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REVISITING FOOD IRRADIATION

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FIRST SPICE MIXING FINDS ITS NICHE

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EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | Laura Rance-Unger (204) 792-4382 lrance@farmmedia.com EDITOR | Kristy Nudds (226) 231-8254 knudds@foodincanada.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR | Christina Manocchio cmanocchio@foodincanada.com

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contents

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departments

6

Editorial

7

News File

11 Food Guide Comparison The new guide is cheaper, but will this last?

12 Marketing Trends The next decade looks volatile, too 14 Focus on Food Safety Revisiting food irradiation 15 Food Law Foreign food companies may face challenges under SFCA 16 Regulatory Affairs Where’s the meat?

Cover photo & above: YinYang / iStock / Getty Images Plus

features 18 Forward thinking Maple Leaf Foods focuses on sustainability 20 Tackling food waste It’s a systems, not food, issue 24 Finding its niche Kosher offerings and food safety focus for First Spice Mixing Company

24

28

Rethink Innovation An overview of “The Institute”

29

Recipe to Retail Practicing portfolio management

30

New Products The latest new products

26 A SoCIALite gathering Friends create new alcohol beverage

4

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EDITORIAL Kristy Nudds

Connecting the dots Funding for Canada’s anticipated national food policy was announced by the federal government March 19 when it released its electoral budget.

The government has pledged $134.4 million in new funding, focusing on four key areas: helping Canadian communities access healthy food, promoting locally grown and made-in-Canada products, supporting food security in northern and indigenous communities, and reducing food waste amongst food processors and retailers. $24.4 million has also been available to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to fight food fraud.

To spur innovation in food processing, $100 million from the Strategic Innovation Fund over the next five years is up for grabs, but the government hasn’t provided any specific details on what type of innovation will qualify.

It’s clear from this budget that the federal government is trying to make good on the promise it made to develop a national food policy four years ago, but does it hit the mark?

In terms of making food more affordable, produced locally and sustainably, then the answer is yes.

According to a report released in the fall of 2018 by Canada’s Economic Strategy Table on Agri-Food, public consultations on the food policy development process showed these to be the top concerns amongst Canadians.

But the consultations also showed that

6 APRIL 2019

Canadians want the food policy to be cohesive, and this is where the federal government appears to be struggling.

Take the recent update to Canada’s Food Guide released in January by Health Canada, for example. According to a recent study completed by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph (see page 11), 52.4 of Canadians say they face barriers to adopting the new Guide, and 20 per cent said the guide either doesn’t reflect their dietary needs, or that preparing the recommended foods is too time-consuming.

Also troubling is the focus on foods for which Canada, currently, has limited production and processing capabilities, according to study lead author Professor Sylvain Charlebois. “The new Food Guide points to the issue of productivity here in Canada,” he says. “If we don’t increase our production capacity for fruits and vegetables, more Canadian families will likely become food insecure over time.”

Canada has set some aggressive targets for agricultural and food exports and domestic sales. To achieve this, “specific policy areas need to be strengthened,” Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) president Don Buckingham recently wrote in an op-ed in Hill Times.

Buckingham calls on the government to take a “whole-of-government” approach to grow Canada’s agriculture sector, and for an integrated agri-food policy framework “developed by having stakeholders come

together to discuss and decide upon appropriate industry actions.”

This medley of mixed messages suggests that Canada still struggles to shed its legacy as a producer and exporter of agricultural commodities. While exports of grains and oilseeds are important to this country’s farmers, the national food policy and revamped Canada Food Guide are focused on meeting the nutritional needs of Canadians.

Food processors are caught in the middle, which underscores the need for strategic innovation in policy as well as technology and capacity.

Kristy Nudds knudds@foodincanada.com

Sign up for our enewsletters at

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Christina Manocchio new associate editor of Food in Canada Christina graduated in 2017 with a B.A in journalism from Wilfred Laurier University. She has held communication roles at charitable organizations and has also worked in the daily news industry in design and copy editing.

Christina lives in the Golden Horseshoe with her cat, Blossom.

Canadian food and beverage companies get mixed grades on nutrition goals Canada’s largest food and beverage manufacturers could aim higher to improve nutrition, reduce obesity and prevent chronic disease, according to a new report by University of Toronto researchers.

The study is the first to evaluate Canada’s biggest food and beverage companies based on their policies and commitments to sell healthier products.

The report shows that while many companies are making meaningful commitments to improve the Canadian food environment — through targets to reduce sodium, sugar and saturated

Food Policy pledged in pre-election budget Released March 19, the federal government’s annual budget for 2019 commits to the development of what it dubbed the Food Policy for Canada, pledging $134.4 million over five years starting in 201920 and $5.2 million ongoing.

That $134.4 million funding envelope includes: »» $50 million for a local food infrastructure fund; »» $25 million for a Buy Canadian promotional campaign; »» $15 million for a northern isolated community initiatives fund, backing local food projects, skills training and community freezers and greenhouses, among other projects; »» $20 million toward a Food Waste Reduction Challenge grant plan; and »» $24.4 million to boost federal capacity for detection of and enforcement against food fraud.

The budget also allocates $100 million over five years from the federal Strategic Innovation Fund, starting in 2019–20, to go specifically toward innovation in food processing.

fat in products and by restricting advertising of less healthy products to children, for example — there is much variability among companies.

“We see considerable leadership from some companies that have embedded population nutrition and obesity in their policy approaches and strategies,” said Lana Vanderlee, a postdoctoral fellow who co-led the study with Mary L’Abbé, a professor of nutritional sciences at U of T. “But it’s not the case across all companies, and no single company demonstrated strong commitments in all the areas we examined.”

The researchers assessed 22 companies, half of which provided data or clarification on their policies. Study criteria did not include the healthfulness of specific

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NEWS FILE

products and focussed largely on corporate leadership, best practices and areas of potential improvement.

Overall, companies scored highest for their corporate strategies, by acknowledging obesity and nutrition commitments and efforts in their strategies, missions and visions. Almost no companies had policies related to making healthier products more readily available and at a better price point, and many fared poorly on front-of-package labelling.

The study also looked at corporate transparency. “We found that most companies report the philanthropic causes and foundations to which they contribute, but far fewer publicly share their positions related to government policies, or their political donations and research funding,” said Vanderlee. “Given the history of industry involvement in the policy process, and ongoing private-public partnerships in research, transparency in these areas is essential.”

Overall, says Vanderlee, the report highlights the important role the food and beverage industry can play in controlling obesity and reducing diet-related chronic diseases — and the need for future research to monitor industry efforts, especially when it comes to acting on good intentions.

And given that not all companies are committed to healthier practices, Vanderlee says, government policies clearly have a role.

“The Canadian government has introduced the Healthy Eating Strategy to address some of these key aspects of our food environment. Time will tell how companies react to these changes, but industry needs to be part of the solution if we want to see tangible improvements in Canadian diets.”

8 APRIL 2019

Enabling integrated precision ag in processing vegetable production Bonduelle has joined together with the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers and In-Green Valley Foods Co-operative to access project funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help Ontario’s processing vegetable industry put all of its collected data to use. Bonduelle uses AgPOD, a system it created to collect traceability information as well as manage seeds and contracts.

Today, that system can’t process all the additional data that is now being collected. Bonduelle is working with DoubleLeaf Development on the new system to enable complete traceability from final product right back to the field, including everything from contracting to crop history like Research winery opens in Nova Scotia A new research winery opened at the Kentville Research and Development Centre, helping grape growers and vintners hone their production techniques to take full advantage of the province’s unique soils and growing conditions. The $1.8 million winery will allow researchers to look into how locally grown varieties, growing conditions and vineyard practices affect the chemistry of the grapes, which in turn influences the finishing characteristics in the wine, including taste and aroma.

Researchers will also study wine making techniques, working with commercial wineries to evaluate the impact of fermentation and temperatures on the quality of wine. That work will include the identification and use of natural yeasts found in Nova Scotia that could contribute to unique characteristics in the province’s wine profiles.

photo: Jen Thompson

planting, scouting, spraying, nutrient application and record verification.

The project includes creation of a central hub that can receive data from different inputs and have the ability to organize and store the data. It will be inter-connected to retrieve data from various sources and its mobile solution will enable on-the-go connectivity. System-wide connectivity is expected by 2020.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE > Marie-Claude Bibeau, MP for the Quebec riding of Compton-Stanstead since 2015, replaced Bibeau

Lawrence MacAulay

as agriculture minister on March 1, becoming the first woman to handle the ag portfolio. Bibeau previously served as minister of international development. > Ian Potter has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Vineland Research Potter

and Innovation

Centre, effective April 1. Potter has 25 years’ experience in the Canadian research and innovation space, in senior leadership roles with both the National Research Council Canada (NRC) and with Alberta Innovates — Technology Futures (AITF).

Sniffing out illegally imported meat The Government of Canada announced funding of up to $31 million to increase the number of detector dogs at Canadian airports to help prevent illegally imported meat products from entering Canada. This funding will allow for the addition of 24 detector dog teams over five years, bringing the total number to 39 Food, Plant, and Animal Detector Dog Service (DDS) teams.

Illegally imported meat and meat products from countries affected by African swine fever (ASF) present one of the greatest risks for introducing this animal disease to Canada. Canada has never had a case of ASF, but the disease continues to spread in parts of Asia and Europe. ASF poses no risk to human health, but it could disrupt Canada’s pork industry which includes over 100,000 direct and indirect Canadian jobs.

Study finds that pet owners interested in vegan pets A new study from the University of Guelph found that 35 per cent of owners whose pets ate conventional diets were interested in switching their animals to a vegan diet. Just under six per cent of the survey respondents were vegan and 27 per cent of them reported they already fed their pets plant-based diets.

Among the rest of the vegans, a full 78 per cent were interested in helping their pets to switch to a plant-based diet if one were available that met their needs.

Currently, there is little research on the nutritional suitability of vegan diets for dogs and cats, nor on the health benefits and risks of plantbased diets in these animals.

Canadians’ consumption of fruit and vegetables drops 13 per cent in 11 years Research from the University of British Columbia compared two surveys taken 11 years apart show a 13 per cent decrease in the amount of fruit and vegetables being consumed by Canadians. Consumption of milk and dairy products also declined during the study period between 2004 and 2015, and Canadians were eating

DICE GRANULATE

more meat and alternatives in 2015 than they were a decade earlier.

In 2015, Canadians reported consuming an average of 4.6 servings of total fruit and vegetables daily, down from 5.2 servings per day in 2004. Canadians increased their intake of dark green and orange vegetables, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds over this time. Canadians also reported fewer daily servings of fluid milk in 2015 compared to 2004.

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NEWS FILE Grand River Foods and Maple Lodge Farms first recipient of Ontario Chicken Innovation Award Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO) announced the first recipient of the Ontario Chicken Innovation Award, co-applicants Grand River Foods and Maple Lodge Farms, who are collaborating to produce frozen, smoked chicken products using a proprietary process that is the first-of-its-kind in North America.

Created in 2018 by Chicken Farmers of Ontario, the program is the first-of-its-kind in the chicken industry. It is open to primary processors, further processors, retailers, foodservice and restaurant companies involved in the processing, marketing and sale of chicken products. Companies that are not primary processors must include a primary processor as part of their application. Innovations must use chicken grown and fully processed in Ontario.

In assessing applicants, the Independent Advisory Committee considered four factors: historic sales, projected future sales, the quality of the idea and economic value. An additional supply of live birds is directed to the successful applicant’s primary processor to enable the innovation.

IN BRIEF

(L-R): Michael Burrows, CEO of Maple Lodge Farms; Don Kilimnik, Director of Co-Packaging Sales and Special Projects, Grand River Foods; and Paul Borg, Member of the Independent Advisory Committee that oversees CFO’s Ontario Chicken Innovation and Growth Program

“Our companies collaborate on many products and we are excited to be recognized,” said Fred Marques, chief operating officer of Maple Lodge Farms. “Chicken is already Canada’s favourite protein and we are confident that introducing new products like this will strengthen that position.”

> Azelis announced it has acquired

> Quinta Quinoa is one of six global

> Jet Marking Systems (JMS) became a

Chemroy, a Canadian distributor of

finalists — the only one from Canada

certified partner with product identification

specialty chemicals and food ingredients.

— selected to compete for the People’s

and traceability solution manufacturer

The transaction will place Azelis as one

Choice Award at the Global Food Summit in

Markem-Imaje. The collaboration will result

of Canada’s leading specialty distributors

Munich, Germany. Quinta Quinoa founder

in a wider range of packaging, marking

with a strong position in the CASE

Jamie Draves shared his journey to create

and coding offerings and service options

(coatings, adhesives, construction and

the highest protein, most nutritious quinoa

for existing Markem-Imaje costumers in

ink), food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical

in the world during a three-minute pitch

Western Canada.

and personal care segments. The

to an audience of industry leaders, media,

> District Ventures and Calgary-staple

transaction sees Azelis acquire 100 per

government officials and scientists at the

Sunterra Market have joined forces to

cent of Chemroy Canada Holdings Inc.

Summit March 20th.

support Canadian entrepreneurs in the

> Gabriella’s Kitchen announced a new

> Detectamet is expanding its metal

food and beverage sector. Sunterra Market

grocery store partnership with Calgary

detectable and x-ray visible product for

opened its new location March 7 adjacent

Co-op grocery stores in Southern Alberta.

food processing products into Canada.

to the District Ventures space and will

Calgary Co-op recently announced a

Detectamet’s sales and distribution centre is

feature the innovative products of the

$2.25 billion investment in Calgary and

based in Ottawa, which is set to open April 1.

District Ventures companies both there and

area, which will see $1 billion dedicated to

> Bühler Insect Technology Solutions

in its other seven locations.

retail operations and an additional $1.25

and Alfa Laval have joined forces to offer

billion invested into residential and office

advanced modular plant solutions to the

projects.

insect industry. The two companies aim

> Bühler joined the World Business

to leverage each company’s expertise and

Council for Sustainable Development

have jointly developed tailored solutions

(WBCSD), a global network with over 200

for heat transfer, solid and lipid separation,

other companies. Through joining WBCSD,

and fluid transfer that can be integrated

Bühler plans to make an impact on global

seamlessly to allow insect producers to

corporate sustainability, food and mobility

ramp up production easily as demand

solutions of the future.

increases.

photo: Rachel Callan Photography

10 APRIL 2019

RESEARCH

Food Guide fails to resonate Study finds that majority of Canadians face barriers in implementing the new guide

By Christina Manocchio

photo: fcafotodigital/ iStock / Collection: E+

A

joint study from University of Guelph and Dalhousie University recently found that Canada’s new Food Guide will save a family of four, on average, 6.8 per cent on their annual grocery bill if they prepare food at home.

However, more than one-quarter of those surveyed believe the new Food Guide recommendations are not affordable.

The new Food Guide no longer includes dairy and alternative grains, with a focus on plant-based eating and eliminating the four food groups most Canadians have grown up with. The study, Canada’s Food Guide: Canadian’s Awareness, Understanding and Barriers to Adoption & Affordability, found that the participants put the Food Guide in sixth place for sources of healthy eating advice, after family and friends, general research, social media, cookbooks and magazines, and TV programs.

Simon Simogyi Arrell, chair in the business of food at the University of Guelph, explained in a press release that the Food Guide isn’t the primary source of nutrition information for Canadians.

“We found that almost two-thirds of participants have not used the Food Guide in the last 12 months and that it has a minor impact on Canadian food choices. This is point is troubling. We also see that gen Z and millennial consumers get much of their food information from food bloggers and celebrities.

Perhaps Health Canada needs to engage with social media influencers and celebrities to get the message of the new Food Guide out to a younger demographic.”

It was also found that over half of survey respondents — 52.4 per cent — say they face barriers to adopting the new Food Guide. In addition to Canadians’ perception that the new Food Guide means a more expensive plate, about 20 per cent of respondents say the recommendations in the new guide don’t fit their taste preferences, and almost 20 per cent say the guide either doesn’t reflect their dietary needs or that preparing the recommended foods would be too time-consuming.

The new food guide points to the issue of productivity in Canada The lead author of the study, Sylvain Charlebois, explained that the Food Guide meal costs calculated in the study does not consider “life” factors, such as eating out or busy schedules that require the convenience that processed and prepared foods provide.

He says as more Canadians adopt a plant-based diet, the demand for fruits and vegetables may go up. This could lead to price increases or price volatility, causing that savings margin to narrow or even disappear.

“The new food guide points to the issue of productivity in Canada,” says Charlebois. “If we don’t increase our production capacity for fruits and vegetables, more Canadian families will likely become food insecure over time.”

Although Canada grows a lot of pulses (dried edible seeds in the legume family and a primary source of plant protein), 95 per cent of Canada’s pulses are exported, and Canadian processing capacity is small, says Charlebois. “The new guide emphasizes that processing is bad, but in actuality it allows control of the entire supply chain.” He told Food in Canada that although Canada grows a large number of commodities, most of what we grow gets shipped to U.S. where it is processed, then bought back by Canada for up to 20 times the price.

The new Food Guide has “troubling” wording on processed food, says Charlebois. “All processed foods shouldn’t be put into one category, since there are healthy options for processed foods.”

He also notes that Canada’s agricultural industry is not structured to produce all of the required food in the guide, and that Canada’s food strategy and Food Guide need to be more aligned.

Although the new Food Guide was shown to be less expensive per family than its predecessor, this may change if demand for fruits and vegetables increase

FOODINCANADA.COM

11

MARKET TRENDS Larry Martin

Expect volatility to continue into next decade The livestock and meat markets received their own China jolt. China’s swine herd is infected with African Swine Fever, an extremely contagious virus among pigs and related species such as wild boar. It typically causes kidneys to swell and eventually hemorrhage. It is quite deadly to pigs.

China is far and away the world’s largest swine producer. Their sow herd is estimated at 35 million head. In contrast, the U.S.

MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

sow herd is around six million. Losses in China are estimated as high or higher than 20 per cent of China’s herd — one million more sows than in all of the United States.

China purchased 24,000 tonnes of U.S. pork in early March despite the 25 per cent tariff they imposed. June futures promptly shot up from $78 to $100. So, the potential impact on prices is immense.

But we now face the risk of the disease coming to North America.

In addition, the March 8 USDA report

Looking at all the political and trade issues happening now, we shouldn’t expect the next decade to be less volatile than the last one.

Market Trends is prepared by Dr. Larry Martin, dlm@xplornet.com or (519) 841-1698, who offers a course on managing risk with futures and options.

For more information visit agrifoodtraining.com.

a supply glut that is causing cargoes of LNG

increased supply, lowered exports and domestic

in Asia not being purchased, and some future

Agricultural markets are in disarray. Edible oils

use and, therefore more stocks, which led to the

projects being mothballed.

are tanking, pork is flying high and grains are in

contract low on March 11.

Like the grains, these low prices suggest buy-

Subsequently, flooding in the Midwest and

ing hand to mouth below $2.92 and protecting

economic and weather events buffet markets.

heavy snow in northern spring wheat areas have

above it. Alternately, you could try to be a bot-

> Grains: Unexpectedly large inventories of

markets concern about a reduced U.S. crop this

tom picker around $2.60.

grain in the Black Sea area and potentially

year, bringing prices back to the current level.

> Crude Oil: May Brent Crude continues to creep

between, as a mixed bag of trade, geo-political,

large South American corn and wheat crops are

Technical resistance is now at the old support

sideways along the 50 per cent retracement

weighing on these markets. Though weather

level of $5.08. We would buy hand to mouth

around $68. Currently, prices took a small hit

patterns provide some support, they are cer-

below it and protect above it.

to $67.60 because of unexpectedly large U.S.

tainly not in bull territory.

> Soy oil: May soy oil peaked at $.31 before

inventories. Otherwise, production restraint by

> Corn: USDA’s March 8 report called for less

dropping to the current $.287. Oil World predicts

OPEC and related countries, including Russia,

domestic use, fewer exports, and therefore more

declining oil consumption and inventories of

and U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan exports is

stocks. Lack of progress in the U.S./China trade

oilseeds are headed for record levels. The EU

reducing supply. Uncertainty comes from the

talks add more burden. Subsequently China

is considering removing palm oil from subsidy

demand side because of continuing signs of

increased imports and the U.S. Corn Belt has

eligibility in its bio-fuel programs. In Canada’s

economic weakness.

serious flooding leading to expected late plant-

questionable spat with China, over an Huawei

ing of corn and switching acres to soybeans.

executive, has led to China shutting off imports

supplies will win out over demand and that

of canola.

prices will go higher. Oil buyers should protect

May futures continue sideways essentially in the $3.95 — $3.65 range, though they made

May soy oil broke out below the head and

Funds are net long, betting that restricted

against a break above $68.38 and expect it to

a contract low of $3.61 after the USDA report.

shoulders and seems headed for support at $.277.

go to at least $71.85 if it does break.

Floods in Iowa and Nebraska rallied them back

We have a channel between there and $.3132

> Canadian dollar: At least temporarily, the

to the current $3.77.

since last June. We would buy cash and protect

loonie has broken its relationship with crude oil.

above $.3132. Canola oil is a bargain now.

While oil prices remained tracked $68 since the

weather problems in important production

> Sugar: Sugar continues to be burdened

beginning of February, the loonie trended down

areas or an end to the trade war. May futures

with excess supply and weak demand. India is

from $.764 to $.747. Some low growth numbers,

continue to show $3.95 or $4.03 as resis-

clamping down on refiners who sell below their

the political problems of Prime Minister Justin

tance. We continue to suggest buying hand

floor price. May 2019 futures continue sideways

Trudeau, and, especially, his dispute with China,

to mouth below them and protect above one

between $.11 and $.14 since last April. The chan-

all weigh on the loonie. A number of analysts

of them.

nel is even tighter between, $.1185 and $.134,

are calling for the loonie to drop as low as $.60,

> Wheat: Chicago May wheat made new lows

since October. A breakout above $.14 would

back in third world territory.

until March 11 at $4.27, then rallied back to

signal an end to the glut. We would buy hand to

$4.70 currently. The trade war, plus continued

mouth and protect above $.14.

commodity buyers hold Canadian

upward adjustments in last year’s Russia and

> Natural gas: After spiking in November to over

dollar Puts. We suggested $.75’s last

Ukraine crops are the major factors. Black Sea

$5, NG prices slid, going into a channel between

month, which are now in the money.

ports were the leading exporters much longer

$2.92 and $2.57 in late January (currently)

Sept $.735’s are in order now, or just

than anticipated.

$2.65, on the May contract. This results from

sell futures with a stop above $.755.

The two factors that can get prices up are

12 APRIL 2019

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Buy USA Sunflower Oil | SunflowerNSA.com 1. Omnibus survey hosted by Maru/Blue, October 2018 2. Fry study conducted by Cargill, spring 2009

FOCUS ON FOOD SAFETY

Food irradiation revisited

I

Ron Wasik

wrote my first article on food irradiation for this magazine over two decades ago. Back then there was a lot of excitement about the application’s potential along with a strong belief that public concerns could be overcome. Research recently published in Food Protection Trends by researchers at Purdue University and at the University of California (Davis) revealed that the decades-old concerns and some new ones as well need to be overcome if this technology is to achieve its full potential. First, let’s get reacquainted with what ionizing radiation is, the types of ionizing radiation normally used for foods and what foods can be irradiated in Canada.

What is food irradiation?

According to Health Canada, “Food irradiation is the treatment of food with a type of radiation energy known as ionizing radiation.” The three types of ionizing radiation approved for foods in Canada are gamma rays emitted from radioactive cobalt 60, electron beams (e-beams) and X-rays, both of which are generated electronically. The ionizing radiation emitted damages the DNA of the micro-organisms in or on the food being irradiated with the net effect of either killing or impairing their growth, which improves the safety and/or the shelf life of that food. Generally speaking, the extent of the reduction of pathogenic and food spoilage organisms is proportional to the amount of ionizing radiation administered. The types of foods and the levels to which they can be irradiated is restricted. Presently, Health Canada only permits potatoes, onions, wheat, flour, whole and ground spices, dehydrated seasoning preparations and ground

14 APRIL 2019

beef to be irradiated. The irradiation of ground beef was approved shortly after the XL Foods tainted beef scandal, suggesting that Health Canada is open to considering other foods on an as-needed basis.

Old issues Back in the mid 1970s there were many issues of concern including off-flavours, off-odours, discoloration, depletion of nutrients, whether the products irradiated would become radioactive, the availability of facilities to do the irradiating, the cost of optimizing the radiation process, the cost of irradiating foods once the process was optimized, limited sources of ionizing radiation (cobalt 60 was the only option), safety concerns about shipping and handling cobalt 60, the limited number of foods permitted to be irradiated, labelling of irradiated foods, consumer acceptance of irradiated foods and, finally, few significant commercial incentive(s) to adopt the technology. Little wonder that the use of ionizing radiation didn’t become mainstream.

It was tough slogging in the early years for the proponents of the technology. The industry acknowledged the challenges that needed to be overcome, and looked for other applications (such as the sterilization of medical equipment) to remain viable. In time, with experience and with the commercialization of e-beam technology it was shown that a number of concerns could be addressed. For example, concerns over discolouration, off-flavours and off-odours and nutrient losses could be minimized and even eliminated. The number of facilities offering gamma, e-beam and x-ray services increased, driving down processing and development costs. More frequent food safety recalls

and the associated staggering litigation costs have also done a lot to revive interest in food irradiation.

However, a number of the original concerns remain. These include labelling, the added cost of irradiation and the lingering public perception that irradiated foods are not safe to consume. The “radura” symbol on the packaging along with a compulsory statement that the product or any components (10 per cent or more) of the finished product, have been treated with ionizing radiation is a turn-off for many consumers.

Some new issues Consumer preferences regarding foods have evolved in recent years as all in this industry know. Minimally processed foods, “clean” labels, certified organic, certified “natural” ingredients and “freshis-best” are themes that resonate today. To consumers, ionizing radiation is an ingredient that many would prefer to avoid, if they have a choice.

There are now less obtrusive, easier to implement and possibly less expensive ways to achieve significant microbial reductions, such as through the application of high-pressure pasteurization, natural anti-microbial additives and modern food safety management programs.

Final thought For food irradiation to become mainstream, governments and industry will have to investment in educating consumers about the benefits that ionizing irradiation can have on food safety.

Dr. R.J. (Ron) Wasik, PhD, MBA, CFS, is president of RJW Consulting Canada Ltd. Contact him at: rwasik@rjwconsultingcanada.com

FOOD LAW

Importing from away SFCA trials and tribulations for foreign food companies

photo: Arx0nt / iStock / Getty Images Plus

F

Katrina Coughlin

oreign food companies looking to ship products to Canada continue to face challenges under the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA) and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR). The inclusion of a non-resident importer licensing option under the SFCA was a major point of discussion during the early consultations on this regulatory framework. While this option was ultimately included in the SFCR, the current approach creates some absurd situations.

Subsection 12(1) of the SFCR provides that an importer that does not have a fixed place of business in Canada is able to obtain a SFC licence, as long as certain conditions are met. These conditions include having a fixed place of business in a country that has a food safety system or inspection system recognized by the CFIA, and shipping the food products from a country that has a food safety system or inspection system recognized by the CFIA. After some initial confusion, the CFIA has confirmed that imported food products do not necessarily have to come from the same country where the non-resident importer has its fixed place of business. However, to date, the CFIA has only recognized the food safety system of the United States with respect to all food products. For other countries, the CFIA recognition (if any) is limited to the inspection system specifically for meat and live or raw shellfish products.

It is important to keep in mind that a meat product is broadly defined to include “a product or by-product of (a

food animal’s) carcass or any food that contains the blood of a food animal or a product or by-product of its carcass” other than “a food that contains a meat product in an insignificant quantity, having regard to the nature of the food and of the meat product.”

CFIA’s SFCR glossary of key terms goes on to provide guidance as to what is or is not considered an “insignificant quantity” of meat product. Aside from some specific product types outlined in that guidance, the general rule is that a food containing more than two per cent meat product is itself a meat product for the purpose of the SCFA and SFCR, though it may be subject to some targeted exceptions under Section 25 of the SFCR.

To date, the CFIA has only recognized the food safety system of the United States with respect to all food products The result is that companies outside of the United States that manufacture products for which there are both meat and vegetarian versions of the product may find themselves in a situation where they can be the licensed importer for only some of the products shipped to Canada from their facility.

For example, consider a company in Italy that is a registered meat facility making soups, pizzas or other manufactured foods, which may or may not contain more than two per cent meat. The

company can be the licensed importer for the meat products and ship them directly to Canada because the products are made in a facility that is under a meat inspection system recognized by the CFIA. However, if the company also makes vegetarian versions of those same types of products, at the same facility, they are not meat products and therefore cannot be imported to Canada by that company as a non-resident importer even though the facility is subject to a recognized meat inspection system.

Unfortunately, while subsection 12(2) provides for the CFIA to recognize the food safety system of other countries (for non-meat/shellfish products), recognition is a resource intensive, complex and lengthy process, and the focus so far has continued to be the recognition of additional meat inspection systems. In the meantime, some foreign companies may find that becoming a non-resident importer simply isn’t the most practical approach.

Katrina Coughlin is an associate in the Ottawa offices of Gowling WLG, specializing in food and drug regulatory law. Contact her at: Katrina.

Coughlin@gowlingwlg.com

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REGULATORY AFFAIRS

Where’s the meat?

E

Gary Gnirrs

ven before the recent updates to Canada’s Food Guide, the move towards plant-based meat alternatives had been growing. Recent surveys show that more than 50 per cent of Canadians have tried and do eat meat alternatives. In addition, 50 per cent of Canadian have said they are looking to reduce their meat consumption. That does not necessarily mean consumers will replace meat with simulated meats. It does not take much imagination to see that this dietary void creates opportunities for suitable plantbased alternatives. Why not try it?

The chief factors influencing the meat alternative trend appears to be health, animal welfare, and cost. Taste and texture are also important factors for consumers, and I suspect those might be even more so in the case of the “unconverted” meat eaters. The flavour and texture appeal of meat alternatives are continually getting better. I recall working on simulated meat products 30 years ago, that even our dog refused to eat.

Today, there are some great products available. Simulated ground meat products are an easy and barely noticeable substitution in many traditional recipes. The choice of vegetarian burgers in restaurants is growing.

I think many would be surprised how close product developers are getting to the real thing. A realistic expectation would be that plant-based meats are good, but not exactly like their traditional counterparts.

Canada has some very strict rules about the nutritional quality of simulated meat and poultry products. Simulated meats are governed in the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), the same divisions that governs meat and poultry. The consolidated definition of a simulated meat or poultry product essentially means “any food that does not contain any poultry product, meat product or fish product

16 APRIL 2019

but that has the appearance of a poultry or meat product.” This definition and the compositional requirements of simulated meats have not evolved from their debut in 1970s. A technical amendment in the early 1980s that aligned the protein requirements with an official method is the most recent amendment. The nutritional requirements for simulated meats were modelled after the meats they are designed to replace. This includes considerations related to protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Most simulated meats will need to be enriched with vitamins and minerals to meet requirements. Products developed outside of Canada may not necessary meet all requirements, thus limiting choices.

The definition for simulated meat includes considerations that it “has the appearance of a poultry or meat product.” Why would a tubular shape necessarily be considered to have the appearance of a hot dog? A patty may not necessarily be considered a simulated meat product if it looks like it contains vegetable chunks. Make it look like a meat product, and you’ve got a simulated meat. These are some of the issues product developers struggle with, and it does not appear that Health Canada will be amending the rules anytime soon. This might, however, be a good project once Canada gets caught up on all its other outstanding modernization initiatives.

Recently food scientists have become more adventurous in pushing the category even closer to the taste and appeal of real meat products. The Impossible Foods company has genetically engineered a yeast to produce leghemoglobin, which is essentially the plant version of meat “heme.”

Meat “heme” is the iron complex of myoglobin found in animal muscle cells and contributes to the taste and appearance of meat. With it, your veggie patty will bleed vegetarian style. The addition of such sub-

stances to foods in Canada would need to be evaluated in view the FDR’s novel food regulations. Being a novel food is not bad, it is just that it has to first clear food safety regulatory hurdles. The process in the U.S. may rely on a self-determination as a GRAS substance. This involves a scientific approach but does not require approval by the FDA. In contrast, the Canadian novel food approach requires a notice to be made to and accepted by Health Canada, before such a food can be sold. As food science and product developers explore new territory, these are some of regulatory challenges that will need to be addressed.

The future of cell cultured meat, sometimes referred to as “cell-based meat,” “slaughter-free meat” or “clean meat,” is not that far away. It’s tissue culture, (a.k.a. cellular agriculture), so it is kind of meat, not plant-based. Such products may in part address environmental and animal welfare concerns, but cost and whether it will have the same “healthy” appeal as plant-based products remains to be seen. The FDA and USDA have recently come to an agreement on how to possibly govern such products.

How exactly this will take shape is to be determined, as is the labelling of such product. Some states, like Missouri, are looking to protect the identity of the term “meat” as being from the edible portion of livestock or poultry carcasses. The U.S. meat industry is worth over $4 trillion compared with alternatives at under $1 billion. Jurisdiction issues in Canada between Health Canada and CFIA is likely not a large factor, but labelling needs to be defined. As with other novel foods, cell cultured meat will need prior acceptance by Health Canada before being sold to Canadians. Perhaps one of the first such products might be ground cell cultured meat. Making tenderloin appears to be the technical holy grail, for now.

Gary Gnirss is a partner and president of Legal Suites Inc., specializing in regulatory software and services. Contact him at: president@legalsuites.com

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1/4/19 5:03 PM

MEAT PROCESSOR

Future forward at Maple Leaf Foods A behind-the-scenes look at why and how the firm is showing leadership with sustainability, animal care and more

U

— BY TREENA HEIN — nless you’ve been away on vacation for the past year or two, you’ve no doubt heard about Maple Leaf Foods’ ambitious and exciting sustainability and animal care initiatives. Indeed, the firm’s president and CEO Michael McCain has stated that “we are on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company on Earth, and being a leader in animal care is a cornerstone of this vision. We are deploying world-class technologies and best practices that support our goal to eliminate stress and pain and provide humane treatment of animals in our care, while enhancing employee health and safety and food quality.”

Randy Huffman, Maple Leaf’s chief food safety and sustainability officer, adds that achieving a world-class animal care program requires deep and principled commitment. “We like to believe that’s what we have and what will help us achieve our goals,” he says. “We aim to be a world leader in providing the best care we can to our livestock and poultry. We are committed to the “five freedoms,” which are the most widely-accepted principles of responsible animal care.”

Last fall for example, Maple Leaf announced that it now has over 40,000 sows — over 50 per cent of its herd — in its advanced open sow housing system, described as “a superior approach to husbandry and barn design that creates a benchmark for humane care.”

18 APRIL 2019

Observation deck in a Maple Leaf Foods barn which provides a complete overhead view of sows in the Advanced Open Housing system.

The rest of the Maple Leaf herd will be housed in this system by the end of 2021, which will make the firm the first North American large-scale pork producer to achieve this milestone. Maple Leaf has noted that many retailers and food service companies have committed to only source pork from open housing systems by 2024, and that through its hard work to get there three years earlier, Maple Leaf will therefore be positioned at that point as a supplier of choice. But Huffman is clear that everyone at Maple Leaf is “committed to better housing and care of our pigs because it’s simply the right thing to do. In addition to our strong belief that our new housing system helps us provide the best care, we also believe it is responsive to our customers’ demands and the values that drive them. Any competitive advantage that we derive is welcome, but not the primary driver in our decision to move to our new housing system.”

Last summer Maple Leaf also announced an investment of $28 million to transition its Edmonton poultry processing facility to the used of world-class controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) technology, a “very humane system that will ensure birds are fully insensible prior to processing.” This means that the company’s transportation, lairage and receiving area and handling systems will be optimized and involve the creation of a climate-controlled environment.

Specifically, the new lairage system (an area for birds to rest before slaughter) will have enhanced lighting, air quality and temperature control, allowing birds to be more comfortable and experience less stress. The conversion is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, and will result in a 26,000 square ft. expansion at the facility.

CAS has also been installed at Maple Leaf ’s pork processing facility in Manitoba, along with remote video auditing, which the firm calls a powerful training and auditing tool that supports rigorous monitoring and compliance to best practices of animal care. This will be the ninth facility at which Maple Leaf has implemented remote video auditing. In Ontario, Maple Leaf is also building a state-of-the-art $660 million poultry processing plant in London, to be

photos: Maple Leaf Foods.

Below: A drawing of the new processing plant that is scheduled to open in London, Ont. in 2021

Aerial view of sows in the Maple Leaf Foods’ Advanced Open Sow Housing system from observation deck in barn.

finished by mid-2021. The planned 640,000 square ft. plant is billed as “one of the most technologically advanced poultry-processing plants in the world, with leading-edge food safety, environmental, and animal welfare processes and technologies.” It will be operational in the second quarter of 2021.

Huffman says this new facility positions Maple Leaf for growth in the poultry sector, and also allows his firm to deploy new sophisticated building automation technology that will reduce the company’s carbon footprint and wastewater production. “Consider that no scale poultry plant has been built in Canada in decades, and that the plants that already exist pre-date many modern technologies and designs that will help us achieve better animal care and environmental goals,” he notes. “In fact, this new plant is a very large and very important step on our sustainability journey.”

Indeed, the federal government funding agreement for the plant calls for Maple Leaf to put up $5 million over the next five years for projects which “accelerate adoption of advanced manufacturing and production technologies

and support the company’s goal to reduce its environmental footprint by 50 per cent by 2025.” Among the numerous initiatives and technologies being examined are solar energy production onsite combined with battery storage technology, lithium ion battery technology for all forklift trucks and using gas produced through bio-digestion. In addition, in its quest to have the London plant become a zero-waste facility, Maple Leaf is also exploring bio-digestion of sludge from wastewater treatment and closed-loop water recycling systems for non-production areas.

Of course, any ambitious sustainability and animal care improvement journey does not come without challenges. Huffman names the top three for Maple Leaf to be effective onboarding/integration of new employees into the firm’s animal care culture, empowering employees to make the best animal care decisions possible and staying current on the ever-evolving science of animal care. “While these are challenges, they are also opportunities for learning, growth and continuous improvement,” he says. “We are a company that likes to ‘stretch’ because stretching helps us be a strong company and also helps us stay forward-focused new challenges and new possibilities. That’s a long way of saying that, like a world-class mountaineer who must climb big hills to grow stronger and be best-in-class, we strive to view all challenges very positively because they make us stronger.”

In light of that comment, Huffman’s description of what Maple Leaf will look like in 20 years in terms of sustainability and animal care will not surprise. “I believe we will look better than we are today in how we protect our planet, care for animals and our people and deliver value to our investors and society,” he says, “but we won’t be as good as we can be in 25, 30 or 35 years.

Continuous striving and continuous improvement are the only way we will become and remain the most sustainable protein company on Earth.”

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COVER STORY

TACKLING

FOOD WASTE Ground-breaking study determines the root causes; much is lost in manufacturing and processing

staggering 35.5 million metric tonnes of food — 58 per cent of total national production — is lost and wasted in Canada annually, according to a report released in January by Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, and Value Chain Management International Inc., a leading public and industry voice in the area of food waste. The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste report details a first-of-its-kind in-depth study of just how much edible food produced in Canada doesn’t get consumed, the reasons behind it, and provides a framework or “roadmap” for industry to tackle the issue over the next several years.

The report is the result of year-long research project by the two organizations, supported by funding from the Walmart Foundation. The project examined where food loss and waste (FLW) is occurring

20 APRIL 2019

across the entire value chain, from the farm level (production and postharvest handling and storage), processing and manufacturing, distribution and retail (including hotels, restaurants and institutions), to consumption.

“This is the closest we’ve ever come to understanding where food is lost and wasted,” Lorri Nikkel, executive director of Second Harvest told Food in Canada.

FLW varied across the value chain, but the greatest total FLW (by weight in tonnage) occurred during manufacturing and processing (47 per cent of total waste), followed by production (24 per cent). Households accounted for 14 per cent of the total, and the remaining 15 per cent of total FLW comes from retail, distribution, hotels, restaurants and institutions.

Not all FLW is avoidable. Unavoidable FLW includes by-products that are inedible such as bones, husks, and the waste that happens when food is cooked and processed — known as expected or “planned” FLW, according to the report. However, of the avoidable FLW (11.17 million tonnes), the report states that food processing and manufacturing accounts for 4.82 million tonnes. This amount of FLW has a value of $20.96 billion in lost revenue for food manufacturers and processors, and is edible food that could be rescued to support communities across Canada.

Cover photo & above: YinYang / iStock / Getty Images Plus

A

— By Kristy Nudds —

Cover photo & above: YinYang / iStock / Getty Images Plus

DEFINING FOOD LOSS AND WASTE

A world first Through the creation of Foodrescue.ca, Second Harvest has successfully matched community charity agencies and food programs with restaurants, retailers and food manufacturers to “rescue” food that would otherwise be discarded. Nikkel said that Second Harvest began to realize that “what we’re really addressing is food waste” and that there was more FLW than it had originally thought. “We knew we didn’t have a handle on this (FLW) at all,” said Nikkel.

That’s when, according to Nikkel, Second Harvest approached Martin Gooch, Chief Executive Officer of Value Chain Management International Inc. (VCMI) about having VCMI design a study that could determine the root causes of FLW. The project results came as a surprise, says Nikkel. Although she said she suspected that the biggest FLW would occur high up in the value chain, “I don’t think the surprise was so much where the FLW was occurring, but how much of it there was.”

“We knew it would be a lot, but 58 per cent of all the food produced for Canada is lost or wasted is outrageous,” she said. “And to be frank, it’s a conservative number.”

Martin Gooch agrees. He said as the project went along, he kept going back to his team and asking, “are we sure this is correct? Because the numbers were so high.” Gooch said he wanted to ensure that VCMI and its methodology could stand behind it. “As time progressed, and we saw the actual, real data from businesses, we came to the conclusion that we’re actually being conservative (with the numbers).”

What’s unique about the project is that it’s the first study in the world to use front-line, primary data from the entire food supply chain. VCMI developed a standardized method to measure FLW that can be duplicated anywhere in the world, and can be used by any food business to track and reduce its FLW. Methodology Gooch said there are several key differences from other FLW projects VMCI has worked on and that have been done by other groups around the world with respect to VCMI’s analysis on the food industry for the Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste report.

“This is the first time anyone has gone out to industry and said, give us the data, tell us what you’re experiencing,” said Gooch.

VCMI then used the data to determine appropriate loss factors and how much is being lost along the way from production to consumption, and then extrapolated that based on

Lorri Nikkel

“This is the closest we’ve ever come to understanding where food is lost and wasted”

The Avoidable Crisis of Waste report states that in the food value chain, food “loss” and food “waste” are distinct from one another, yet have interconnected meanings:

Loss Food loss results from the discarding of food that occurs from production through to processing. Examples include edible foods not meeting customer expectations (too small, not perfectly shaped), orders from customers being changed or cancelled, or a lack of labour on farm causing fruits or vegetables not to be picked.

Waste Food waste is the discarding of food during distribution and marketing to consumers through retail, foodservice, as well as in the home. It also applies to food and beverages that are donated to food rescue organizations but end up being discarded.

robust secondary data — what that amounts to in terms of volume weight of food inputs lost along the chain, he said. “That’s never been done before on an industry scale.”

Gooch said VCMI began the study by looking at how loss and waste had been estimated elsewhere (including its own research) in the past, what the limitations and weaknesses were to identify “hotspots” and how different types of loss and waste are categorized at different points in the chain.

“One of the first things we did early on, and this is the first time it’s been done, we established a means of connecting consumer food with commodities produced in the field and then processed,” he said. VCMI then developed a mass balance methodology that looks at loss in a system — the amount of resources entering the system, and then where those resources exit.

An “enormous” amount of statistical analysis was involved, said Gooch. The next step was to create an online survey that was first tested “by targeting people we knew were experts in their particular field and had data.” Respondents provided valuable feedback to the VCMI team and allowed them to test the survey thoroughly before launching it country-wide.

In the end, VCMI sent out two separate surveys, because “at the start we weren’t going to look at the primary capture processing part of the seafood

FOODINCANADA.COM

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industry because it’s so different. And then we had members of the seafood industry come to us and say, hold on, you can do this, we can help you do it,” said Gooch.

Once data had been analyzed and initial insights were captured, the next step was to conduct a series of focus groups across the country with industry representatives.

The purpose, said Gooch, was to determine whether our early conclusions made sense. “No one said we think you’re out to lunch on this amount,” he said. “It’s staggering, but we have nothing to say that you’re wrong.”

VCMI completed in-depth interviews with 49 people across the Canadian food industry to address any gaps in data and to verify its findings. Although the amount of FLW found in the study is shocking, Gooch is quick to point out that it doesn’t mean Canada has much higher FLW than other countries. “I would say absolutely not because this is the first time this has been done.

“It’s not for a moment about saying how bad things are, it’s about saying here are the opportunities.”

Measure, measure Although how much and exactly what each food company measures varied greatly amongst participants, Gooch said “it’s not unusual for them to analyze the data.” The Second Harvest — VCMI project has produced a replicable framework with standardized metrics that any company can use to measure its own performance and benchmark performance over time, and benchmark against its peers in different regions and countries. Gooch said VCMI is currently talking to food companies on how to do this, and there are several academic journal articles being published that will also show companies how to measure their performance.

“There are enormous opportunities for processors to benefit by reducing waste,” he said. He doesn’t like the term “waste,” because it is a resource, and points to inefficiencies. “I sometimes wish that the food loss and waste mantra had not been allowed to get out of the box because it’s taken attention away from the overall need to improve efficiencies in the food industry.”

Barriers to improvement FLW is often a budget line item, said Gooch, and that VCMI heard from some members in the focus groups that as long as numbers are being made, FLW is often not even measured and consequently not seen as lost revenue. In large operations, much of the business

22 APRIL 2019

photo: jeffbergen /iStock / Getty Images Plus

COVER STORY

Martin Gooch

Martin Gooch, CEO of VCMI said companies don’t realize they are leaving money on the table by not measuring and preventing food loss and waste

operations are siloed, making FLW difficult to measure. Also, disposal fees are also a budget item and if it’s not being exceeded, it’s not examined. “What we don’t see is the thousand plus dollars it costs to create that product in the first place, and it goes to waste,” says Gooch. “We don’t connect the two.”

Both Nikkel and Gooch agree that a culture change is needed within the food value chain, and FLW needs to be valued rather than looked upon as a cost of doing business.

The study found that FLW is occurring for many reasons, and can be complex; knowing and understanding the root causes can enable sustainable solutions, but it will require leadership within companies, organizations and government.

As Nikkel said, “nobody wants to waste food.” She doesn’t think anyone in the industry thought such a large volume of food was being lost. “This volume of food loss is going to leave an economic impact.”

“The key thing for me is that businesses are leaving money on the table and they don’t realize it,” said Gooch. In previous work by VCMI, it’s been shown that “for every one per cent reduction in waste”, he said, “at minimum a company can expect a four per cent increase in revenue because you are no longer subsidizing inefficient operations.”

To see where FLW is occurring, the report is available at Secondharvest.ca.

Food_in_Canada-FETA-skopelos.indd 1

4/2/2019 15:49:24

Focusing on food safety, custom blends and the Kosher market a success for First Spice Mixing Company

W

— BY ANDREW JOSEPH —

hen it comes to food and beverage processing, getting that flavour profile perfect can be the key that can make or break a product with consumers.

First Spice Mixing Company Inc. may not be one of the big seasoning suppliers in North America, but the family-owned business is a well-oiled niche provider of custom seasoning blends, functional food ingredients, processing aids, acting as an ingredient supplier that also offers research and development, troubleshooting, and formula and technical information to its very satisfied customer base.

Headquartered in New York City since its inception in 1940, its Canadian operations — First Spice Mixing Company (Canada) Ltd. — opened its doors in central Toronto in 1953.

Founder Felix Epstein first became involved in the ingredients industry in the early 1930s when he began selling herbs and spices in Germany, first finding his niche within the country’s huge sausage and meat industry. Fleeing the country in 1939, Epstein opened First Spice in lower Manhattan, NY in 1940.

Thanks to his intimate knowledge within the meat processing segment, Epstein quickly became renowned in the eastern U.S. for his development of food-grade phosphate blends, pumps, cures, rubs and binders, and proprietary mixes of seasonings for meats, snack foods and beverages.

“Customer demand was high for the company’s expertise,” First Spice Canada

24 APRIL 2019

general manager Michael Litvak told Food in Canada during a recent visit to the 25,000 square-foot facility in Toronto. The company also has manufacturing facilities in Long Island and San Francisco which “allows us to provide our wide-spread customer base with more timely and affordable shipping.”

The second-generation of family ownership, son Peter Epstein, is credited by Litvak for helping move the company forward into the 21st century.

Litvak said that although First Spice has been meat-centric since it first opened, it has diversified its portfolio by moving into the snack and bakery industries, as well as into processor and further-processor segments. When asked how many SKUS his Canadian operation maintains, Litvak said “thousands, and we maintain tens of thousands of formulations. It’s quite the specific flavour business. And we are always working with customers to create new ones.”

Litvak said there are many seasoning companies out there that produce similar flavours to what First Spice provides, and “as such, Felix Epstein realized that we needed to find our own niche market.”

While not exclusive to the company Litvak insists, First Spice began offering Kosher and, later, Halal spices and seasonings.

While that is certainly a niche market, other companies also supply Kosher products. “That is why we began offering Kosher for Passover certified products,” he said.

“First Spice is the only seasoning company in Canada that produces seasoning and ingredients that follow the stringent requirements involved in Kosher for Passover food processing.”

photo: SIRICHAYAPAT CHAIWATCHARANON / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Finding its Niche

For those seeking true Kosher cuisine, it is important to ensure the food is not only prepared properly, but also only includes the ingredients certified as Kosher.

While basic Kosher foods are specific, it becomes even more so during Passover — the seven-day religious observance when Jewish Kosher laws become even more challenging.

“There are two major Jewish groups — the Mediterranean Sephardi and the Eastern European Ashkenazi — and both have different food traditions,” notes Litvak.

“For example, during Passover, the Ashkenazi Jews are forbidden from eating rice, corn, millet and legumes, while such products can be eaten by the Sephardic Jews.”

While food safety is always a concern regarding physical health, First Spice is equally concerned regarding spiritual health. “Passover doesn’t start until we do,” said Litvak.

“Although the upcoming Passover begins April 19 until April 27, 2019, First Spice gets its ingredient ordering done in November-December, and begins production and shipping of our blends to the customers in late-January or early-February,” he said, adding that the company has been providing the niche-specific Kosher for Passover products for well over 40 years.

The company only utilizes suppliers that can accommodate its needs — some are highly specialized, while others are more common. Ultimately, said Litvak, First Spice must meet the requirements as laid down by its supervisory body, the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR), a not-for-profit kosher certification organization that certifies some 70,000 products at over 1,000 facilities throughout Canada and the world.

“All of our Kosher products contain the COR 45 designation on the label,” notes Litvak. The numbers identify a Kashruthregistered manufacturing facility. “And all of our Kosher for Passover products will contain an additional stamp from the

photo: antos777 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

BUSINESS PROFILE

photo: SIRICHAYAPAT CHAIWATCHARANON / iStock / Getty Images Plus

photo: antos777 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Being small has advantages, as First Spice can easily perform smaller run orders

and for the company, is valid until September2021, though that is subject to satisfactory surveillance audits forthcoming over the next few years.

“For us at First Spice, achieving our FSSC 22000 certification was a very proud moment,” said Litvak. “It’s about training our employees to follow a set workflow, with checks and balances in place to ensure that the ingredients we receive are as safe as when they are blended and packaged and sent to our customers,” he said.

“Knowing that GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) is under the FSSC 22000 certification, has made it all a major success for us, enabling us to provide the customer with absolutely safe, quality food,” said Litvak.

The company has also been HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certified these past 12 years.

“To know where it is; to find it; and to inform your customers — this is lot traceability,” he said.

Because lot traceability is a key feature of GFSI certification, everything that comes into its facility receives a lot code applied to it — featuring a manufactures date and a specific lot code, including all packaging materials. All finished goods also have a unique lot code assigned. In the unlikely event of a recall, product can be traced easily and quickly and the market can be advised within hours.

As part of its food safety initiatives, First Spice maintains all of its samples for a twoyear period, though it does inform all customers that its products typically only have a one-year shelf life.

Along with COR Kosher, HACCP and FSSC 22000 certification, First Spice and

its emphasis on food safety maintains: strict supplier quality control programs; allergen controls, glass and brittle plastics control; good manufacturing practices; supplier review, environmental monitoring, lot coding and lot tracking, and is monitored via third-part audit companies.

As far as processing goes, First Spice utilizes six horizontal ribbon blenders, ranging in capacity from 800 kilograms to 150 kilograms. There are also two upright blenders that Litvak said the company uses to achieve small-order fulfillment, as well as for product test purposes.

For food safety assurances, all sealed bags of product are moved through one of the company’s metal detection systems: a LOMA IQ2, and a vertical Phantom unit designed and manufactured by Torontobased Fortress Technology Inc. The Fortress Phantom unit is a gravityfed metal detection system used in free-falling applications, inspecting such products as flour, rice, cereal, sugars, grains and powders like the seasonings, before packing.

Litvak acknowledges that the company has not physically grown in size despite its longevity in the industry, but insists that it has been by design. The company owners have preferred to maintain the size of the company in order to better serve its niche market with the high-quality ingredients they demand.

“For us, maintaining customer satisfaction is the key to our success,” sums up Litvak.

“The best way we can do that is to continue to provide quality products and excellent service, while furthering our commitment to providing the highest levels of food safety. That is the family tradition here at First Spice.”

FOODINCANADA.COM

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photos courtesy: First Spice Mixing Company (Canada) Ltd.

Kashruth Council that we receive only for the Passover production — specially numbered for this purpose.”

Although First Spice is well aware that Kosher for Passover is only a small part of its business and only occurring for a oneweek period annually, Litvak explains that, “There are people out there who depend on us providing such a service.”

Litvak said that although First Spice is a small company — with only 17 employees within the Toronto facility — its size enables it to be much nimbler than its competitors.

“In my opinion, we have many more blenders than other similar companies.

They are smaller blenders, which allows us to easily perform smaller run orders as small as 25 kilograms, whereas other companies insist on triple-digit minimum orders.”

First Spice certainly sells itself as a niche provider of spices, seasonings and blends to various food industries, but Litvak said the company also sells itself with its quality control.

First Spice is FSSC (Food Safety System Certification) 22000 certified as of July 2018, joining its New York facility in carrying this designation.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Foundation FSSC 22000 provides a certification for food safety management systems based on existing certifications: ISO 22000:2005, ISO/TS22002-1:2009, and the additional FSSC 220000 requirement (version 4.1). It was developed for companies within the food chain that process or manufacture animal products, perishable vegetable products, products with a long shelf life, food ingredients such as additives, vitamins, bio-cultures, and for food packaging material manufacturing.

The certification is applicable for the blending of spices, seasonings, spice blends, soup mixes and gravy mixed under the CIV (C4) food category revolving around the processing of ambient stable products,

BEVERAGE SPOTLIGHT

A SoCIAL LITE gathering Canadian friends create new alcohol beverage category from the comfort of their kitchen

L

— BY ANDREW JOSEPH —

photo: SoCIAL LITE vodka

ike many a modern food success story, this adventure begins with some friends sharing a few drinks around the kitchen table.

Disappointed at not being able to find a healthier alcoholic choice in a can at social gatherings, friends Dan Beach, Neetu Godara and Kevin Folk of Whitby, Ont., took matters into their own hands.

They began mixing their own vodka and soda concoctions, adding fresh cut fruit for flavour to create a craft cocktail featuring no artificial ingredients, added calories or sugar. Four years later, SoCIAL LITE vodka cocktails are the No. 1 selling brand in their category.

“We are all active, outdoorsy people who try to eat healthy, so the beverage we created had to reflect those choices,” chief marketing officer Godara told Food in Canada magazine.

“All three of us quit our jobs and began trying to gather interest in our product. We were so confident that other

Canadians would also love a pre-mixed cocktail with no sugar, that even without a customer we decided to produce 6,000 cases of Lime Ginger and Lemon Cucumber Mint SoCIAL Lite in September of 2014,” she continues.

After the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) did not accept the drink in 2014, the team decided to pursue the private liquor market in Alberta, with Beach calling every independent liquor store in the province, selling the brand one case at a time.

Not wishing to burden itself with the outlay of processing or packaging equipment, the company sought the services of Cott Beverages Inc. of Mississauga, Ont. to faithfully follow its recipe instructions and to package it.

Despite the relatively small size of the initial purchase order, it appears it is difficult to keep a secret within the Alberta vodka soda drinking community.

Both Lime Ginger and Lemon Cucumber Mint became hits for the fledgling company, as SoCIAL LITE soon entered the B.C. and Ontario markets, followed by Manitoba, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, with plans for a true national expansion in 2019.

“We did recently launch our brand in the state of South Carolina, south of the border with plans to develop further market penetration in the U.S,” Godara said.

Along with the original two flavours, SoCIAL LITE has grown to now offer five flavours: Pineapple Mango introduced in 2016, and both Grapefruit Pomelo and Spiked Lemon Iced Tea debuting in April 2018. The team is constantly looking at new ideas and innovation driven by consumer demand.

“After we created the original flavours in our kitchen, we began listening to the fans, and what they wanted added to their vodka soda,” Godara said. “And after our humble beginning of selling mostly one case at a time to retailers

26 APRIL 2019

in Alberta, our team will sell nearly seven million cans of Social Lite vodka beverages in 2018.”

According to Godara, part of the initial difficulty in convincing outlets to stock the product was owing to the fact that SoCIAL LITE beverages were its own unique beverage category.

“We actually created a new alcoholrelated beverage category when SoCIAL LITE hit the market in 2014 — the premixed vodka soda category in Canada that also happens to be a calorie-conscious cocktail,” Godara said. “For three years, we were the only unsweetened cocktail in Canada.”

Godara points out that the SoCIAL LITE line of drinks are ideal for the calorieconscious consumer who doesn’t want to miss out on a good time out with friends.

“The cocktails are only 80 calories per 355 ml can, though the Spiked Lemon Iced Tea is 100 calories, as it is in a larger 473 ml can,” she continues. “The SoCIAL Lite products are gluten-free, unsweetened, made with 100 per cent natural flavours, and come without the caloric guilt.”

Despite the increase of competitors on the shelves, SoCIAL LITE grew by more than 400 per cent in the past year, Godara said.

“We fully expect our growth to continue to rise, as Canadians are becoming more conscious about buying locallymade products,” she said. “Since premixed vodka sodas are only growing in popularity, we expect to continue to take a bite out of the cooler aisle filled with sugar and high calorie beverages.”

Godara says the SoCIAL LITE team built the brand with a purpose, crafting every aspect to appeal to people with the healthy, outdoor lifestyle its founders maintain.

“We still want to enjoy drinks with friends, but we want to feel good about our choices especially when it comes to what we eat and drink,” Godara said.

“But even still, our No. 1 advantage is the taste of the products,” she said. “Our fans continually tell us they appreciate the effort we have put into creating our recipes.”

It’s true. Considering the SoCIAL LITE brand does not contain sugar, additives or artificial ingredients, keeping the ingredients simple and natural is key to striking a perfect balance between taste and aroma.

“Crafting these recipes certainly takes both precision and patience,” she said. “In the past we have spent over a year working on recipes to ensure tried and true quality products. Our philosophy has always been to deliver amazing taste without compromising the ideals that brought us to create the beverages in the first place.”

Summing up, Godara says she wants to see SoCIAL LITE available from coast-tocoast and then take the brand global.

“The past four years have been quite the exhilarating ride for all of us at SoCIAL LITE,” she says. “Creating the SoCIAL LITE vodka beverages has been fun, and we look forward to continuing to expand our customer base and create new and innovative better-for-you drinks that fit into the healthy and active lifestyles of our consumers.”

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RETHINKING INNOVATION

Imagine: The World Action Institute for one Planetary Food Ecosystem Peter Henderson

T

he World (business and societies everywhere) needs a new way of enabling positive change. The world is at a precipitous inflection point, where agriculture and food ecosystems play a vital and integrated role linked to human and planetary health and survival. To address the world’s inflection point (IP), meta-leaders needs to come together, think differently and act in epic planetary proportions! Below are two IP scenarios, followed by a proposed visionary solution, which will require further discussion.

Scenario 1 Continue with slow, semi-coordinated, splintered, erratic (often politicized) actions and willful blindness toward an inevitable, irreversible and unsustainable planetary abyss (reference environmental boundaries and trajectories as outlined in the Eat-Lancet Commission Report at eatforum.org) and a continued erosion of public trust; or Scenario 2 Enable swift, coordinated, united and universal global action, to accelerate massive movements, which are good for business and society!

Whether or not you agree with these perspectives, the following can be good for business.

The World Action Institute for One Planetary Food EcoSystem (The Institute) launches across Canada before September 2019. The Institute’s mission is to rapidly research, innovate, pilot, iterate, deploy and accelerate high-impact game

28 APRIL 2019

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it. There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society changing meta-solutions, which help consumers and food/ingredient buyers make informed decisions about the food/ ingredients they purchase and consume, as well as the organizations, governments or regions they support. Fueled by a combination of ingenuity, science, design, collaboration, AI and other digital technologies, the Institute will create realistic, manageable, measurable and trusted movements, which swiftly and continuously nudge current food ecosystems (and the influential actors within) to transition well within planetary boundaries and reverse environmental degradation (regionally and globally). The Institute will enable a platform of tools for businesses and consumers, which can be customized and make visible the current situation and collective impact, while providing predictive analysis down to individual locations, products, menus and diets. The scalable universal platform will be unwavering; operating outside the

confines and direct influence of government bodies and traditional business models. Food security/access, health and wellness and food loss and waste can be components.

The Institute’s launch can be further amplified at a UN Climate Summit to take place Sept. 23 in New York City. An overview is below.

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it. There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society. To boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change… The Summit will showcase a leap in collective national political ambition and it will demonstrate massive movements in the real economy in support of the agenda.

Together, these developments will send strong market and political signals and inject momentum in the “race to the top” among countries, companies, cities and civil society that is needed to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.”

There is only room for so many words.

This is just the beginning of an idea.

Do you think it is time for something like The World Action Institute for One Planetary Food EcoSystem?

Peter Henderson is a director on the board of the Agri-food Management Institute (AMI).

He is also founder and managing director of Ideovation, a Toronto-based growth strategy services company. Contact him at: phenderson@ideovation.com

RECIPE TO RETAIL

Time for a diet?

Practicing portfolio management

M

Birgit Blain

photo: Zephyr18 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

any food brands suffer from overweight product portfolios.

I listen to clients eagerly talk about all the new items in their product development pipeline.

Launching products is exciting and gives brands something to crow about, but, over time, the product assortment can swell to the point of being bloated. An overweight portfolio with too many SKUs can drain finances, time and resources. The negative impact affects multiple areas of a business.

When more is not better From a sourcing and procurement standpoint, managing a large listing base is more complicated. As the number of ingredients increases, inventory turns and replenishment must be carefully managed to prevent losses and out of stocks.

Expanding packaging inventory ties up money and can lead to write-offs when packaging becomes obsolete. As storage space fills to capacity, outside warehousing may be needed, increasing expenses.

Production planning becomes more complex and operational efficiency is tested. More SKUs means shorter production runs which results in more down time.

R&D and new product launches are an essential part of growing a sustainable brand. However, the money, resources and time invested in product development do not guarantee sales. There is no ROI (return on investment) if the products don’t generate enough profit to cover the cost of the project.

Retailers list the products that will sell best, not your entire range. Having too

many flavours or sizes can cannibalize sales of other SKUs. Because stores have very limited shelf space, they use a “one in, one out” approach to make room for new items.

As your portfolio grows, marketing and sales activities can become less focused. More money and resources are needed to raise awareness and drive trial of new products. This comes at the expense of older products that are the backbone of the portfolio.

80/20 principle Consider the 80/20 principle that is widely used in business. It refers to the relationship between outcome and effort.

When applied to marketing, the idea is that 80 per cent of sales come from 20 per cent of the products (percentages are approximate). In other words, a handful of SKUs generate the bulk of the revenue.

So what does that mean in terms of the remaining products?

Trimming the fat Let’s look at the practice of SKU rationalization (reduction), an important component of portfolio management.

The process identifies products that contribute the most to business growth and hence are worth keeping, over those that put a strain on the business, making them candidates for discontinuation.

Conduct a review of annual sales, ranking products by dollars and volume.

Analyze every SKU: selling price; cost to produce a unit; GM$ (gross margin dollars); and GM% (gross margin per cent). Compare all the SKUs and zoom in on the lowest ranking ones. Do they reduce operational efficiency? Is there a compelling reason to keep them?

An overweight portfolio with too many SKUs can drain finances, time and resources Beyond financial data, other factors to examine include: »» What objections would your largest customers have if the SKU was discontinued? »» Can it be replaced with a better selling SKU? »» Is it a star in waiting or on the cusp of an emerging trend? »» Does it satisfy an unmet consumer need? »» How likely is it that consumers would switch to a competitive brand?

In conclusion, when planning new product development also consider SKU rationalization. A well-managed portfolio will improve business efficiency, save money and contribute to a healthier bottom line.

As a packaged foods consultant, Birgit Blain transforms food into retail-ready products. 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

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NEW PRODUCTS ValTara Labeling Machine Paxiom introduced ValTara, a new line of container capping, labeling and sealing solutions automatic labeling machine named. The automatic labeling machine applies wraparound self-adhesive labels onto different types of containers, jars, bottles,

AiroCide

cans and more. The automatic capping machine, ideal for medium to high speed requirements, is an economical solution ideally suited for snack food, confectionery,

KES AiroCide protects food companies

beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and numerous

from hazardous airborne pathogenic cross

other industries. The container induction sealing machine

contamination along with controlling

features leak guarding, tamper evidence,

ethylene gas, allowing maximum product

preserved freshness and prolonged shelf-

shelf life while reducing food waste. AiroCide

life. Container Unscrambling smoothly

works by continuously and slowly processing

transfers plastic bottles from the bulk

contaminated air through a patented bio-

supply bowl, feeding them in-line to an indexing conveyor

conversion reactor bed. All organic material,

for downstream filling and subsequent packaging

such as bacteria, mould, allergens, viruses,

processes. The ValTara L05/2 is a high speed liquid filling/

odours and VOC’s, are mineralized inside

capping machine, where the double step system can fill

the chamber leaving the exit air 99 per cent

and cap up to 80 bottles per minute.

contaminant free. There are no by-products or emissions. This technology has been approved by the Canadian Food Inspection

WS 910 Weighing System

Agency (CFIA) and is a FDA certified

Weighing meat just became cheaper with

medical device so it is completely user and

the new WS 910 weighing system from

environmental friendly.

Handtmann.

The WS 910 system is accurate-to-the-

RDC-3030-SS DeClumper

gram, which is useful in the areas of minced

Munson Machinery’s new DeClumper lump

meat and in the production of formed

breaker, model RDC-3030-SS, reduces

products. The main functions of the WS 910

agglomerates and compacted materials

weighing system with the SB 912 sorting belt

to original particle sizes. The new lump

consist of production control, monitoring and

breaker fits in restricted spaces between bulk

weight control, as well as ejecting under- or

storage, handling, processing and packaging

overweight portions after the forming and

equipment. With optional feed hoppers

portioning process. Using the new WS 910

and support bases, it can also operate

Sulzer

independently. Unlike conventional units

Sulzer is increasing the capacity of its Falkirk

eliminates the need for rework significantly,

that must be unbolted from upstream and

Service Center, where the test-bed load

and results in savings in packaging, resources

downstream equipment to access bedscreens.

capacity has been doubled to reduce the

and handling. Reducing give-away to a

time to complete a repair or refurbish high

minimum by providing 100 per cent control

voltage equipment.

through reference

The dual, independent motors with gear reducer and chain and sprocket drives provide added capacity and redundancy, rotating

The new setup ensures a reliable power

weighing system with SB 912 sorting belt

weighing of each

the synchronized shafts to avoid heating

source for testing that is not affected by

portion also helps

the product. The unit is recommended for

local demand on the power grid. The new

lower costs.

deagglomeration of free- or non-free-flowing

investment by Sulzer will add a 2,000 kVA

bulk chemicals, fertilizers, flakes, cement

and a 700 kVA generator to the site that

powders, carbon black pellets or hygroscopic

will be synchronized through a 4,000-amp

products, and size reduction of large chunks

low voltage switchboard, as well as a new

of friable products and compacted powders.

2,500 kVA transformer, that will double the capacity of the test bed. There is also an additional test-bed area is now in place to allow multiple motors to be tested alongside each other. This means that if the testing of one motor needs to be extended, it will not hold up other projects, allowing equipment to be returned to customers on time.

30 APRIL 2019

Meat with European quality