This week, the Food and Consumer Products of Canada reported that over the past month, roughly 80 per cent of Canadian manufacturers have seen demand increase by as much as 500 per cent. The sudden surge has food producers' across the country quickly adapting their production models to streamline only their most popular products.
On the other side of the spectrum, Canadian dairy farmers have been forced to discard milk en masse due to a significantly reduced demand, thanks in large part to widespread closures within the hospitality industry.
Finally, two celebrity-run fundraising campaigns took place on social media this week. The cast of Schitt’s Creek raised over $180,000 for Canada Food Banks and Feeding America on Instagram, while Arlene Dickenson and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi raised almost $300,000 for Calgary Food Banks on Twitter.
Here are five stories you might have missed in food news this week.
Surplus forces dairy farmers across the country to discard milk
Canadian dairy farmers are currently facing major fluctuations within its supply management, due in large part to the significantly reduced demand from the hospitality industry. As a result, dairy farmers across the country are being forced to discard milk. A number of provincial dairy associations are working on ways to donate the excess milk, but the Dairy Farmers of Canada have said that a sudden perishable food donation influx would likely also pose problems.
Get the full breakdown from CBC News.
How food producers are adapting to increased demand
According to the Food and Consumer Products of Canada, in the last two weeks of March, order volumes for food manufacturers reportedly increased by as much as 500 per cent. To meet the demand, many food producers are quickly shifting their focus to streamline only their most popular products.
Head to CTV News for more.
Arlene Dickinson raises almost $200,000 for Calgary Food Banks
Arlene Dickinson teamed up with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi this week to help raise money for the Calgary Food Bank. On April 5, the duo announced on Twitter that Dickinson and her family would be donating $1 (up to $10,000) for every retweet they received; and in just two days, they were able to raise almost $200,000. The fundraiser has since reached $432,000.
Find the full story at The Calgary Herald.
Cast of Schitt’s Creek raises over $180K for food banks
The Canadian comedy series Schitt’s Creek closed the book on its sixth and final season this week. Leading up to the finale, the cast of the hit show engaged in an Instagram fundraising initiative for Food Banks Canada and Feeding America. According to a written statement on the fundraising page, the cast wanted to show people the same kind of generosity and good will that they had received over its six seasons.
Head to CBC News for more.
Ontario Food Terminal begins enforcing temperature check
The Ontario Food Terminal recently updated its safety policies to require all employees and visitors to undergo a temperature check. Canada’s largest food terminal, which supplies more than two billion pounds of produce to grocery stores across the country annually, is now using infrared thermometer guns to screen for temperatures higher than 38C.
Find out more at CTV News.
