ICYMI: Coping with rising food costs, new culinary scholarship for Indigenous students, and more

Here are five food stories you might have missed this week

With the continuation of rising food prices still being felt across the country, many Canadians have been turning to specialized food waste apps for ways to cut back on costs.

Speaking of cutting back on costs, Frito-Lay recently suspended all shipments to Loblaw stores over a divisive price dispute, while Beer Canada is looking to the federal government to make some big changes to help keep the Canadian beer community afloat. 

Catch up on these stories and more in this week’s roundup of Canadian food news.

How Canadians are coping with rising food costs

Recent reports indicate that food prices in Canada have increased by 6.5 per cent in the last year, and as a result, many Canadians are turning to digital tools to seek out discounted food that would otherwise end up in a landfill. 

While apps that help reduce food waste have been beneficial to both consumers and food purveyors, some say the issue of food waste requires long-term solutions such as growing food in urban areas to shorten the supply chain. 

Find out more at CBC News

Frito-Lay halts shipments to Loblaw over price dispute

A price dispute between Frito-Lay and Loblaw Inc. recently resulted in the PepsiCo-owned chip manufacturer halting all shipments to stores owned by the supermarket giant.

According to reports, the dispute itself exposes a greater issue within Canada’s current supply chain, with Frito-Lay seeking price increases to compete with inflation, while Loblaws has cited that it is committed to keeping prices in check for consumers. 

Find the full story at The Globe and Mail.

Chef Michael Smith launches culinary scholarship for Indigenous students

P.E.I. celebrity chef Michael Smith and his wife, Chastity Smith, recently announced that they will be offering $75,000 over the next six years to the Holland College Foundation for Indigenous applicants who would like to study at the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown. 

Successful applicants will have their full tuition paid, along with an internship at chef Smith’s Inn at Bay Fortune. 

Visit CBC News for more information.

CFIA suspends licence of Fort Macleod meat-processing plant

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recently suspended the Safe Food for Canadians licence for a meat-processing plant in Fort Macleod. According to the CFIA, Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. failed to meet regulatory requirements related to cross-contamination of food and preventative control measures for the detection of E. coli and temperature deviation in carcasses.  

Although there have been no food recalls related to the plant, the CFIA has stated the company’s conduct posed a risk of injury to the public and thus required immediate intervention. 

Head to Global News for more.

Beer Canada seeks targeted tax relief measures

According to Beer Canada, the past year’s decline in Canadian beer sales coupled with the rapid rise of inflation has created unique economic challenges to brewers, hospitality businesses, and consumers. 

In an effort to help businesses and brewers stay afloat, the organization has issued a plea to the federal government to defer the April 1, 2022 and the 2023 federal beer excise duty increase, halve the excise duty rates applicable to draught beer sold in restaurants, bars, and taprooms, and eliminate alcohol excise duties on non-alcoholic beer. 

Check out Restobiz for the full story.