The final week in 2021 produced plenty of interesting food-related news stories, and if the hustle and bustle of the holidays kept you out of the loop, you came to the right place to catch up.
From encouraging news on the P.E.I. potato front to Paramount Fine Foods’ Mohamad Fakih accepting a well-earned appointment to the Order of Canada, to an Ottawa-based company potentially revolutionizing the way we combat food waste, here are five stories you might have missed this week.
CFIA potato wart survey finds no new cases
Nearly a month after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency suspended all shipments of fresh potatoes from P.E.I. to the U.S., a recently-conducted survey found that no new cases of potato warts have been detected anywhere in the country.
Although the CFIA says it doesn’t predict the results will spur any immediate changes, P.E.I. Potato Board general manager Greg Donald is hopeful the survey will positively influence talks with the U.S. in 2022.
Visit CBC News for more information.
How Canadians are coping with rising food prices
Following the latest Canada’s Food Price Report, which suggested that the average Canadian family could spend upwards of $966 more on groceries in 2022, a new survey was conducted that found 63 per cent of Canadians intend to alter their food habits in some way to cope with the rising costs.
Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab’s Sylvain Charlebois offers a candid response to the survey and more at the Toronto Star.
Paramount Fine Foods’ Mohamad Fakih named to the Order of Canada
Founder and CEO of Paramount Fine Foods Mohamad Fakih was recently named to the Order of Canada for his business and community leadership, as well as his philanthropic contributions.
In addition to helping raise millions of dollars in aid following the devastating explosion in Lebanon in 2020, the Ontario-based restaurateur has also given more than 100 jobs to refugees amid the Syrian refugee crisis, donated thousands of meals to combat food insecurity, and much more.
Find the full story at CTV News.
Omicron cases cause Calgary closures
Thanks in large part to the explosion of Omicron cases across Calgary, staff shortages have caused several restaurants and bars to either offer new opening hours or close entirely for the holiday season.
Although government officials have strongly recommended that restaurant employees test as much as possible, it appears as though the demand for rapid testing kits is far exceeding the current supply.
Head to Global News for more.
Ottawa company develops innovative composting process
Reducing food waste will very likely be at the top of many Canadians’ New Year’s resolution lists, and one Ottawa-based company appears to be speeding up the process in a significant way.
According to Food Cycle Science, it’s small food waste recycling machine FoodCycler can reduce the weight and volume of food waste by 90 per cent, while speeding up the composting process to a matter of hours.
Visit CBC News for a full breakdown.
