Inside SIAL Canada 2026: Driving Food Innovation Through Connection and Collaboration
CFIN had the honour of taking a bite out of SIAL Canada 2026 in Montréal 🍎—connecting with partners, members, and industry leaders shaping the future of food innovation across Canada and beyond. Representing CFIN on site were CEO @Dana McCauley and @Julie Daigle , Regional Innovation Director (Quebec), who engaged with the ecosystem throughout the event. Their presence reflected CFIN’s ongoing commitment to strengthening Canada’s food innovation ecosystem and supporting high-potential foodtech ventures. Attendees could also catch Julie as a Foodtech Focus expert at the SIAL Canada Expert Hub, where she connected directly with innovators and shared insights with the community. Dana also took the stage as part of the Dairy Talks program, contributing to a forward-looking discussion on innovation as a driver of market leadership in the Canadian dairy sector. Her session explored the shift from incremental product development toward a broader innovation mindset—highlighting next-generation ingredients, value-added dairy formats, new go-to-market strategies, and the role of Industry 4.0 technologies like AI, robotics, automation, and digital supply chains in strengthening productivity and global competitiveness. A key highlight of the week was CFIN’s involvement in the 7th edition of the Startup Pitch Competition, held on April 30 on the Food & Bev Connect stage. Julie Daigle participated as the President of the Foodtech jury, joining a panel of industry experts evaluating promising entrepreneurs from the Startup Village. Beyond the competition, the Startup Pitch stage served as a strategic platform connecting entrepreneurs with buyers, investors, and key decision-makers across the agri-food ecosystem. A standout moment for the CFIN community was the recognition of Maia Farms, a CFIN member and funding recipient, which earned the Gold Prize in the foodtec h competition 🍄🏆 CFIN’s presence at SIAL Canada underscored the momentum of Canada’s food innovation sector and the value of convening the ecosystem to accelerate ideas from concept to commercialization. 📖 Explore more from SIAL Canada 2026 R elive the stories, innovations, and key moments captured throughout the show in the official SIAL Canada Daily: SIAL Canada Daily – 2026 Edition (Photos Courtesy of SIAL)
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Five Years of CFIN: A Letter to the Network
Thirty years ago, I worked as a chef in the kitchen of one of Canada’s top restaurants standing should er to shoulder with people who ca red about the sensory experience of food above all else . Our tech stack was al most all analog and , to be honest, we didn’t give our ordering system or the way we did inventory a lot of thought. My career broadened over time , and I ’ ve also held roles where I developed recipes at Canadian Living and wrote about food trends; built innovation strategies and products for national brands, founded a business incubator, and ran a venture creation office at a prestigious Canadian u niversity . Food was always the thread , and technology was always present but in most of the food focused businesses I’ve worked for, it was taken for granted, and creativity and hard work were what drove the businesses forward. While smart people with great ideas are essential to food business success, it’s not enough to be competitive in today’s world. Old ways of running restaurants, innovation labs and food and beverage processi ng businesses can’t compete internationally or absorb the trade shocks that have become commonpla ce in recent history. That’s why I feel l ik e CFIN is the perfect place for me to be today and why we’re adding dozens of new members per week. When CFIN was created in 2021, the mandate was intentionally broad : cata lyze Canadian food innovation with funding , build community, connect an ecosystem that had been operating in silos for decades. The funding programs took shape quickly. Since 2022, we’ve awar ded $23.3 million to 133 projects across six program s. For every $1 CFIN invested, our members committed $7.65 of their own capital toward innovation. This leverage ratio of nearly 8-to-1 has unlocked over $140 m illion in private sector spending on R&D and capital infrastructure. The other work was harder to define . What do "build community" and "connect an ecosystem" mean in practice for a sector span ning startups, processors, researchers, investors, policymakers, and operators spread across this vast country ? Th at question didn't have a tidy answer. As a result , fostering and serving this network was (and remains ) an exercise in innovation itself : something new to be built , and then tested, adjusted, and iterated upon , ad infinitum . I’m immensely proud of what we’ve built so far . A team of Regional Innovation Directors who've supported more than 2,200 organizations, brokering the introductions that became commercial partnerships, strategic investments, leadership hires, and research collaborations. A digital platform , YODL, connecting Canada's food sector across industry silos and bridging interprovincial barriers . The first comprehensive analysis of Canadian foodtech . A network of 8,500 members from every province, every part of the food value chain, every stage of business . On any given week, our community is discussing topics ranging from precision fermentation bioreactor designs and funding stacks to food packaging labeling regulations and export strategies, all in the same space. Members benefit from purpose-built tools and resources — like our Funding Finder that aggregates food and beverage funding opportunities across the country and a growing library of original sector research and analysis — alongside direct access to our Regional Innovation Directors. Canada has strong regional funders, accelerators, trade associations, and tech transfer offices, each doing necessary work in a defined lane. What this sector didn't have was a place where the conversation s , the tools, and the connections all showed up at once — where the range of problems and the range of capabilities were dense enough that the right solutions could emerge . That's what CFIN has built. That foundation is important because the next five years will be even more dynamic, and often more challenging, than the last five . To keep pace and flourish in an increasingly volatile world, Canada's food sector needs to modernize faster and more strategic ally than ever before . Trade disruption is dramaticall y reshaping supply chains . L abour constraints are compounding a productivity gap that was widening long before tariffs became front-page news. Climate pressures are intensifying. Food 4.0 — a tech-enabled food s ector that's more collaborative, productive, resilient, and competitive — is the framework CFIN is building toward, and the case for it gets more urgent by the quarter. I ’m confident that we’re up to the task . Five years ago, Canada's food innovation ecosystem was fragmented, underleveraged, and often invisible to the investors, operators, policymakers, and media who needed to see it. That's no longer true. The capacity to respond to the challenges ahead is here. Not in any single program or policy, but in the breadth of this network — the founders , processors , researchers , and investo rs who are hungry to innovate and build a better Canadian food sector . My own wide-ranging path through the food sector taught me that no single role ever showed me the full picture. It took working across kitchens, labs, newsrooms, boardrooms, and startups to understand how innovation really moves through this industry — and where it get s stuck. CFIN was built on the same insight. A sector this complex, facing challenges this urgent, needs more than funding or advice or connections in isolation. It needs all of them in the same room. That's what we've spent five years building, and I'm betting the next five will prove its value at a scale none of us can yet imagine. Thank you for being part of it. Dana McCauley, CEO, Canadian Food Innovation Network
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How BC is Becoming a National Foodtech Hub
Editor's Note: This article was o riginally published in the Vancouver Tech Journal on March 13, 2026 The province has a diverse food processing industry, world-class research facilities, and a deep bench of tech talent — everything a foodtech ecosystem needs to thrive. Foodtech builds the software, automation, and applied science for how food gets processed, manufactured, packaged, distributed, and sold. The industry behind it is enormous — food and beverage processing alone is Canada's largest manufacturing sub-sector , bigger than automotive, bigger than aerospace. It's a serious market, and in British Columbia, it's growing fast. But if you work in the province's broader tech ecosystem, you might not even know that. Foodtech hasn't traditionally drawn the same attention as sectors like cleantech or enterprise SaaS despite being a comparable market in scale and complexity — and one where demand for new technology is accelerating fast. What BC brings to the table BC's food processing sector is substantial — over 3,200 companies producing roughly $12.6 billion in value-added products annually. And it's being treated as a strategic priority. The province has funded a network of shared food processing hubs, UBC just opened a Food and Beverage Innovation Centre with pilot-scale production labs that processors and startups previously had to leave BC to access, and SFU's BC Centre for Agritech Innovation is partnering directly with SMEs on cost-shared R&D. At the same time, much of what the food industry needs is already being built in BC for other thriving tech sectors. Process automation, energy management, supply chain software, safety and traceability systems, data-driven quality control — these are cleantech and software problems applied to production floors and distribution networks. The talent, research base, and trade infrastructure to support a serious foodtech cluster are all here. A different kind of tech sector Foodtech doesn't work like enterprise SaaS or consumer tech. Processors and manufacturers adopt slowly and carefully, because failure is expensive in ways that go beyond lost revenue — a food safety issue, a botched line integration, a regulatory problem. Sales cycles run in quarters. The investor community that understands food is small and specialized. And the industry's own networks run through trade associations, existing supply relationships, and sector-specific events that sit well outside the broader tech community's orbit. None of this means foodtech is closed off. It means that if you want in — as a founder, investor, developer, or potential partner — you need a way to access the conversations, the deal flow, and the operating knowledge that don't surface through the usual channels. The Canadian Food Innovation Network The Canadian Food Innovation Network is a national not-for-profit, established in 2021 that functions as the operating infrastructure for Canada's foodtech sector. CFIN runs cost-shared funding programs that help companies de-risk R&D and move technology into commercial settings. Since launch , the organization has awarded over $22 million to 122 Canadian foodtech projects, matched by $25 million in industry co-investment. Those funded companies have generated $90 million in economic impact, created over 355 jobs and co-op placements, and attracted more than $82 million in follow-on investment. The network's 8,000-plus members include food processors, technology companies, ingredient suppliers, retailers, researchers, and investors — connected through YODL, CFIN's member platform, and supported by Regional Innovation Directors embedded across the country, who work directly with members to broker introductions, navigate funding, and connect emerging technology with the processors and buyers who need it. CFIN also produces the sector's most detailed intelligence . The Foodtech in Canada 2025 Ecosystem Report mapped investment flows, identified sector strengths, and gave both companies and investors a clearer picture of where the Canadian foodtech market stands. And then there's Foodtech Frontier , CFIN's annual program identifying the country's highest-potential foodtech companies. The inaugural cohort of 35 winners included eight BC companies. For investors, it works as curated, vetted deal flow in a sector where sourcing is otherwise hard. For the companies, it's structured national visibility. Plug into Canada’s foodtech ecosystem If you work in technology or investment and you've been curious about the food sector, then signing up for a free CFIN membership is the best place to start. Members get access to funding programs, sector intelligence, a national innovation community, and regional team members that know the BC landscape specifically.
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Other Articles
The Tablesetter - July 11
Happy Monday CFIN members! Every Monday, we’ll give you a heads up on what will be appearing on YODL this week and around the food world. The YODL Menu This week watch for articles on: Monday: The YODL Menu, Something to Celebrate, Food Facts. Tuesday: Roundtable: Mergers and acquisitions in the food industry. Wednesday: Guest blog: Time to say goodbye? When to exit a business. Thursday: The rise of food apps, plus the Yuka app. Friday: Friday News File Something to Celebrate July 13 is national French fry day. French fries are thought to have originated in Belgium, and grew in popularity in France during the 1700s where fat-fried frittes were served as a snack from street vendors. While Belgium boasts the world’s only French fry museum, the Frietmuseum the Canadian Potato Museum in O’Leary, PEI includes exhibits on all things potato, as well as an onsite restaurant featuring a mouth-watering variety of loaded fries. Food Facts McCain Foods Ltd. is the world’s l argest manufacturer of frozen potato specialties. The Florenceville, NB-based company harvests nearly 6.8 million tons of potatoes annually and produces roughly one third of all frozen fries in the world, earning its hometown the title of French fry capital of the world. A 2017 survey of Canadians on behalf of McCain found that: 33% of respondents preferred straight cut fries over curly, shoestring or waffle cut versions. 63% of women reported sharing their fries, but only 49% of men said they share. Almost 50% of respondents said they like to dip their fries in a topping, while 35% pour their topping over the fries, and 15% do both. 52% of respondents nationally said they would choose plain French fries over poutine, but in Quebec 65% said they preferred poutine. Happy YODLing!
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News File – July 8
Each Friday we’ll bring you a roundup of news from CFIN, YODL and around the food world. As seen on YODL Check out this week’s most viewed discussions: Digital transformation in food and beverage: why is it important? A Critical Time for Plant-based Meat CFIN Call for Reviewers/Appel ouvert aux examinateurs YODL Poll We asked what your biggest challenge was in growing your food business? Here’s what you had to say: Access to capital: 61% Access to talent: 13% Access to partners: 17.3% None of the above: 8.7% What’s happening at CFIN? Joe Lake , CEO of CFIN, recently spoke to GovInsider about how the organization is helping to catalyze innovation for the growth of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sectors. Around the Food World Health Canada announces it will require nutrition warnings on pre-packaged foods containing more than 15 per cent of the suggested daily value of saturated fat, sugar or sodium, beginning in 2026. Proteins Industries Canada unveils a project to create a clean-label soy protein Researchers in Greece are using blockchain technology to create a genetic barcode to fight food fraud in olive oil. Did you know? Fraud is rampant in the fish and seafood industry, with incidents occurring worldwide. Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing Services (FACTS) estimates that one in five seafood samples in mislabelled. One reason is a lack of proper traceability measures and/or documentation, making it easier to intentionally mislabel species. Fish and seafood aren’t the only products affected by fraud. As this infographic from FACTS shows, food fraud is a challenge in many categories across different countries. #foodfraud #FoodSafety
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Are Screens The New Stores?
In the last few years, e-commerce has seen tremendous growth throughout the world. According to a 2020 study by Euromonitor International, which was also published by the Government of Canada, the e-commerce market for packaged foods has boomed from 149 million dollars in 2015 to almost 1.6 billion dollars in 2020. The historic rate of annual growth was 59.1%. The non-alcoholic beverage sector also showed remarkable growth, with the size of its e-commerce market having grown from 203 to 596 million dollars for the same time period. Still, the food and beverage industry in Canada has stalled in developing its e-commerce offerings in comparison to other consumer goods. Despite the unexpected bump brought about by the pandemic, in 2021, online sales of food and beverages represented only 3% of total online sales in Canada . So, why are Canadians still so hesitant to purchase food products online, given that consumers are familiar with the technology and the majority of them have access to the Internet? Grocery Shopping: A Complex Multi-sensory Experience As soon as we walk into a grocery store, our instinct and all our senses awaken: we see, we touch, we smell, we compare, and we imagine how each coveted food will be transformed… Then images and ideas emerge from our minds, only to be brought down to earth by the price tag. We make a decision and confirm our choice, a fluid choice, one that may change if inspired by something else on the way to the checkout counter… You don't have to look any further to understand how difficult it is to transpose this ritual and all the reflexes attached to it in two dimensions on a screen. Ironically, even though large Canadian retailers understand this phenomenon better than anyone else, it's Amazon, not them, that holds the largest share of the online grocery market. And the same goes for the US, the UK and France. While there are many reasons that explain why Amazon holds the number one spot, certain sensibilities of grocery consumers are not being met by the experience that Amazon is offering. It is clear that there is room for innovation and to transform a dehumanized mechanical experience into a real "multi-sensory" experience. So, what is it that brings us back to the grocery store instead of buying our food online? The colourful and attractive displays of fresh products. The direct access to an array of options, all easy to see in the same field of vision. The ability to make a decision quickly when a product meets our needs (for example, allergies). The ability to interact with an employee to request a service, ask for help finding a product, or to simply ask them for their opinion. A purchasing context that fosters inspiration and spontaneous purchases. An interesting example of this type of innovation was developed by Inabuggy . In November of 2020, they launched the first 3D virtual reality online grocery platform in Canada for McEwan Fine Foods, an upscale grocery store in Toronto. That being said, for online grocery shopping to reach a new level, we need to think even bigger. What if buying food became human again? Think of the sounds, the smells, tasting samples, even the meeting of new people (real people, not robots!)? In 2011, Tesco, a market leader in Europe, saw tremendous success with the launch of a virtual store in a South Korean subway station. We would be willing to bet that sales would have been even higher if the smell of freshly baked bread just out of the oven had accompanied the screen showing all of the bakery items! For their part, storefronts aren't going anywhere. They'll always be ahead of the curve in providing a real and personable food buying experience. Now that the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, their biggest challenge will be providing consumers with a feeling of safety again, in an environment conducive to exploration and the joy of sharing a meal.
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Industry Roundtable: Consumer demands, technology and changing access to food
CFIN’s first Executive Roundtable looks at consumer demands and changing access to food, with input from Ken Keelor, CEO of Calgary Co-op , and Arjan Stephens, president of Que Pasa Mexican Foods and executive vice-president of Nature’s Path Foods . How has technology such as ecommerce, QR codes and mobile apps changed how consumers access your products? Ken Keelor: Technology has greatly improved the customer experience and allowed for two-way communication with our members, so we immediately know what our members are looking for and how we can help them with their day-to-day shopping decisions. For example: Digital communication was used by us throughout the pandemic for health and safety, as well as to share value/couponing/information/inspiration through regular communication such as social media channels, our flyer, website and member emails. Apps: Our Calgary Co-op app allows members to stay in touch, update their own personal information, receive valuable offers exclusive to them through our Mewards program and access to exclusive member pricing on tickets including the Calgary Flames and Hitmen. E-commerce makes it easy for our members to shop remotely and have their items delivered or picked up at a time and location that is convenient for them. Our shop online programs continue to evolve to offer even more convenience and choice on our Food, Wine Spirits Beer and Cannabis sites. Arjan Stephens: Ecommerce has allowed consumers to access our products through several channels including online marketplaces, grocery delivery apps like Instacart and our website. This has shifted the way we think about user experience. We are focusing on content creation and search optimization to ensure we’re giving the customer a robust user experience, which includes easily searching and accessing our products. QR codes on products and packaging create an easy, rapid and touch-free transaction for consumers. There are about twice as many scans of barcodes at points of sale each day as there are Google searches. Our customers currently use them to purchase our products through Amazon Fresh stores in the U.S., and we are currently looking at how implementing QR codes on our packaging could provide more product and brand information, ultimately building another channel for connecting directly with our consumers. Additionally, the sunset of Google’s third-party cookie in 2023 makes analytics less accessible. QR codes can significantly help our business identify important customer data to inform our overall business. What new experiences are consumers looking for when they shop or dine in person? Keelor: Convenience, choice and freshness, along with local and healthy options. We are pleased to be re-opening our salad bars, curry and olive bars and self-serve kombucha stations. In many of our locations we have seating areas where members can enjoy a light lunch, coffee with friends, or a few moments to themselves. We are also pleased to see in-person events coming back, including our famous pancake breakfasts in the summer, our Grape Escape event in 2023, in-person tastings at our Wine Spirits Beer locations, and partnering with our vendors to offer unique sampling opportunities for our members. We are proud to offer a unique experience to members when they come into our stores and know that they are looking for more from us than just a simple shopping trip! Stephens: When it comes to dining, consumers are looking for elements that support the storytelling aspect of a dining experience. This creates a unique, memorable experience that is shareable with their friends and on social media. These elements could be part of the food itself, the restaurant space, the customer service or other methods. Examples include unique food creations, robot-waiters, personalized chef cooking-at-table and more. What will grocery stores look like in 2035? Keelor: It’s hard to say exactly what stores will look like that far down the road but we certainly expect multi-channel shopping to continue to evolve with more choice, convenience, delivery options and support to help meal plan and budget accordingly. We have also seen a number of recent trends emerge from the pandemic that we expect will continue including: Bigger baskets, but less trips to the stores Less families shopping, more single-person trips for the household More focus on health and wellness More focus on value, budgets and “what do I need to prepare meals” Even more focus on locally sourced products Reduced assortment in some categories because suppliers have narrowed the number of lines they are manufacturing ie: paper category Stephens: The future of grocery stores will be focused on providing experiences versus things. It will be a seamless online/offline mobile enabled, high tech, high convenience food shopping experience. Touch-free transactions will become commonplace and Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be indispensable. The grocery store of the future will enable customers to use apps to input dietary needs and taste profiles to be connected to products through advanced AR features providing audible information about the products selected, almost like having a personal assistance accompanying you to the store. There will be a large influx of plant-based alternatives to animal products created through 3D printing and AI technologies. Grocery stores like Alibaba’s Hema and Amazon Fresh are really just the beginning of the grocery store revolution. If you have a digital solution to make supply chains safer and more agile, apply for our Food Innovation Challenge . Applications are due July 7th.
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Guest Post: The Future of E-Commerce: Health Canada and CFIA Propose Changes to Online Requirements for the Sale of Food
This article originally appeared on the G.S. Jameson & Company blog . By @Glenford Jameson Consumers are protected against false, misleading, or deceptive representations of goods or services intended to be purchased; food and food products are no exception. Per the Food and Drugs Act (FDA) and the Safe Food for Canadians Act (SFCA), false, misleading or deceptive labelling or advertising is prohibited on food; consumers have the right to make well-informed and safe food choices, which often results from reading an accurate and compliant label. But what happens when a consumer does not handle a food product before purchase? What happens if a consumer cannot read the physical label in front of them? What happens if they are dropping groceries into an online basket, and checking out of a grocery store via the Internet? Should they have the same protections against false, misleading or deceptive advertising? Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) think so. On May 9, 2022, Health Canada and the CFIA launched a consultation on the development of voluntary guidance for providing food information for foods sold to consumers for ecommerce. Their proposal is to require all ecommerce sites to provide the same food information that is required to appear on any label of food offered for sale in a physical store. This includes: common name, net quantity, storage instructions, country of origin, a Nutrition Facts table, a list of ingredients, food allergen information and precautionary statements, caution statements, a period of minimum durability (similar to a “best before” date), and commodity specific information such as the percentage of moisture for dairy or the percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV) for alcohol products. The list is quite extensive. In addition, Health Canada and the CFIA would like to see product images for all foods sold through ecommerce, an indication of how the delivered food may differ from the food being offered for sale online, food information presented in the same way online as it would be on a physical label, a consistent layout for product information pages, food information that is readable by screen readers, and the design of ecommerce platforms as user-friendly and easy to navigate. Again, quite an extensive list. These intentions are good – consumers deserve transparency – and the decision arose to conduct this consultation because of an increase in online shopping during the early stages of the pandemic (we also suspect far too many undeclared allergens on ecommerce sites). Health Canada and the CFIA also point to the growing, international recognition of the need to extend food information to consumers through ecommerce sites. The Codex Committee on Food Labelling, for example, has convened a working group to develop guidance for food labelling and ecommerce; the European Union provides regulatory oversight to distance selling, and requires mandatory labelling. And yet, we must question how these new requirements might affect small business, especially those in the hospitality industry that pivoted to an online model when faced with pandemic closures, and have maintained their ecommerce presence to re-coup losses. Paying a UX designer to develop a user-friendly interface is expensive. Paying a photographer to take recent photographs of your food products can also be costly. Consulting a lawyer to review your labels is also not cheap (we should know!). Small businesses that did not require a SFCA licence prior to the pandemic, and therefore were not subject to mandatory labelling requirements because their food products never travelled across borders, will now be required to pivot further because their ecommerce platform might reach someone in another province. All of this has us asking whether this consultation might be too soon? Regardless, we are pleased to see that Health Canada and the CFIA have provided an online survey and link with questions to answer. Question six is of particular importance: “if you are a business that sells or is considering selling foods to Canadian consumers through ecommerce, please describe any challenges regarding displaying and maintaining current information on product information pages.” Question five also asks for commentary related to the mandatory labelling requirements. If you would like to voice your experiences, concerns, comments, or questions regarding this proposal, you can access the Consultation here . The Consultation is open until July 8, 2022.
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The Tablesetter - July 4
Happy Monday CFIN members! Every Monday, we’ll give you a heads up on what will be appearing on YODL this week and around the food world. The YODL Menu This week watch for articles on: Monday: The YODL Menu, Something to Celebrate, Food Facts. Tuesday: Guest Blog: The Future of Ecommerce. Wednesday: Cons umer demands, technology and changing access to food. Thursday: Are screens the new stores? Friday: Weekly News File Around the Food World IFT First takes place July 10 to 13 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. Festival StreetFood Montreal happens July 7 to 10 in Montreal, QC. Summerlicious begins July 7 and runs until July 23 in Toronto, ON. Something to Celebrate July 4 is independence from meat day around the world, which began as a way for vegetarian groups to raise awareness of the benefits of eating a meat-free diet. A 2020 Statista survey showed that there are 2.3 million Canadians are vegetarians, while 850,000 Canadians follow a vegan diet. The researcher expects Canadian retail sales of meat substitutes to reach approximately US $226.7 million in 2022, compared to $119.9 million in 2015. Food Facts The NPD Group/CREST recently revealed how Canadians eating habits have changed in the past two years. Here are consumer’s most loved restaurant menu items today: French fries Burgers Breakfast sandwiches https://www.cfin-rcia.ca/network/members/profile?UserKey=b800c223-a09d-49c9-a3e4-a1b7781d9f6c Chicken Doughnuts Pizza Chicken sandwiches Happy YODLing!
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Friday News File – July 1
Each Friday we’ll bring you a roundup of news from CFIN, YODL and around the food world. This week to commemorate Canada Day we’re celebrating iconic Canadian cuisine and products. Coast-To-Coast Cuisine If you want to celebrate Canada Day with a unique dish or product from across the country, here are a few ideas: British Columbia – Nanaimo bars, salmon Alberta – Perogies Saskatchewan – Saskatoon berry pie Manitoba – Bannock, Schmoo torte, flapper pie Ontario – Butter tarts, peameal bacon Quebec – Tourtière, poutine Nova Scotia - Donair PEI – Lobster roll New Brunswick – Rappie pie Newfoundland and Labrador – Toutons, seal flipper pie Yukon – Sourdough pancakes Northwest Territories - Muktuk Nunavut – Arctic char Top 10 Best Rated Canadian products According to Taste Atlas , which looks at food products and cuisine around the world, the highest-rated Canadian food and beverage products worldwide are: Maple syrup B-52 shooter cocktail Vidal Blanc wine from Ontario Canadian whiskey Montreal Steak Seasoning from McCormick McIntosh Apples Caesar cocktail Peameal bacon Piacere cheese from Monteforte Dairy in Stratford, ON Yukon Gold potatoes Kraft Dinner is the most popular grocery item in Canada, according to TasteAtlas . In fact, Canadians eat 55 per cent more Kraft Dinner than Americans, purchasing 1.7 million boxes each week, and consuming an average 3.2 boxes annually. The boxes of pasta and powdered cheese first appeared in 1937 and sold for 19 cents each. Eight million boxes were sold that year. For a cool Canada Day meal option, check out this recipe for Marinated Greek Salad from Dana McCauley. Around the Food World Walmart is testing Walmart Now , a 30-minute delivery service, starting with about 4,000 of its most popular items at 10 stores in the Greater Toronto Area, one day after Loblaws announced a similar service through DoorDash. Coca-Cola Canada Bottling is investing almost $42 million in its production and warehousing and distribution facilities in Richmond, BC. The Veal Farmers of Ontario announce the winner of Ontario’s Best Veal Sandwich contest.
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EXPLAINED: Blockchain Technology
The international trade of goods and services related to the food industry is very complex and poses great logistical challenges. Knowing where these goods and services come from, how they were produced and by whom are only a fraction of the crucial information needed to be able to ensure the authenticity as well as the safety and security of what will be offered to consumers. Although it was not created for the food industry, blockchain technology lends itself perfectly to it and has immense potential for the industry. What is it? Export Development Canada (EDC) defines blockchain as “a distributed database holding encrypted ledgers that reside on a network.” Well established in the cryptocurrency sector, this technology allows network members to consult and share a register of transactions, data entries or documents called blocks. This network can be public (for example, through the Internet) or private (such as between a group of companies). Data must be verified by members in a private ledger, and when all agree on the validity of the information the block becomes a permanent record that no one can change. Why you should care Food fraud continues to occur worldwide at an alarming rate. No commodity or country seems to be spared, and all sectors are affected, from the farm to the final point of sale. According to the U.S. Grocery Manufacturers Association, fraud costs the global food industry between $10 and $15 billion a year. Other organizations estimate that the industry loses up to $40 billion a year. At the same time, consumers are demanding more transparency from the industry about their products and business practices, a demand that can be difficult to meet if we don’t know the full history of the food we produce and process ourselves. Blockchain technology offers a complex but powerful solution to optimize and secure the entire supply chain. Benefits of using this technology include: Complete traceability of all interventions made on a commodity. Real-time supply management, including precise monitoring of a commodity’s journey and transport conditions such as temperature or humidity. Centralization of information about a commodity. Anticipation and simplification of recalls. Accountability of all stakeholders. Helps build a solid reputation, facilitating local and international trade. Not surprisingly, the cost of implementing this technology is high, which is also the main obstacle to its expansion. Opportunities in Canada Here are some examples of local and international companies with expertise in blockchain development for the food industry: FuturistIQ and Appinventiv are two international companies specialized in digital transformation. They operate in many sectors, including the food industry. IBM , a well-known computer and digital giant, also offers consulting services for the implementation of various technologies, including blockchains. As for TraceFood , their main focus and expertise is the creation of blockchains and they serve exclusively the food sector. If you have a digital solution to make supply chains safer and more agile, apply for our Food Innovation Challenge . Applications are due July 7th. @Dana’s Take: When it comes to traceability, consumers want to know that their food is safe, and increasingly, that it was produced in a sustainable way. By digitizing operations and using technology such as blockchain, food companies can track every ingredient and product in their supply chain, ensuring vendor compliance on sustainability measures, while offering consumers transparency on how products are sourced, processed, transported and retailed. The real potential of this technology will be realized when its use of energy is optimized or mitigated. An inspiring collaboration in North Vancouver, sees that municipality, using the heat generated by block chain activity to heat buildings!
Community Manager-
EXPLAINED: 5G and the food industry
As 5G technology is rolled out by internet providers around the world, companies in a wide variety of industries are exploring how higher-speed connectivity will change production and operations. In the food industry, manufacturers are already examining how to leverage 5G to add smart technology designed to improve sustainability, efficiency, capacity and food safety. What is it? 5G technology is the fifth generation of wireless networks, which enables faster and more powerful connectivity between machines and devices. The technology allows for faster response times (latency) and higher bandwidth capacities, allowing companies to transfer more data at one time. Why you should care Implementing a 5G-enabled system for automation and smart technology will eventually become a competitive advantage for Canadian food businesses, especially as operators begin to see rewards such as a more streamlined system, lower operating costs, and greater production efficiency and capacity. With a 5G network and the use of sensors, food companies will be able to: Make better use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create smarter operating systems. Monitor and send warehouse and production data in real time. Boost automation efforts. More easily operate robotics, drones and other advanced technology. Create faster, more accurate communications, especially when companies are also using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to track material throughout the supply chain. Monitor and improve safety throughout the system. Allow for faster and more accurate recalls. Allow companies to store information in blockchain, which adds transparency for consumers. Encourage more online ordering, payment and delivery due to the higher bandwidth and latency. Opportunities in Canada Canada’s 5G network is already fairly advanced, and as companies continue to innovate with smart technology they will increasingly discover ways to leverage the network while offering consumers more transparency around their supply chains. 5G network coverage in Canada is led by companies such as Bell Canada , Rogers and Telus , connection and coverage is expanding, starting primarily with urban centres. @Joe Lake 's Take: Faster and more reliable networks will be required to properly leverage the connected technology often referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). As opposed to consumer-oriented IoT applications such as smart thermostats, IIoT devices are networked through sensors to other devices and with industrial software and cloud computing to manage production, monitor quality assurance, control energy use, and more. Within this controlled, connected system operators can view real-time data, allowing them to make needed adjustments and improve overall efficiency. One challenge for Canada is its larger geographical size vs. population density. Additionally, a large portion of the country’s agriculture and food processing is rural. It’s imperative that both farming and manufacturing in rural areas are serviced to ensure that processing innovation requiring 5G can thrive and advance competitiveness nationally. If you have a digital solution to make supply chains safer and more agile, apply for our Food Innovation Challenge . Applications are due July 7th.
Community Manager-
Challenges to Canada’s supply chain and digital solutions
The last few years have revealed just how vulnerable the Canadian food supply chain is to disruption, and the resulting challenge it creates for our food companies. The effects of extreme weather events, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine are impacting supply chains around the world. For example, the pandemic restricted the movement of workers and created changes in demand for consumers, while temporarily shuttering food production plants and restricting food trade policies are putting added financial pressures on the food supply chain. And Russia’s war on Ukraine has forced nations to push additional grain, corn and fertilizer supplies into world markets to make up for supply disruptions. In Canada those factors have highlighted weaknesses in our national, provincial and regional supply chains, leading to production interruptions, facility closures, labour shortages, and rising input costs. At the same time, economic recovery hasn’t been the same across food sectors. Restaurants and foodservice operations, which saw the most closures during pandemic, and which have suffered from consumer trends towards at home dining, have experienced significant supply chain shortages and price increases of ingredients such as chicken and corn. In fact, a recent National Restaurant Association survey revealed that 95 per cent of U.S. restaurants had experienced considerable supply delays or shortages in recent months. Meanwhile, the rise of omni-channel sales has pushed fulfillment capabilities to the maximum at all points throughout the supply chain. Digital solutions for supply chain resilience Supply Chain 4.0 solutions as they relate to food businesses, include: Digitizing and automating key elements of operations Applying Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology Applying technology with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and robotics Using blockchain and data analytics to supply chain management to improve efficiency, traceability, performance and customer satisfaction. While the move to digitization and Supply Chain 4.0 solutions has been slower in the food industry than in other sectors, it has the capacity to strengthen our food supply chains and make them more resilient against ongoing and future challenges. With new tools to address the increasing volatility in customer requirements and supply availability, while addressing overall efficiency improvement expectations and food safety needs, Canadian food companies will be able to move products faster, with more flexibility, granularity, accuracy and ultimately with less risk of disruptions. CFIN is leading the call for research, development and demonstration of digital and digitized solutions for Canada’s food supply chain with the introduction of a Food Innovation Challenge called Digitization and digitalization solutions that create safer, more secure, more agile food supply chains. Program priorities include: data capture and management; predictive analytics and demand planning; automation of the physical flow of goods; digital order management; driving improved capacity utilization in food processing; and food safety and traceability throughout the supply chain. Look for more information on digital and automated supply chain solutions over the next few weeks, including articles on 5G and blockchain. If you have a digital solution to make supply chains safer and more agile, apply for our Food Innovation Challenge . Applications are due July 7th.
Community Manager-
Guest Post: Events in Ukraine impact global supply chains
This article originally appeared on the SKU Food website . By @Peter Chapman Whether we like it or not our food industry is global and events around the world impact what happens here at home. The unprovoked attack on Ukraine has had impacts on the supply and cost of food around the world. The global supply chain we operate in really has evolved in recent years to adapt and work hard to feed a growing population. Google can provide definitions, but it does not always help you understand the importance of the term or perhaps even a specific meaning in our industry. We are going to share some food and beverage industry terms and explain how they can benefit or impact your business. Global supply chain is the complicated international production, processing and delivery of food, from farm to table. The food industry does operate on supply and demand. Food is essential to life and it has become a massive machine, with so many interlocking links. In the end, it is driven by consumer demand and producer and processor ability to supply. There are so many complexities that an event such as the invasion of Ukraine impacts the supply of basic commodities and the cost of energy. Both will likely be in shorter supply, which will drive costs up. West meets east We have all seen the chilling images coming from Ukraine. It is also scary to see the allies in the west line up against Russia and their allies. We do have a sophisticated supply chain for food, that has been tested in the last two years with the pandemic. Now it’s being tested again as many countries of the world unite in their opposition to Russia. When you think about food the truth is Russia and China produce vast amounts of food, much more than many of the western allies. Two other countries that have not lined up with the western allies are India and Brazil. They also produce huge quantities of food. The majority of this food from China and India is used to feed their own populations, but it is all part of the global supply chain. We know all food has it’s origin in primary agriculture, with the exception of some new lab produced items. It is enlightening to explore where primary agriculture happens around the world. Obviously, climate, arable land, labour and technology impact the amount of food that can be produced. Even if processing is done in North America, many of the raw materials can be or are being produced elsewhere. Diet also has a huge impact on the global supply chain. Demand for certain items is much higher in some areas. One of the complexities of the global supply chain is when products produced in other parts of the world are ingredients. If supply is short or costs increase significantly it can impact production of many processed items. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the following nations produced the largest quantities of food in each category. These charts do not provide amounts so they do not illustrate the proportion from each country. Although our population in Canada is small, compared to some other countries it is surprising how few times we see Canada in the top food producing countries, given the land mass we have. Cereals include the top three producers and in 14 categories Canada is only there for canary seeds and oats. The top three wheat producing countries are China, India and Russia. In the 27 vegetable categories, which include the top five producers, Canada only appears twice. We lead the world in the production of lentils and rapeseed. In the 27 fruit categories Canada only appears once with blueberries. When you review the vegetables and fruit categories China leads in 13 vegetable categories and nine fruit categories. India is in the top two in 14 vegetable categories and only five fruit categories. Animal protein is another primary agriculture to consider when understanding the global supply chain for food. Again, Canada is not within the top five for any categories. Brazil has made significant investments in these items and they export considerable quantities. China are one of the top three in every category except turkeys. Not surprisingly Canada does not appear in the drinks category either. Coffee and tea are dominated by southern hemisphere countries. Dairy is interesting given the different diets in different countries. In Canada we might be looking for some of these items but probably not too much of the camel milk. I can honestly say I have not tried it so perhaps I should reserve judgement until I do! As you can see the supply of food is global and we do rely on different parts of the world for a lot of the food we consume. If the invasion of Ukraine separates the world into two sides, it will have significant impacts on our global supply chain. One of the tactics employed by the west is to impose economic sanctions. In many cases this means we do not purchase products from Russia and allies. Given the source of food in the world we will have to make some changes to what we eat and how we process food. It is true our global supply chain is already somewhat aligned with our allies, but some items will not be available and costs will increase on others. If you are interested in global food production, I have a website for you. In 2019 I had the opportunity to speak at the CRAAQ conference in Drummondville, QC. George Steinmetz also spoke at the conference. He is a photojournalist from the U.S. He was tasked by National Geographic to explore how the world will feed itself. His images of food production around the world were fascinating. The images are beautiful and so interesting to see how things are done in different places and the scale at which they are doing them. What does this mean for suppliers in Canada? It is ironic to talk about the impact of a global supply chain when I would also tell you food produced in Canada is more popular than ever. The fact is many Canadian products include ingredients from all over the world. Just when the pandemic is easing up, food producers now have to be concerned if any of their ingredients or other inputs such as packaging or even fertilizer are at risk. Russia supplies huge amounts of natural gas used to make nitrogen fertilizer. With the economic sanctions in place, we have already seen energy costs rising and it is staggering when you understand the amount of agriculture inputs that come from eastern Europe. Your cost of inputs could increase (again) and supply could be a challenge. Time to review with your suppliers (again) that they will have what you need it, when you will need it and how much it will cost. Keep your customers informed of any challenges you see on the horizon. Consider shifting the sourcing of inputs, if possible, to countries more aligned with the view in the west. To date China seems to be quietly supporting Russia but wanting to do business with the west. Obviously if this changes, it would have a huge impact. Food security will be in the news and remember to tell your own story. If your products are produced in Canada consumers want to know about it more than ever. Remember this causes great upheaval for your customers too. Retailers are sourcing products from all over the world and this will cause them more work. It is not easy bringing fresh produce from all over the world. I remember someone at Loblaw wiring money in advance for a container of cherries from across the world. The money went but the cherries never came. Global sourcing is not for the faint of heart! We can all hope for a change and peace in the region and a chance for our global supply chain to breathe and recover from the pandemic. #supplychain #war #technology
Community Manager-
Shop to the future!
Grocers are blending convenience with smart technology to create a more seamless instore shopping experience that will keep customers coming back. When Amazon Fresh -- Amazon’s first bricks and mortar grocery store and an evolution of its Amazon Go cashierless convenience stores -- opened in 2020, it offered the leading edge in grocery retailing technology in North America. Designed to blend the online and instore shopping experience, the store creates a seamless and convenient experience for consumers that retailers hope will entice them back to in-person shopping. With Amazon Fresh, shopping starts at home as consumers use the Amazon app to create grocery lists categorized by department and continues in the store when consumers connect to Alexa kiosks to help them locate items, search food facts and access recipes suggestions. Amazon’s Dash Cart uses cameras, sensors and a scale to know what items are placed in it and automatically bills their Amazon account when shoppers exit through the Dash Cart Lane. Amazon Fresh stores lets you scan a QR code to use their Dash Cart smart cart to automatically pay for your items as you exit the store in a cashierless transaction. Although not all consumers are ready to embrace this sort of smart technology experience, acceptance grew significantly during the pandemic, as even tech-wary shoppers turned to online ordering, delivery and cashless payments. Canadians now expect larger grocers to offer options such as self-checkout, contactless payment, and automated delivery and pickups to make their experience more convenient. Aisle 24 is Canada’s first cashierless grocery and convenience store. The chain’s locations in Montreal and Toronto are open 24/7 to members who have already downloaded an app and created an account with the company. Members then scan and pay for their items at a self-checkout. Other in-store technology being testing in Canada include Instacart’s Caper AI powered shopping cart with its own checkout technology, and electronic shelf labels that not only allow operators to make faster price adjustments, but also add value to the instore experience by offering consumers nutritional or promotional information. Around the world, grocery retailers are exploring a wide range of creative technology that adds value to the instore experience. The COOP Supermarket in Milan, Italy was unveiled at Expo Milano in 2015 as the “supermarket of the future,” and features technology such as digital screen mirrors offering interactive displays on products, robots that sort and pack food, and Xbox Kinect technology that allows customers to point at products to learn more about them. In fall 2021, Carrefour opened its first cashierless convenience store in Paris, France , using machine-vision powered checkout technology to create a personal digital avatar for each customer entering the store. The Hema Supermarket in Shanghai, China is part of a chain of stores launched by internet retailer Alibaba that combine online and in-person shopping to create a seamless experience for customers. Consumers use an app to scan barcodes on products for information while shopping, order products that employees will then prepare and pack for delivery, and even choose and order fresh seafood to eat at the in-store restaurant. As similar concepts appear in the Canadian market, it will be interesting to see how Canadian shoppers react, food businesses adapt, and how the shopping experiences evolves.
