the process in an industrial setting, through partnership with companies.

About the study

The article “Radiosensitization of rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae using combined treatments of essential oils and ionizing radiation with gamma-ray and X-Ray at different dose rates”, by Farah Hossain, Peter Follett, Shiv Shankar, Tofa Begum, Stephane Salmieri and Monique Lacroix, was published in the Radiation Physics and Chemistry journal. The study received financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

About INRS

INRS is a university dedicated exclusively to graduate level research and training. Since its creation in 1969, INRS has played an active role in Quebec’s economic, social, and cultural development and is ranked first for research intensity in Quebec and in Canada. INRS is made up of four interdisciplinary research and training centres in Quebec City, Montreal, Laval, and Varennes, with expertise in strategic sectors: Eau Terre Environnement, Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Urbanisation Culture Société, and Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie. The INRS community includes more than 1,500 students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, and staff.

Terry Alty, President of Canyon Creek, stated, “Canyon Creek is investing $1.7 million into a plant expansion. The investment will be in equipment and infrastructure, thereby increasing production capacity. We secured an additional 23,000 square feet in August 2019 to allow for anticipated demand increases from North American customers. This will allow the Company to continue and support it’s grow strategy.”

ABOUT CANYON CREEK
Canyon Creek is a food processing company based in Edmonton, Alberta, providing fresh soups and other prepared food products for today’s health conscious consumer. The Company offers its fresh food product line to both grocery retailers and a broad range of food service establishments including restaurant chains and public institutions throughout Canada.
This news release contains forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties not under the Company’s control which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the results, performance or expectations implied by these forward-looking statements.