ONTARIO BILL 162 REQUESTS CALORIE INFORMATION ON FOOD MENU
On Monday February 24, 2014, the Ontario legislative assembly approved the first reading of Bill 162 Making Healthier Food Choices Act, 2014.
The act, if enacted, would require chains of 20 or more food service premises in Ontario to display the calorie count for standard food and beverage items and alcohol on menus. The proposed legislation would also authorize public health inspectors to enforce these requirements.
According to Deborah Matthews, Minister of health, this legislation would help people make informed decisions when eating out or purchasing take-away meals.
Although not dismissive of the need to tackle the obesity problem in Ontario, MPP Christine Elliott pointed out that the information is already out there. This legislation may be a solution in search of a problem.
MPP France Gelinas, reminded the group, that she has been working on this issue since 2009. Gelinas introduced the Healthy Decision for Healthy Eating Act Bill 156 back in 2009, and subsequently introduced Bill 90 and Bill 86. At that time, the Bills 156 and 90 asked for restaurants with 5 premises and gross sales of $5 M to display calories, while Bill 86 added the need to disclose the sodium content. The House prorogued on these three counts. Bill 149, her latest effort, called Healthy Decisions Made Easy passed second reading a week before the first reading of Bill 162. MPP Gelinas, believes that the current proposed Bill 162 does not go far enough.
Although Bill 162 is packed with good intention, we at nutritionSage believe the proposed legislation which focusses on calories only does adequately tackle the obesity epidemic.
Regulating obesity without sufficient evidence that it will achieve the desired outcome is barking up the wrong tree and a waste of valuable time and resources. Identification of groups at risk or in need of assistance and education is our preferred means.
Let’s get to the root cause of the problem, engage a variety of stakeholders, identify the groups that need assistance along the food supply chain--in this case food service providers and their customers--and develop programs that will lead to and support healthier food choices by all. A one size fits all calorie count approach is just not the way to go.
BC INTRODUCES INFORMED DINING The Informed Dining (ID) program is a voluntary nutrition information program for restaurants in British Columbia. It was introduced in 2012. Participating restaurants provide their guests with nutrition information, that is easy to access, for all standard menu items.The information can be found on the HealthyFamiliesBC.ca website.
Popular chains, such as Pizza Pizza, MacDonald's, Starbucks, Harvey's, Booster Juice adhere to the ID program as do a few stand-alones.
Mexico City, Mexico, April 11, 2013 – Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz concluded a successful agricultural mission to Mexico where he strengthened agricultural and trade ties with the new Mexican government.
MAY 7-9, 2013 OUTGOING MISSION SIAL-CHINA Food, beverage or ingredient manufacturers looking to export or expand into new markets or should consider joining the CFEA group visit to Shanghai Contact: Canadian Food Exporters Association Telephone: (416) 445-3747 or toll free 1-888-227-8848 Fax: (416) 510-8043 Email: info@cfea.com www.cfea.com
Feb 6th, 2012 - WALMART PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY TO LAUNCH NEW PRODUCTS ON THEIR SHELVES. For more information follow the link below or contact us for assistance.
May 12, 2011 - TORONTO, ON The FOOD INDUSTRY INNOVATION FORUM (FIIF), attracted representatives of Canada's food and beverage processing industry, academia, and government from Ontario and Québec in a discussion of innovative approaches to profitability for the sector. It was held in conjunction with SIAL Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
The Food Industry Innovation Forum is an initiative of Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Below you will find a few excerpts.
Futurist Jim Carroll had a lot to say about how one can prepare for the future. Here are some of his comments:
65% of students will work in jobs that don't yet exist - with change in the boundaries of work
The future belongs to those that are FAST! "Faster is the new fast!"
INNOVATION should build on future critical success factors (not on the past)
Innovators must refocus to the "longer term" -10 to 20 years out!
Major 1-20 year trends: food security; sale of agricultural assets to offshore interests
David Sparling PhD, Richard Ivey School of Business addressed various topics, such as:
Health, organic, unusual imports vs indulgences, local foods
Wal-Mart experience & new Sustainability Index
Drivers for change: increased market share, increase in new markets and decrease in costs
Supply chains, knowledge networks Need for a National Food Strategy
Other speakers included:
Paul Paquin, PhD, Institute of Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods, Université Laval
Jeff Bellairs, President of General Mills Worldwide Innovation Network (G-WIN)
Pierre l'HEureux, Executive VP, Marketing, Researcjh & Development, Lassonde Juices
John Rowe, President, Island Abbey Foods
Helmi Ansari, Director of Sustainability and Productivity, PepsiCo Foods Frito Lay Canada
Bill Redelmeir, Owner, Southbrook Estates Winery
Louis Frenette, Presdient and CEO Danone, Canada
Topics of discussion: open innovation vs linear innovation; the development funnel; information sharing on innovation experience within individual companies - their challenges and success stories.
May 13, 2011 - TORONTO, ON - EMERGING SECTOR & TRENDS: SPECIALTY FOODS, FUNCTIONAL FOODS AND ORGANICS
SPECIALTY & ETHNIC FOOD TRENDS
Specialty Food Consumer Trends in North America
The US Hispanic Market
Kosher 101
Halal 101
TAPPING INTO KEY FOREIGN MARKETS
EDC- Supporting Canadian Agri-Food
Manufacturers Realize Exports
Exporting to Japan
Exporting to EU
ORGANICS, HEALTH & SPECIALTY TRENDS
Understanding the Canadian Organic Regime for Domestic / Foreign Markets
Health Foods & Special Dietary Products: Trends & Opportunities
REGULATORY UPDATES
The Canadian Food Health Claim Road Map - A Business Management Tool
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Staying on Top of the Innovation Curve: Technologies that Address Today's Trends
We attended the presentations on Health Foods & Special Dietary Products: Trends & Opportunities & The Canadian Food Health Claim Road Map - A Business Management Tool. We were not disappointed!
For more information, contact
VIEWS - CLAIRE'S CORNER
If indeed technology dictates innovation, I can't imagine what's next!
Never in my life would I ever have imagined that I would be able to find all the information I want at the click of a mouse...without wires!
Yet here it is. I love technology!
But what else might we invent to improve our human condition? How will the next innovation impact on my enjoyment of eating and just as important...my health?
I'm a child of the 50s. Yogurt did not exist. What is broccoflower? What do you mean tomatoes are brown, carrots are round?
We got most of our food from the Village General Store and the corner meat market. We produced some vegetables in our backyard and picked strawberries in our neighbour's field. Very occasionally, my grand-parents would buy us an ice cream cone at the Bowling Alley just after stepping down from the bus for Sunday dinner. It was in the shape of a cylinder wrapped in paper.
New foods made their way into my life in the late 60s, when my father came home with groceries from the new Shopper's City, 6 kilometers away. Imagine a SUPERMARKET with aisle so big we could get lost. !
And I'll always remember the joy that filled me when I helped to empty the grocery bags. The anticipation of new foods was exhilarating for me. My first visit to the supermarket was filled with awe. I still recall being completely flabbergasted by the the variety of breakfast cereal, the canned food and the cookies that I saw on shelves that didn't seem to end. I loved it!
I love food innovation!
I'm not a Futurist, but I can only imagine that more innovation is coming. Some talk about 3D printing of food. As technology gets more sophisticated, experts predict they'll be able to print out complete customized meals on demand. Others talk about lab-grown meat, plant grafting that would have two different plants grow on the same stem. And many are currently deconstructing whole foods to access ingredients that can be added to other foods in order to enhance their benefits to our health. STAY TUNED...the food universe is unfolding as it should!
