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Reformulation may be the answer to our obesity crisis
New research coming out of the U.K. found reformulating certain foods to slightly reduce calorie content could help remove 38 calories from an individual’s daily diet.
Reformulation is one way to improve the nutritional value or reduce calorie content by changing the processing or ingredients of food or drink. This is an attractive option as the changes are often imperceivable and don’t require behavioural change at the individual-level.
The future of food: opportunities to improve health through reformulation report is based on analysis of shopping baskets of more than 29,000 British households from 2021. The data science team at Nesta, U.K.’s innovation agency for social good, set out to identify which food categories are most suited to reformulation using three indicators:
• impact on diet;
• feasibility of reformulation; and
• inclusion across income groups.
The indicators were then combined into a single metric of reformulation suitability.
Hugo Harper, director of healthy life at Nesta, said, “It should be easier and cheaper for people to consume fewer calories without making drastic changes to how they shop. We set out to find the easy wins in terms of food categories where small changes could make a bigger difference. To maximise the benefits of changes we focused on popular food and drinks that tend to pack in a lot of calories. Some foods are
too difficult or expensive to reformulate, but we know the technology and method exists to make helpful changes to a range of items that are widely consumed. No one measure is enough, but this gets us some of the way towards halving obesity. Thirty-eight calories is about a fifth of the reduction needed on average among men and about a quarter among women.”
Food categories for reformulation
The research identified 10 food categories where reformulation could effectively reduce the calorie count by 10 per cent. The categories are ‘ambient’ cakes and pastries, chocolate confectionery, ‘everyday’ biscuits, savoury pastries, ‘morning’ goods, treats, salad condiments, chilled ready meals, chilled cakes, and crisps.
To get the U.K. on the path to addressing the obesity crisis, the report recommends:
• government set mandated calorie reduction targets for specific food categories that contribute most to excess calorie consumption;
• an institution to lead the reformulation efforts, with statutory powers to design, set and monitor targets for calorie reduction by manufacturers and shops, with powers to levy fines where targets aren’t met;
• statutory data collection of sales from all retailers, including leading supermarkets, to inform a public ranking of shops on progress in making food categories healthier, as well as provide consumers
Nithya Caleb
with more information on which supermarkets are healthiest; and
• government should incentivise industry to reformulate and de-risk the upfront investment.
Ravi Gurumurthy, chief executive of Nesta, added, “Halving obesity is a significant, but achievable challenge. The number of people living with obesity has doubled in 30 years and that has very little to do with willpower or our personal choices. Over three decades, the food and drinks we buy have become bigger, cheaper, and far more calorific. Reformulating selected foods by a fairly small amount is good value and requires zero effort from the consumer. The success of the sugar tax shows good policymaking can help cut calorie consumption without affecting taste, price, or profits.”
The U.K. has an obesity crisis, as 28 per cent of adults (12.6 million people) are obese and a further 36 per cent are overweight. Obesity is linked to significant negative health effects including type 2 diabetes, several types of cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Nesta’s research offers important lessons for Canadian food manufacturers, as more than one in three adults in Canada suffers from obesity. It is estimated that one in 10 premature deaths among 20 to 64-year-old Canadians is directly attributable to obesity.
Nithya Caleb ncaleb@annexbusinessmedia.com
Barry Callebaut shares chocolate trends for 2023
Intense Indulgence, Mindful Indulgence and Healthy Indulgence are the top chocolate trends for 2023, according to Barry Callebaut. Consumers look for Intense Indulgence when they want to enjoy life to the fullest. They want over-the-top and immersive experiences. The Mindful Indulgence trend is for consumers who want to indulge without compromising their well-being, the health of others or the planet. Demand is growing for treats meeting these needs, such as plant-based, sugar reduced, sustainably sourced and with traceable ingredients. Consumers looking for Healthy Indulgence actively and intentionally make choices that have a positive impact on their health, such as chocolate with macro/micronutrients.
News> file
Mars acquires whole-fruit snacking brand Trü Frü Mars buys Trü Frü, a better-for-you, whole-fruit snacking brand. Trü Frü was founded in 2017 by its management team, CEO Brian Neville, president Taz Murray, and COO Brandon O’Brien. It is headquartered in West Valley City, Utah, and has approximately 50 employees. It will operate as a separate business within Mars to maintain its entrepreneurial spirit and the authenticity of its brand and culture. The business will be led by Neville. With the addition of Trü Frü, Mars will be able to meet a growing range of dietary and taste preferences.
NEW PRODUCTS
Volkmann’s Mini RNT manual bag
Maple Leaf subsidiary partners with Better Meat
Technology startup the Better Meat, Co., signs a joint development agreement with Greenleaf Foods, the owner of Lightlife and Field Roast plant-based protein food brands, and a subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods. Under the agreement, the two organizations will work together to explore the next generation of alternative protein innovation using Better Meat’s Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient.
FBC CEO Kathleen Sullivan resigns Food and Beverage Canada’s (FBC’s) CEO Kathleen Sullivan has resigned. As FBC’s founding CEO, Sullivan played a major role in building the association and in establishing FBC as a key voice for Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing sector on issues of federal importance. Sullivan will continue her almost 30-year career in Canada’s agri-food sector as vice-president, government and industry relations, with Maple Leaf Foods. The FBC executive committee has begun the recruitment process for a new CEO.
The Volkmann Mini Rip and Tip (RNT) Bag Dump Station from process equipment manufacturer Volkmann USA, Bristol, Pa., offers an automated sack tipping solution for loading small volumes of bulk materials and ingredients into a process. Applying the same modular design as the company’s higher volume bag dumping stations, the Volkmann Mini RNT accepts up to 40 L of powder, pellets, granules, and other dry solids in a hopper and then automatically discharges the material. www.volkmannusa.com
CFIN awards $2.5M to eight foodtech projects
The Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) is investing $2.5 million in eight projects, valued at over $5 million through the Food Innovation Challenge and Innovation Booster Programs. The former is a funding opportunity for industry collaborators who want to spearhead transformative improvements that will propel the food sector forward and generate significant economic impact. The Food Innovation Challenge funding recipients are Theory Mesh ($1,287,025) and Vivid Machines ($810,920). Liven Protein ($99,926), Rapid Aid ($99,471), Smallfood ($98,932), Earthware Reusables ($41,075), BioShur ($50,000), and Saltwinds Coffee Company ($57,681) are the recipients of the Innovation Booster funding. The program provides flexible and rapid support to small or medium enterprises as they address innovation challenges or technical hurdles that have created barriers to achieving their commercialization goals.
Space-saving palletizer from Box Bot
The Box Bot space-saving palletizer is available in modular or skid-based solutions that are suitable for food industries. This machine features a long-reach Fanuc M-710IC Series robot that provides higher stack patterns. It allows an operator to design and produce exact pallet patterns of food packaged products, with a small footprint starting at just 8 x 10 ft. A Venturi-style vacuum gripper lifts regular slotted cartons, half slotted containers, bags, blocks, pails and dunnage weighing up to 60 lb. www.questindustrial.com
The Comitrol ® series delivers continuous single-pass operation. High capacity, precision particle size reduction. Incrementally shears product without significant temperature rise. Now available with equipped HMI to offer even more processor benefits. Thousands of proven reduction applications worldwide.
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RBest practices for best before dates
Dr. Amy Proulx
educing food waste is top of mind for many consumers. Whether for environmental concerns or cost control, avoiding food waste at the consumer level often focuses on best before dates (BBDs). Consumers have the tendency to throw out food that has reached its BBD under the assumption the food is no longer safe for consumption.
As a manufacturer, it may be worth reviewing your BBD practices using regulatory and food safety perspectives.
Definitions
The term, “best before date,” is commonly used with consumers and manufacturers. However, the regulated term in Canada is “durable life date” (DLD), derived from the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) Definitions. Quoting from FDR, “Durable life means the period, commencing on the day on which a prepackaged product is packaged for retail sale, during which the product, when it is stored under conditions appropriate to that product, will retain, without any appreciable deterioration, its normal wholesomeness, palatability, nutritional value and any other qualities claimed for it by the manufacturer; (duree de conservation).” Expiry dates are a unique format of regulated DLD, specifically intended for foods for special dietary use like infant formula, fortifiers, and human milk substitutes. “Best before” is the term commonly applied by manufacturers, as it is better understood by consumers for being the threshold time for quality and safety.
Food products with a shelf life of less than 90 days are required to have a DLD on the package, except for prepackaged fresh fruit and vegetable products, prepackaged individual portions for food service or mobile vending, or prepackaged donuts. Products with shelf life longer
than 90 days are not required to have a DLD. Typically, manufacturers use DLD coding to provide lot traceability because it can be used as a voluntary declaration for products longer than 90 days shelf life.
Seting up a durable life date
The responsibility is on the manufacturer for determining if a product requires a DLD and the typical shelf life. In general, shelf life can be categorized into four primary forms: pathogen outgrowth, microbial spoilage, loss of nutrition quality, or loss of organoleptic quality.
Using risk-based food safety knowledge and regulatory innovation can improve food waste outcomes for consumers.
Using a risk-based approach, pathogen outgrowth is the greatest concern, followed by microbial spoilage, and this is most common for high and intermediate moisture foods. Manufacturers should be using sample programs, which hold and monitor the quality of product, and allow for observation of the shelf life. Manufacturers can retain their own samples and analyze for microbiological growth over a period. Alternatively, they can ask contract labs or Technology Access Centres to conduct shelf-life testing. For products where the application of process controls and proper storage allow for extended shelf life, the concern may be nutritional and organoleptic or sensory property. This would include low moisture foods, frozen foods, or canned
and hermetically sealed foods. Generally, the composition of the food changes minimally with respect to macronutrients and minerals. The primary concern for shelf life and “best before” declarations would be vitamins or a vitamin-based nutrient content claim as vitamins tend to be the most labile over time. This would be evaluated by a retained sample program, combined with nutrition chemistry testing at an accredited lab.
If the “best before” date is based on product quality, such as loss of colour, staling, or oxidation, sensory or organoleptic analysis is the most common way to determine shelf life. Here the risk to consumers is not related to food safety, but it’s based on the reputation of the company for delivering quality products. This can be evaluated by sensory difference or acceptability methods.
Different strategies
Grocers and other retailers use BBDs as part of their traceability and inventory control. Grocers want to purchase product with sufficient durability, so that they can have adequate time to sell the inventory.
If a product is using voluntary durable life declarations, there is the potential to use “packaged on” date coding. While this strategy could be helpful for consumers and retailers, it could also be misleading, as consumers do not have a clear perception of the typical time product is in distribution and retail channels before taking it home.
Using risk-based food safety knowledge and regulatory innovation can indeed improve food waste outcomes.
Dr. Amy Proulx is professor and academic program co-ordinator for the Culinary Innovation and Food Technology programs at Niagara College, Ont. She can be reached at aproulx@niagaracollege.ca.
Health Canada proposes a new pre-market submission process for supplemented foods
Laura
Gomez and Kiah Barton, PhD
Health Canada is proposing a new pre-market submission process for supplemented foods. Once finalized, this guidance will support the addition of new food categories and new ingredients to the supplemented food regime in Canada.
The supplemented food regulations that came into force last summer allow for the sale of certain categories of supplemented foods (e.g. bars, water-based beverages, chewing gum) supplemented with certain permitted ingredients (e.g. vitamins, minerals, amino acids, caffeine). It was supported by years of research under the temporary marketing authorization (TMA) regime. The ability to supplement foods is not a free for all—the categories, ingredients, and levels are limited, as set out in the Lists (the List of Permitted Supplemented Food Categories and the List of Permitted Supplemental Ingredients). Supplemented foods also have specific labelling requirements, including cautionary statements in some cases.
The draft guidance describes the process to request a change to the existing Lists. A submission must be filed, including a description of the requested change and scientific evidence that supports the safety of the change. If the requested change meets the requirements, the List will be updated.
With respect to safety of supplemental ingredients, the proposed process intends to address a range of ingredients, from plant extracts commonly used under the TMA regime to new ingredients. A significant breadth of data is identified to support the addition of a new substance or modification to an existing entry. The
The proposed pre-market submission process for supplemented foods will support the addition of new food categories and new ingredients.
Food Directorate will consider scientific evaluations and approvals from other programs, such as the European Union Food Safety Authority, but will conduct its own assessment. As such, it will be the responsibility of the applicant to submit sufficient information for a complete assessment, including a full review of the potential risks and toxicological data.
The list of toxicological data that can be submitted closely resembles that evaluated by the Joint FAO/ WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in their toxicology monographs, and includes acute, shortand long-term toxicity; genotoxicity; reproductive and developmental toxicity; and pharmacokinetics studies. The Food Directorate expects these studies to be performed according to robust testing standards and are supportive of non-animal methods, provided they give results of comparable quality.
The draft guidance provides human clinical trials may be submitted, but with the limiting condition that trials primarily focused on the therapeutic effects of the ingredient will not be considered “sufficient for use in a safety
evaluation”. Given the extent of the toxicological evidence contemplated, it would be valuable to stakeholders if the guidance included minimum evidence requirements, tailored to various levels of request complexity.
Considerably less information is provided on the data required to support a modification request. The applicant will be expected to provide an overview of anticipated intake across life stage and gender groups but is unclear how the Food Directorate will determine which supplemental ingredients may be permitted for use within a new food category and whether it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide safety evidence to support this decision.
Also, the draft guidance doesn’t include performance standards or timelines for the review of new submissions. The fact that the Lists are incorporated by reference, and can be changed without a formal regulatory process is beneficial, but reasonable and predictable performance standards for new submissions will be key to ensuring the framework is agile enough to encourage innovation and provide Canadians with safe access to new supplemented foods. Given how easy it is for Canadians to order online and legally import a variety of foods under personal exemptions, the Canadian regulatory regime needs to adapt to keep pace.
Feedback on the consultation is open until February 17, 2023.
Dr. Kiah Barton (kiah.barton@gowlignwlg. com) is a scientific research advisor and Laura Gomez (laura.gomez@ gowlingwlg.com) is a lawyer in Ottawa’s GowlingWLG food law group.
Preventing food from falling through the cracks
Highlights from a multi-year project that helped reduce food loss in the processing sector
— BY LORI NIKKEL —
Ninety-five CN towers – that’s the equivalent weight of the food wasted in this country every year. It’s enough to feed everyone living in Canada for almost five months and represents a whopping 58 per cent of all food in the country. When it comes to food waste in Canada, we have a huge problem, and issues occur all along the supply chain. Forty-seven percent of this waste occurs in processing and manufacturing. That’s why, in 2021 with a significant investment of US$510,000 funding from the Walmart Foundation, Second Harvest, Anthesis Provision and Enviro-Stewards kicked off a multi-year research project to support companies in the food processing and manufacturing sector to explore and address barriers to preventing and reducing food loss and waste, while recovering and redistributing surplus food.
A previous investment from the Walmart Foundation facili-
tated food loss prevention assessments at 50 food and beverage processing facilities across Canada. These assessments identified prevention measures that could avoid 9.3 million kg/yr of food loss while collectively saving the facilities $11.4 million/ yr. However, the social, environmental, and economic benefits of these measures are not realized until the measures are actually implemented. Walmart Foundation’s follow-up investment enabled following up with each of the 50 original participants and provision of technical assistance to 20 facilities that had not fully implemented the recommended conservation measures.
Fast-forward two years, and this massive project has ended. In spite of COVID delays and supply chain issues, a total of 3,109,433 kg/yr of food loss and waste is now being prevented, and 100,295 kg/yr of surplus edible food is now being redirected to non-profit agencies feeding Canadians. On the surface, these numbers are encouraging but they don’t tell the whole story. When it comes to reducing and eliminating food waste, prevention at source is the goal, which is why each of these companies were supported through this program with change management training and food loss and waste goal-setting support from Anthesis Provision. Rather than disposing of food in a more environmentally friendly manner, prevention is the only option for food loss and waste that recovers the economic, environmental, and social value of the food.
This project saw many successes. We surpassed our redistribution goal, received positive buy-in from the companies we consulted with and uncovered many unexpected sources of waste and cost savings for manufacturers.
Take for instance Righteous Gelato, a small batch gelato company and Certified B Corporation with operations in Calgary. Through the course of the work of this project, Enviro-Stewards identified three major opportunities that represented annual financial savings of $132,609, the prevention of 25.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), and surplus food redirection to support local non-profit organizations. Efficiencies like modifying the shape and angle of holding tanks and systems for preventing residual milk and gelato loss in stainless steel transfer pipes will inform new facility design plans and help them realize these savings.
“We’re always trying to make our facility as efficient as possible and eliminate waste,” said James Oliphant, operations lead at Righteous Gelato. “This work allowed us to rethink our priorities and refocus our energy.”
Nature’s Touch, a frozen fruit manufacturer saw similar success. Through work at their production facilities in Abbotsford, B.C., and Montreal, Enviro-Stewards uncovered potential annual savings of $824,000, the prevention of 422 tonnes of GHGs and enough food to support 195,000 meals (based on calories saved) for food insecure Canadians. Similarly to Righteous Gelato, many of the recommendations were related to machinery and process— improved conveyer belt systems, bag sensors and drum machine calibration are helping prevent small fruits from falling through the cracks.
“As much as people want to believe that you can be a sustainable company without completing the conservation assessments in your supply chain, that’s not true. We were measuring losses, but without having done these quantitative assessments, we never would have gone as deep as we did,” said Deborah Wolman, VP of sustainability and revenue management at Nature’s Touch. “It changed the way we see and talk about waste. And thanks to our implementation of the work, sustainability in 2023 is a pillar for our company. It’s a license to operate; it’s not a nice to have, it’s a must have.”
CHALLENGES
Righteous Gelato and Nature’s Touch aren’t alone, and many of the companies saw great value in this work. We did, however, also encounter many challenges along the way.
Four themes emerged as barriers to successful food loss and waste prevention for manufacturers:
We’re trying to make our facility as efficient as possible and eliminate waste. This work allowed us to rethink our priorities and refocus our energy.
— James Oliphant
1. High infrastructures costs of some of the project implementation recommendations
2. Lack of leadership and corporate culture of accountability
3. Staff turnover and resource challenges related to the COVID19 pandemic
4. The need for a dedicated continuous improvement role
Although many of the opportunities identified for manufacturers were quick wins, a significant portion of the measures involved large capital investment and significant facility design changes. Even so, the overall payback remains under one year for implementation of food loss prevention measures (i.e. for every dollar investment, the facility would realize a net savings of $1 every year thereafter). Although there are plans in place to implement the remaining measures, the full impact of our assessments and recommendations was not realized by the close of this program. In many cases, it remains a work in progress.
As the CEO of Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, I am laser-focused on ensuring surplus edible food ends up on plates instead of landfills because millions of Canadians face food insecurity in their lives, and food waste is a major driver of climate change in this country. In our ideal world, there would be no waste, no hunger and, frankly, no need for Second Harvest. But change doesn’t happen overnight, and any incremental success or improvement is a step in the right direction. While this project illustrated many of the challenges faced by companies looking to prevent waste, it also underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration and alignment on a goal. We’re not there yet, but we’re well on the way. It’s a work in progress.
Lori Nikkel is the CEO of Second Harvest.
Prevention is the only way to recover the economic, environmental, and social value of food.
Automation advances in the baking industry
BY
JANE DUMMER
It is important to review advances in automation and the benefits they provide. The baking industry, along with the entire food industry, has been slow to automate. At the start of the pandemic, automation adoption was accelerated when global lockdowns created customer demands for baking ingredients and baked goods. The baking industry continues to embrace automation into 2023. Nithya Caleb, editor, Food in Canada, describes results from the 2022 Business Outlook survey: “From machinery to innovative products, participants are busy planning new investments. Approximately half (49 per cent) expect to invest in new machinery, equipment, or technology in the next year with 32 per cent introducing automation in the next three years.”
Using automation can improve productivity and
create a more sustainable, energy-efficient product. These are fundamental benefits of incorporating automation for bakeries of all sizes. Automating production and packaging lines can be easily measured while keeping up with product demand. Also, automation is one solution to address the current tight labour market. Typically, automation works at a more consistent rate (and faster) than human workers.
Efficient operations
Daniel Millar, business development manager, Factory Automation/Packaging at Emerson, describes, “Production and packaging lines are the areas of the baking process that we’re seeing the greatest automation demand. Today’s bakers are facing the same skilled labour shortages and sustainability pressures
—
Automation
Industry Leaders Identify Top Health & Safety Risks in Food Manufacturing
Ontario is home to North America’s third-largest food manufacturing sector, with meat processing and bakery production leading the way. Yearly sales total more than $34 billion, making it a critical part of Canada’s food supply chain. It recently became the latest industry to undergo an in-depth risk assessment and root cause analysis facilitated by Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS). Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development (MLITSD) established this methodology as a way to engage industry stakeholders to better understand the top risks to workers’ health and safety and solutions and controls to reduce risk to lost-time injuries. The MLITSD’s methodology focuses on leading indicators, rather than lagging indicators, and leverages the knowledge and insights of front-line workers and managers. This approach has been successfully applied in the transportation, mining, and construction sectors.
Input from Industry Experts
For food processing, WSPS facilitated the risk assessment workshop this past October. Industry experts from across the sector were invited to participate—an even split of workers and employers—representing companies of various sizes and focus, from unionized and non-unionized environments.
Industry associations attended as observers, including Food and Beverage Ontario and Meat and Poultry Ontario. “As the professional organization for food and beverage processors across Ontario, we welcome this initiative to identify hazards and their causes. It’s a valuable opportunity to play a vital role in accident prevention and the reduction of harm across our sector,” said Chris Conway, CEO of Food and Beverage Ontario. “We’ll help to reduce injury and illness any way we can.”
“Companies were enthusiastic about participating and put a lot of thought into the pre-workshop activities,” said Hamish Morgan, Manager of Consulting Services with WSPS. To prepare, each participant identified health and safety hazards in the sector. Collectively, 60 hazardous events were identified in all.”
“We gathered feedback from a diverse group of people from food manufacturing. For example, I have a background in the commercial baking industry, as well as meat manufacturing. We had others who are also involved in
meat processing but use di erent manufacturing methods because they work mainly with raw meat, which means they have di erent hazards,” said Michael Pesce, an employee of FGF Brands Inc., a commercial baker. “We were able to look at di erent hazards through the lens of the people who do those jobs everyday.”
The group reviewed each of the 60 hazardous events in detail together. “There was some ambiguity with some of the risks, but we were able to consolidate similar risks and narrow our list,” noted Rizwan Arshad from MARS Pet Care. “It was enlightening. I learned a little bit from everyone in that room”.
Rating by Likelihood and Severity
To determine level of risk, each hazardous event was rated in terms of likelihood and severity of harm.
“Representatives of MLITSD and industry associations participated in the discussions; however, only the worker and employer representatives voted in the risk evaluation,” explained Hamish. The votes were recorded anonymously and validated on a one-on-one basis.
What emerged was a top ten list, with inadequate lockout and tag out—which occurs when energy from equipment is not e ectively isolated and blocked from being released while maintenance or other work is performed—in the number one spot. Other risk events included in the top ten list are bypassing or having inadequate safeguarding on equipment; being struck by or caught in mobile equipment (e.g., lift trucks, electric rider pallet trucks); and slips, trips and falls. Loading/unloading trailers and material handling also made the list, along with issues related to temporary workers and their unfamiliarity with the workplace.
The second phase of this approach—the root cause analysis workshop—will take place in February. The goal will be to uncover the specific factors that contribute to inadequate lockout and tag out. Industry experts will identify and recommend the types of controls needed to address the root causes. These recommendations, in part, will form the basis of resources and training developed for the industry, which will create safer working conditions for all involved. “I have four kids who are going to hit the workforce soon. I feel good that I’m helping to make improvements that may have an impact on their experience,” said Rizwan. “We’re doing this because we want to leave the industry better than it is now.”
as other industries. With fewer or inexperienced personnel, it can be challenging to improve or even maintain production uptime to meet demand. With no way to monitor equipment and processes, bakers may not know if they’re getting the proper product count for ingredients, and operations may use more energy and resources than required. By automating production and packaging lines, staff can work more efficiently, operations can rely less on personal knowledge and experience and processes can result in less waste.”
Millar points out, “With such optimized operations, bakeries can better ensure production levels and respond faster to market demands to remain competitive. Depending on the application, automation can improve facility safety. Smart technologies that continuously monitor operations and provide advanced analytics can give bakeries greater control over energy and resource consumption and significantly improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).”
their investments by taking advantage of automation in packaging, I also think bakeries of tomorrow will look at automation in a more holistic view. They will capture data points and employ software to help decision makers improve operator and food safety, while increasing operational efficiencies and lowering environmental impacts. This, in turn, could help them engage their labour force by making work more interesting, which can assist in labour retention, another way of enhancing ROI.”
32%
Let’s talk ROI
Automation is an investment. However, the ROI can be advantageous. With the benefit of automation, bakeries can improve accuracy during the production process resulting in improved product quality. Peter Rasmussen, industry segment business driver – baking, North America, Festo Corporation, explains, “If you look at the overall baking process, primary packaging has been the area with the most focus on automation, as it generated the highest levels of ROI. While bakeries can see great returns on
Automation is not just for large bakeries. Automation can be introduced in stages, and it does not need to take away the artisan style for small and mid-sized bakeries. For this group, rather than installing a multiple function system, it may be better to first integrate a smaller scale solution. At the International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) 2022, I discovered Festo’s new generation of soft customizable, hand-like grippers. These robots can be deployed in applications where individual baked goods are handled to pick and place all sizes and formats. Advancements in design allow for handling odd-shaped items like artisan cupcakes with icing. The grippers’ finger-like movements are suitable for end-of-the-line packaging. Food safety and ease of cleanability, quick and simple changeovers, and low energy consumption are all part of the design.
In 2020, advances in automation were driven by a need to meet record demand for baked goods on supermarket shelves. Today, customized automation and unique digital transformation continue to expand in bakeries of all sizes.
Smart technologies will help decision makers improve operator and food safety in bakeries.
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Raising the profile of food jobs
CareersNow has helped positively change public perceptions about working in Ontario’s food processing sector — BY MARK CARDWELL —
When food scien-
tist Jose Medina immigrated to Canada from Mexico in 2009, food and beverage companies here required jobseekers to be both qualified and experienced for the positions they were applying for.
“You needed to do three or four interviews, that was the norm,” said Medina, who was hired by the Original Cakerie as operations manager at its plant in London, Ont. He’s now the vice-president of regulatory, food safety and quality assurance at the Vancouver-based company.
Medina says times have changed when it comes to hiring standards in the Canadian food and beverage industry.
“The only thing you need now is a pulse,” he said. “There are simply not enough people. Workers are more transient now. It makes things tough. We’ve been delaying some of our expansion projects.”
That’s why Medina is such a big fan of CareersNow, an industry-led, government-funded workforce development initiative dedicated to attracting and connecting jobseekers, student, and newcomers in Ontario with labour-starved food and beverage companies across the province.
New relations
Designed by Food and Beverage Ontario (FBO) and launched in 2021 with $2.4 million in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the two-year pilot
project is focused on building new relationships with non-traditional partners of the food and beverage industry, from First Nations to chambers of commerce and high-school and post-secondary institutions and youth groups.
Program partners include Meat & Poultry Ontario, Discover Ability Network, Food Processing Skills Canada, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the University of Guelph, and Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada.
The project also works to organize activities aimed at connecting jobseekers, young and old, with companies in real time, including virtual job fairs and webinars, ad postings on social media, free online training, and mentorships with industry experts
to discuss career possibilities and professional development.
In the second year of the program, CareersNow conducted 12 job fairs and a conference, 12 mentorship sessions, career coaching for 50 jobseekers, engaged 500 individuals in job ready and new hire skills training, filled 384 jobs and engaged 400 employers engaged, implemented a secondary school outreach plan, engagement plans with Indigenous youth and with meat and poultry employers, and HR coaching for 10 SMEs.
“It’s a tool that’s been working very well for us and has brought us many people,” said Medina. “The way it is presented makes the food industry very attractive. It catches the attention and interest of young
The meat processing sector has been hardest hit by labour issues. Photo
people, and it gives us a chance to tell them what we’re all about.”
Medina’s refrain is repeated by several food and beverage processors and other stakeholders across Ontario. The food and beverage processing industry is the largest manufacturing sector in Ontario. It boasts of 4,000 establishments—90 per cent of them are small and medium-size businesses—employing 125,000 people.
New engagement tool
“The labour shortage is not unique to the food and beverage business,” said Chris Conway, CEO, FBO. “But it’s an acute problem in a critical industry.”
Conway pointed to a recent FBO study that projects a shortfall of 25,000 employees in the sector, which contributes nearly $14 billion to Ontario’s GDP and is the province’s largest purchaser of farm products, by 2025.
In addition to dealing with general labour shortages, one in four companies already waits more than a year to fill critical skilled trade positions.
For Conway, increasing awareness and education about the benefits of skilled trades and careers is essential to addressing the sector’s long-term labour needs.
“Our industry is highly innovative with tremendous career opportunities,” said Conway. “CareersNow helps us get that message out.”
According to Conway, the new program both builds on and replaces Taste Your Future, a communications campaign FBO launched in 2016 to engage young people about jobs and careers paths in the industry through social media.
He said many of the new partnerships and initiatives developed by CareersNow, including career fairs, online networking with recent graduates and students, and access to provincial and even national employment portals like Magnet, take those efforts to a whole new level.
“This program helps us better engage with the public, especially students and people who are looking at job and career
opportunities,” said Conway. “It helps put some rubber on the road.”
Dr. Amy Proulx agrees. A professor and co-ordinator of the culinary innovation and food technology program at Niagara College in southern Ontario, she says the new program is raising the profile of the food sector and helping schools and educators recruit students in food-related programs.
“Food careers have very low visibility. There’s no vocabulary or vision about what that might look like. Onboarding of youth from high school has long been a struggle,” said Proulx.
However, she says CareersNow helps both students and graduates hear and learn about the opportunities, skills, and connections they need to find, prepare for and land rewarding jobs in the province’s food and beverage sector.
“Food is essential for life and the food economy is essential to the success of our province and country,” said Proulx, one of many food industry leaders who have sent letters of support to the Ontario government, calling for renewed funding for the CareersNow program. The current funding ends on March 31.
A ‘meaty’ crisis
Meat and poultry processors are struggling more than other food companies to find workers to fill jobs that are both physically demanding and socially challenging.
“Meat processing is not the most attractive industry,” said Kristi Barnes, director of human resources and performance culture at Maple Lodge Farms, Canada’s largest chicken processor.
According to Barnes, worker recruitment and retention has become a constant challenge and pre-occupation for the family-owned firm, which employs some 2,500 people at six plants connected to its headquarters in a rural area in Brampton, Ont., and at another two facilities in the nearby city of Mississauga.
In addition to competitive wages and bonuses, the company offers benefits like a free daily shuttle bus service for its workers with multiple runs and routes, including one to the Wilson subway station, which has expanded the company’s reach across the Greater Toronto Area.
Barnes says the partnerships and activities developed by CareersNow are a boon for companies in an industry that is struggling to find workers.
“It’s a further opportunity to upgrade our reach, not just in general labour jobs, but also in skilled trades and salaried and non-salaried positions. Our needs are across the board,” she said.
Conway hopes the government funding for the program is renewed. “We believe that government is aligned with our objectives of placing jobseekers, including New Canadians, in the many available career opportunities in the food and beverage processing industry. These jobs pay an average of $22 per hour to start and can lead to real careers in the sector through on-thejob training. Also, we believe there are additional promising new career opportunities in the sector through our partnerships with First Nations, universities and colleges, chambers of commerce, and the Discover Ability Network,” he added.
A Food and Beverage Ontario study projects a shortfall of 25,000 employees in the sector by 2025.
BEYOND GOOD INTENTIONS
Actionable innovations in sustainable food packaging —
BY MARK JUHASZ —
Amid the ongoing legacy of the pandemic, plastic packaging for food saw a rise of 4.3 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020 due to an increase in on-the-go restaurant sales. The use of virgin plastic also increased by 2.5 per cent between 2020 and 2021. Amongst leading OECD economies globally, only about nine per cent of plastics are recycled. The rest end up largely in landfills and water systems or are incinerated. Some plastics such as film wrappers are particularly hard to recycle too. While the Canadian ban on certain single-use plastics does not come into full effect until 2025, a recent 2022 Ipsos survey found over 75 per cent agree businesses need to stop producing single-use plastic and support international bans as soon as possible.
Domestically, Environmental Defense has brought attention to the gap that exists in reliable information and targets toward waste reduction, and determining what is collected, sorted, and recycled. In Canada, the approximately 7,000 food manufacturing facilities work with a diversity of packaging companies, often resulting in misalignments between current recycling infrastructure, and novel materials like bioplastics.
Sustainability
The ADM 2023 Global Consumer Report identifies ‘earth friendly production’ as a trend. The report found consumers, and, in turn, retailers, have heightening concerns about food packaging. They’re looking for solutions to not only minimize waste, but also to restore and rebuild the
environment. From a food CPG perspective, sustainable packaging can be fully realized under the growing pressure of ESG reporting and by applying new technologies and automation that aim at creating a circular economy. The fall 2022 International Pack Expo reinforced the themes of sustainability, and systematically moving beyond talk and toward action. In the U.S., the Securities and Exchange Commission is increasingly holding companies to account for their sustainability goals, even as the E.U. Commission Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive faces pushback from packaging industry on the cost implications of implementing proposed changes. To realize uptake of greater circularity, companies are conducting assessments of their packaging, supply chains, and related finances.
Automation and high-tech packaging solutions can help create a more circular food economy.
These assessments include how to improve efficiencies, finding process and energy savings, and reducing waste while assessing net unit costs in operations.
ReFed, a group studying food and packaging waste, suggests 500,000 lb of food in the U.S. could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging. New automation applications could reduce packaging waste with more consistent, durable, and reusable packaging containers linked to automation logistics software, and supply chain transparency.
Dealing with plastic
While packaging can be made from durable materials such as aluminum and glass that do not quickly degrade from use or cleaning, plastic packaging is the most ubiquitous format for food containers. Plastic also has the potential for significant circularity provided regulations improve. Circularity will require well designed policies that foster innovation, create incentives to adopt new technologies, and a clear roadmap for private investment to implement actions needed. For example, plastic pouch packaging could replace some rigid materials for foods and beverages. Chemical recycling could transform plastic waste into reusable raw materials and replace the need for fossil-based raw materials. This will need expert stakeholders from food science, chemistry, and materials science, along with regulatory comprehension of food safety. Energy capture and demand analysis will also be required, but chemical recycling can reduce pressure on virgin plastic feedstock, espe-
cially related to the tremendous demand for polyethylene and polypropylene. Recently, the Chemical Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) launched the Save Plastic campaign to promote a circular economic approach to include recovery and minimize raw materials and energy use. By 2030, the Canadian industry aspires to recycle or recover 100 per cent of plastic packaging.
Brand initiatives
All this leads to asking what businesses are doing to address the opportunity of circularity in food packaging? Answers vary by brand, but major emphasis is focused on material impact, such as seeking to eliminate over-wrapping, replacing multi-material packs with mono-materials. Leading packaging companies such as Amcor and Berry Global are on board with leaders such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and meeting the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
New innovations and applications are particularly impressive with start-ups and entrepreneurs globally. Sweden-based Innoscentia supports the food industry with technology that helps determine the safety of meat depending on the buildup of microbes in their packages, while SavrPak, a plant-based FDA-approved packet that can fit inside takeout containers, absorbs condensation and helps food stay hotter and crispier for longer periods of time. Innovators such as Paboco’s paper bottles, Danimer Scientific’s PHA bioplastic resin, or Sonoco’s moulded sugarcane are all part of an industrial transition to new material
Innovations in materials science are increasing the shelf life of fresh produce while addressing the industry need for sustainable packaging.
ReFed suggests 500,000 lb of food in the U.S. could be diverted from landfills annually with hightech packaging.
science applications in paper, bioplastic, and fibre packaging. Japanese flavour company Ajinomoto announced in 2022 their intention to introduce a paper package for their seasoning. The package can be ‘planted, grown, harvested, and replanted.’ Test runs will happen initially in the Philippines. U.S.based Better Earth is focused on strengthening industrial circularity around their sustainable packing solutions. Major companies, such as Dow and France-based Valoregen, are working on partnerships to scale their chemical recycling logistics.
In Canada, sustainability and circularity in packaging design is evident in the Inwit app, which allows customers to order food using reusable containers that can be returned to the restaurant. Mississauga-based Erthos is a materials science company working to establish better industry guidelines and regulation of certified, compostable plastics. Nfinite Nanotech in Kitchener, Ont., makes an aluminum oxide nanocoating for environmentally friendly packaging that
Circularity requires well designed policies to foster innovation, create incentives to adopt new tech, and a roadmap for private investment.
creates a better moisture and oxygen barrier to keep food fresh longer. Genecis Bioindustries, Toronto, is seeking to co-ordinate use of use eco-friendly plastics with CPG brands.
The frontier in sustainability in food packaging will likely fall somewhere between the feasibility associated with the costs of new processes and materials, regulation, consumer convenience, and the supporting infrastructure.
Mark Juhasz is CEO and founder of Harvest Insights. He has more than 20 years of experience in the agri-food industry. He can be reached at www.harvestinsights.com.
In late 2022, Food Allergy Canada released Allergen Management Guidelines for Food Manufacturers, a landmark food safety resource for Canadian food and beverage manufacturers to manage food allergens in their facilities, including guidance on the use of precautionary allergen labelling.
Food allergy is a serious public health issue. Allergens such as peanuts, shellfish, wheat, eggs, and milk affect over 3 million Canadi ans, including 600,000 children and impact one-in-two households. This community relies on access to accurate ingredient information, yet current food labelling practices, specifically precautionary allergen labelling, is confusing to consumers, thereby making it difficult to navigate safe food options.
natural fit for Food Allergy Canada, who has the mandate of helping Canadians with food allergy live with confidence. Everyone has a right to know what is in their food and by ensuring access to accurate ingredient information, impacted Canadians can be confident in the safety of their food choices.
Prior to publication of the Guidelines, the Canadian food and beverage manufacturing industry did not have a standardized process for managing food allergens. Individual, company-driven solutions proved expensive and time consuming, a deterrent to making improvements to allergen management practices.
As a result, Food Allergy Canada met with industry leaders to prioritize this need, including Maple Leaf Foods, Université Laval and other leaders. The group agreed it was time to create a consensus-based resource that would be accessible and straightforward for all Canadian
businesses to implement.
We shared a common goal: ensuring the production of safe food options and accurate labelling is centred on a scientific risk-based approach. To accomplish this goal, we needed to provide manufacturers with an industry-developed tool to effectively manage food allergens, so that consumers with food allergy could make informed and safe food choices. Leading the development of the Guidelines was a
For food and beverage manufacturers, recalls are expensive to not only the bottom line, but also to a company’s reputation in domestic and international markets. In 2022, over 30 per cent of all Canadian food recalls were allergen related. To complicate the situation, some Canadian manufacturers are unsure when precautionary allergen labelling is needed and use it broadly to prevent potential legal liability. As a result, market share for Canadian products may be needlessly lost.
Currently, companies across Canada have different processes in place to manage allergens or may not have a specific allergen control plan. The Guidelines are a standardized tool developed by industry for industry to ensure due diligence and accountability. Regardless of the size
The process noted in the Food Allergy Management Guidelines streamlines production by identifying key risk areas that need to be addressed along the supply chain and throughout the manufacturing process.
A case for using the latest allergen management guidelines — BY JENNIFER GERDTS —
The new Allergen Management Guidelines will help manufacturers manage allergencs in thier facilities.
Automate.
of manufacturer, the Guidelines provide a road map on how to identify possible risks and strategies to minimize them.
“At Maple Leaf Foods, we used the quantitative and qualitative assessment sections in the Guidelines to enhance our existing programs and determine when precautionary allergen labelling is needed. Implementation of the Guidelines has aligned with our goal to always provide consumers with safe, great tasting food produced in a safe environment,” said Sharon Mohammed, director, government and industry relations – regulatory management, Maple Leaf Foods.
Manufacturers may initially feel that implementation of the Guidelines will be difficult. In fact, the process noted in the Guidelines streamlines production by identifying key risk areas that need to be addressed along the supply chain and throughout the manufacturing process including how allergens are handled by suppliers, storage facilities, or even a packaging material company.
“We, at Daiya, pride ourselves with strong food safety program including risk-based allergen control program that include not just assessed risks within our operation but also allergens risks that can be potentially introduced into the production cycle through suppliers. When everyone is using the Guidelines (and use common/standardized language), inherited risks from raw materials could be greatly reduced and almost eliminated. Processors and suppliers must work together to reach the ultimate goal: transparent and accurate precautionary labelling,” said Mila Savic, director of food safety and quality & regulatory Affairs, Daiya Foods.
The collaboration between Food Allergy Canada, Université Laval’s Food Risk Analysis and Regulatory Excellence Platform, Maple Leaf Foods, and leading food manufacturers has resulted in not only publication of the new Guidelines, but also resources and training modules to simplify the self-assessment and implementation process for manufacturers. The Guidelines and all resources are available in French and English, at no cost.
By following the steps in the Guidelines, a manufacturer will use sound industry best practices to control food allergens, considered chemical hazards, and make an informed decision on the need for a precautionary allergen label based on a risk assessment. This will result in increased market share by not unnecessarily eliminating some consumers with
food allergy. More market share leads to greater brand reputation, repeat consumers, and increased brand longevity and growth.
“The Guidelines offer Canadian manufacturers a risk-based approach to manage food allergens, with the aim to meet Canadian food regulatory requirements while aligning with the most recent international advice stemming from the WHO/FAO Expert Consultation on food allergen risk assessment methodologies and allergen thresholds,” said Prof. Samuel Godefroy, full professor, food risk analysis and regulatory policies in the Department of Food Science and the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Food (INAF), Université Laval.
How well are you managing food allergens in your facility? Take the self-assessment quiz and download the free resources available at foodallergycanada.ca/ allergenguidelines.
Jennifer Gerdts is executive director, Food Allergy Canada.
Food allergy is a serious public health issue. Current food labelling practices are sadly confusing to consumers, which make it difficult to make safe food choices.
EWhy French matters
Birgit Blain
very day I come across food brands sold in Canada without French on their packaging. It’s not only illegal, but also a missed opportunity. Here’s why.
In today’s highly competitive market, sales can be hard to come by, so every customer counts.
The stats
English and French are Canada’s two official languages. According to Statistics Canada, 21.4 per cent of Canadians, equating to almost 8 million consumers, choose French as their first official language. They don’t all live in Québec. Every province and territory have Francophone representation, totalling 1 million people outside Québec. An additional 2 million Canadians are English/French bilingual.
Québec is a huge market with a headcount of 8.5 million, representing 24 per cent of the Canadian population. It’s also a culinary mecca where food is celebrated.
Alienating the French-speaking demographic is short-sighted, and the absence of French demonstrates a lack of cultural sensitivity and respect.
It’s the law
As a key communication vehicle for brands, packaging needs to entice, inform, and sell, within the law. Health Canada food labelling regulations require mandatory information is presented in English and French, in equal prominence. What that means is that both languages must stand out equally. This is achieved by using the same fonts, type sizes and colours. Further, Québec’s Charter of the French Language requires all labelling
appear in French, and English text cannot be more prominent.
Accuracy is important, as the FrenchCanadian language has unique words and expressions. Hence international French is not appropriate. Close attention is needed to ensure the proper use of accents, capitalization, punctuation, and numeric values to avoid costly errors and miscommunication. Therefore, I highly recommend consulting with a certified translator.
A caveat
French is Québec’s only official language. The Québec government has taken great pains to ensure French is “the common language” for business and life, by strengthening the Charter of the French Language through recent amendments in Bill 96.
This adds a layer of complexity when conducting business with the Québec market. The legislation extends beyond companies operating within Québec. It also affects businesses outside the province that market to Québecers. Think e-commerce.
Business documents including contracts, invoices, as well as marketing materials, websites and advertising must all be in French. As well, customer service activities, business services and employee relations must be provided in French.
Trademarks are also affected. Unregistered non-French trademarks are not permitted. This necessitates registration of English trademarks. Once registered, they can be used with the following provisos:
• there can be no corresponding registered French trademarks;
• descriptions or generic terms in
English trademarks must be translated into French; and
• signage and advertising that is “visible from outside premises” must have “markedly predominant French”. Alternatively, registered French trademarks can be used in lieu of English versions. As some of the wording in the statutes is vague, legal advice as to interpretation and risks is recommended.
Conducting business with Québec requires accommodations akin to dealing with a non-English-speaking country. All departments within a business are affected. Consider it to be a cost of doing business. Is the investment worth it? Brand owners must decide whether it aligns with their business goals and strategies.
As a CPG food consultant, Birgit Blain helps clients think strategically to build a sustainable brand. Her experience includes 17 years with Loblaw Brands and President’s Choice. Contact her at birgit@bbandassoc.com or learn more at www.bbandassoc.com
