The Food Professor

This episode features our guest Chamali Kodikara from the University of Manitoba discussing her role in food science and on the IFTSA Board. We explore grocery boycotts, troubling developments around the bird flu outbreak in U.S. cows, McDonald's sales decline, Shake Shack's Canadian expansion, and Quebec's liquor board culling local spirits and the tyranny of choice.

In the latest episode of "The Food Professor" podcast, we have the privilege of hosting Tanner Townsend from Uncle Bob Popcorn in Ontario. Broadcasting from Dallas, Texas, Michael also touches on his participation in a book launch for "Leaders Leap" with Steve Dennis and plans for a barbecue tour in Austin. The episode shifts to cover significant industry news, starting with a new study on food safety that Sylvain finds alarming; we delve into the issue of "shrinkflation" in grocery stores, comparing tactics on the shelf and consumer reactions internationally. Additionally, the episode addresses the Gate Gourmet Canada strike and the implications of California's new $20/hr minimum wage law.

In this podcast episode, we are thrilled to have back on the #pod for her regular monthly gig Colleen Martin, a renowned research expert from our presenting sponsor Caddle, who joins us to discuss their research conducted for our show and audience. Coinciding with the 4.20 Holiday, this episode delves into the latest consumer trends in retail cannabis, particularly edibles, beyond traditional forms like the 'devil's lettuce.' We also talk about the Food Industry implications of the Federal Budget, latest research from the Dalhousie Lab on Canadians and their breakfast habits, productivity in Canada, the latest CPI numbers, and the future of Red Lobster in an era of high lobster costs.

In this episode of The Food Professor, Dr. Ian Lee from Carleton University shares insights on competition and Canada's economic outlook. The conversation covers discrepancies in food inflation rates, implications of the US Farm Bill, and the role of automation in the meatpacking industry, highlighting transformative trends in agriculture and economics.

The episode features James Crosby, President & CEO of Crosby Foods, a quintessential family-owned Canadian company from New Brunswick, and Lori King, who spearheads their innovation and marketing efforts. Crosby, representing the fifth generation of leadership within the company, discusses the evolution of Crosby Foods and its commitment to quality and innovation. In the news, we talk about the significant disparity in Canadians' monthly food spending, the merits of the newly announced National School Food Program, the bird flu outbreak in livestock in the U.S. and the rising popularity of butter as a more straightforward, healthier food ingredient amidst changing consumer preferences. It also discusses the financial implications of the surging prices of olive oil.

This episode of The Food Professor podcast features Chef Charlotte Langley and explores GLP-1 weight loss drug research, the impact of a shipping accident in Baltimore on the food supply, surging cocoa prices, and poor working conditions in the food industry in India. It also delves into Canadian grocery spending trends and Bitcoin's influence on food inflation, and celebrates the 60th Anniversary of Poutine!

Our extraordinary guest in this episode is JP McMahon, Michelin star chef, restauranteur, ambassador for Irish food and author, reprising our interview from early 2023. In the news, we cover cattle futures and the high. Rising cost of beef, talk about experiential dining in Vegas versus highly efficient AI dining in Del Taco, Canada's poor track record (we think!) in private food innovation investment, and Sylvain's perspective on the carbon tax and alternative solutions to help manage the impacts of climate change.

In the latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, presented by Caddle, we kick off our new monthly Rapid Response segment featuring Colleen Martin from Caddle with Canadians' perceptions of ungraded Mexican beef on our grocery shelves. But first, we examine international beef regulations, highlighting the U.S.'s push for stricter "Made in U.S.A." standards and the Canadian Cattle Association's critique, labelling them overly stringent. The episode also touches on Aldi's significant expansion plans in the U.S., speculating on the implications for the Canadian market.

In the latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, our special guest live from Winnipeg is Paul Hagerman from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, sharing insights from his extensive experience in agriculture and food security across various regions, including Canada, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. In the news, we address the escalating global health problem of obesity, now surpassing global hunger, AI in agriculture, the unfortunate destruction of the Covered Bridge Potato Chips factory in Hartland, New Brunswick and the portrayal of food costs, shrinkflation and consumer behaviour through characters like Tony the Tiger and the Cookie Monster.

In this episode we welcome Colleen Martin, Chief Revenue Officer for Caddle, as a new regular contributor. In the news, we dive into the contentious issue of dynamic pricing, spotlighting a controversial (but misunderstood?) statement from Wendy's president, Kellogg's off-the-cuff suggestion for economic relief through cereal dinners and the (maybe) right idea, wrong time blow up of the the Kroger and Albertsons merger in the U.S.

This episode features a special guest, Ori Cohavi, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Remilk from Israel, discussing the groundbreaking development of lab-grown milk recently approved for sale in Canada by the CFIA, marking a significant step in food technology. The podcast also explores recent research conducted with Caddle, focusing on food discounting and rescue. Further discussions touch upon the latest figures on food inflation, with Canada's food inflation rate at its lowest since October 2021, presenting a comparative analysis with other countries and highlighting the global perspective on food prices.

In the latest episode, we take a solo dive into a week filled with significant news and developments in the food industry. We begin with an insightful discussion on a survey about farmers' trust, revealing a concerning gap in confidence across generations. The conversation then shifts to legislative changes, specifically C-282, with significant implications for the food industry and future trade agreements. Then, we discuss the remarkable improvement in Tim Horton's profitability. Lastly, the podcast pays tribute to Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill, who recently passed away at 94.

This episode features Doug Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Government Relations at Belmont Food Group. Key topics include the intricate balance of environmental sustainability and food industry operations, explicitly addressing food waste and regulatory impacts. In the news, Sylvain was in Ottawa testifying to a testy parliamentary Ag committee, sweet news with the Rogers sugar strike ending on the West coast, Athletic Brewing dominating the fast-growing non-alcoholic beer category, and a salute to Celine Dion, Taylor Swift and some big event happening in Las Vegas that a bunch of people will watch on big screen TV and consume a record amount of chicken wings.

This episode of The Food Professor Podcast features special guest Glenford Jameson, an expert in regulatory, commercial, and advertising law within the food sector. Canadian Minister Champagne's efforts to attract foreign grocers to Canada, raising questions about whether this is political posturing or a genuine attempt to address food affordability. The hosts also covered the ongoing European farmers' protests, where farmers expressed discontent by blocking roads and dumping manure. Next, we discuss Metro's latest quarterly results and Loblaw's charitable efforts, announcing a $1 million investment in community grants to support various organizations.

In this episode, Sylvain and I host Bettina Hamelin, the President and C.E.O. of Ontario Genomics and the excellent leading-edge work they are doing in the Agriculture Technology space in Canada. In the news, we discuss the recent "Enjoy Today" discount policy reversal by Loblaw and lessons learned from it, fluctuating chicken prices in British Columbia and the uplifting news coming out of Ottawa for Prince Edward Island and the Ag sector with the appointment of Mary Robinson to represent P.E.I. in Canada's Senate.

In this episode of the Food Professor Podcast, we interview tech entrepreneur Alison Sunstrum, discussing her impact on Calgary's Creative Destruction Lab. We explore innovations in restaurant technology, the effects of supply chain disruptions on food inflation, and delve into Canada Royal Milk's operations and future plans in Kingston. Lastly, we celebrate Matty Matheson for winning an Emmy for the show "The Bear."

We're back after the break with a rousing discussion of what lies ahead for 2024, notable achievements, the relative state of food safety, and congratulations to several key food industry players for their accomplishments. Our guest, Aeryon Ashlie, CEO and Founder of Aeryon Wellness Support Supplements, tells us about her life of fitness and wellness and the impact of changes in the natural supplement aisle and shares tips on living a healthier and happier life.

On this special encore episode of the pod, we present an interview worth a second, or perhaps your first, listen: Special Encore Interview Episode: Guests Isaiah Robinson, Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation, Stephanie Columbo, Canada Research Chair in Aquaculture, & Tim Kennedy, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

On this special encore episode of the pod, we present an interview worth a second, or perhaps your first, listen. Our special guest, who lives in San Diego, California, via Vancouver & Toronto, is Sam Zien, aka Sam the Cooking Guy, who shares his remarkable and inspiring journey to over 3.6 Million subscribers on YouTube, three restaurants and six cookbooks and a great line of merchandise now It is a generous interview. Sam has a lot of insight from his rich life as a food entrepreneur and popular food media personality.

In the final live episode of The Food Professor podcast for 2023, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois discussed various Canadian food and beverage industry topics. While the interview with our guest Kristina Farrell, CEO of Food and Beverage Canada, was a significant part of the episode, the hosts delved into various other vital issues including Canadians' New Year's food resolutions. The hosts noted a trend towards healthier eating and more home cooking, possibly influenced by recent economic challenges. They questioned whether this trend might lead to reduced patronage of restaurants, reflecting on potential impacts on the restaurant industry.

In this podcast episode, our special guest, Pierre Petelle, the President and CEO of CropLife Canada, discusses the organization's role and impact in the agricultural industry. CropLife represents companies that produce vital seed technologies and crop protection products in agriculture and public health. We talk about the reaction to Canada's Food Price Report 2024, government regulation, McDonald's new concept CosMc's, and a women offered a choice to mitigate her sentence for assaulting a fast food worker by working in a fast food restaurant.

Our special guest on this episode is Alex Green, Chief Experience and Marketing Officer, Longo's, recorded live in person at the Coffee Association of Canada's conference in Toronto. In the news, get ready for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Canada's just-released Food Price Report 2024, the foremost report on the future of food pricing in Canada. We also talk about the good and bad news coming out of COP28, Empire/Sobey's CEO Michael Medline's testimony in Ottawa and what that may or may not have accomplished, changes to Kraft's Mac & Cheese, for good or ill, Cheerios packaging fiasco, and the exorcism of ghost kitchens.

Our special guest is Kelly Higginson, President & CEO of Restaurants Canada, and we dive into the challenges faced by the foodservice industry post-COVID, the role of technology, tipping and the road ahead for a $100Billion industry in Canada, where more than 50 percent of restaurants and foodservice businesses operating at a loss or barely breaking even. In the news, Sylvain presents a new report from the Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Changing Traditions: The Impact of Rising Food Prices on Holiday Meals, we talk about irony and COP28, the cantaloupe recall, burger diplomacy and RM House as reflect on the life and times of George Cohon, and WW (Weight Watchers) pivot to weight loss drugs.

In this episode, we're joined by Vanessa Toperczer, Senior Vice President of IMI International, recorded at the Coffee Association of Canada's annual conference in Toronto. We delve into the latest industry news, covering everything from the plastics debate coming out of the Federal Court judgement ruling against the Federal Government and Sobeys' price freeze to the impact of the C-234 protest in the Senate. We talk about the shocking revelations about forced labour in China's seafood supply chain and the immediate ripple effect on Canadian companies like High Liner.

Our guest on this episode, recorded live at the Coffee Association of Canada's annual conference in Toronto, is Rick Brown, President of Foodservice at Circana, Canada. In the news, we start with worsening food insecurity in Canada and take a virtual tour inside Metro's new high-tech billion-dollar distribution centre in Quebec. We celebrate Loblaw's new small supplier program and its potential positive impact on the industry and then discuss their position on the Code of Conduct. We also explore possible changes to Ontario beer retailing.

This episode, released one day later than usual, was recorded live at the Coffee Association of Canada's annual conference in Toronto. Our special guest is Lisa Richardson, EVP & COO at Canterbury Coffee. In the news, we touch on consumer perceptions of restaurants in the latest research from the Dalhousie Agri-Food Analytics Lab on the Canadian perception of restaurants, the latest on Bill C-234 and the carbon tax carve-out for Canadian farmers, recent investigative reports on China's vast ocean fishing fleets and the abuse of workers on them, and we talk about the great diversity of flavours and locations across the nation featured in Air Canada's en Route magazine feature on the top 10 new restaurants in Canada.

Our guest is Gordon Bacon, the CEO Emeritus at Pulse Canada. With over 20 years of leadership in the agricultural sector, advocating for farmers and producers, Gordon has a wealth of wisdom and insights to share. In the news: the carbon tax and the BOC's recent statements, CDC's decision on milk prices, and the age-old question, is food recession-proof? Plus, farewell to The founder of Smokes Poutine, Ryan Smokily, who left us this week.

Welcome to the latest episode of The Food Professor podcast! In this episode, we've got an exceptional treat for you. Recorded live at SIAL 2023, our guest is B.K. Sethi, whose impact on Canadian food stores is nothing short of revolutionary. We also cover new research the Blue Economy, The State of the restaurant industry with Restaurant Canada's latest report, Shrinkflation comes to Halloween making Trickflation, and Grocers called back to Ottawa.

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting a true Canadian icon, Ricardo – a renowned chef, author, television personality, and entrepreneur. In the news, we discuss the mighty Mississippi Waterway, the impacts on this climate change transportation corridor, the Dairy Farmers' recent decisions to hold back on recommending a rate increase for 2024 and the fifth anniversary of cannabis legalization from both positive and negative angles. Plus we unpack what a SNAP program is and how it could help feed Canadians

Our exceptional guest on this episode is Kirstin Beardsley, CEO at Food Banks Canada, who discusses food insecurity in Canada and the great work done by food banks across Canada to help bridge the gap for an increasingly large and changing nature of the population. Sylvain and I discuss the horror and murder in Israel and the impacts on food or commodity prices. We talk about Sylvain's upcoming testimony in Ottawa (well, in Halifax, really), for the 18th time in his career with the Department of Finance, pre-budget consultations, the Federal government's Thanksgiving press conference and their own response, or lack thereof, to food affordability in Canada.

In this episode, we are joined by the esteemed journalist Marie-Eve Fournier, start with a congratulatory note to premier-elect Wab Kinew, who made history by becoming Manitoba's first First Nations premier. We delve into the hot topic of the carbon tax, highlighting a viral post by @PierrePoilievre, discussing whether retweets imply agreement and the workings of the independent crown corporation, BOC. Shifting gears, we explore the latest research from the Lab, revealing that a significant percentage of Canadians have altered their grocery shopping habits and become more price-conscious.

Our exceptional guest is Ag Tech entrepreneur Gregg Curwin, the President & CEO at Novagevity and their Sperri meal-replacement brand. We cover Food Affordability Meetings part 2 - the manufacturers, grade the Bank of Canada's carbon tax methodology, and talk KD rebrand subsidizing the cost of cancelling a restaurant reservation.

For our season four debut episode, we decided to catch up on the top issues brewing over the summer, with kids back in school and plenty of topics to discuss. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne meetings with the big five in Ottawa certainly caught our attention. Sylvain was there and shed some light on how the meeting came about and the objectives and deliverables coming out of those meetings.

Get ready for another blockbuster season of Canada's top food industry and Canadian-produced management podcast, The Food Professor! Each week, we'll serve up and curate the top topics in the food, restaurant and grocery industry and go behind the headline, around the social media nonsense and counter the spin to talk about the real story important to the food industry and Canadians. New episodes every Thursday, and we can't wait to have you join us.

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Isabelle Marquis, Senior food strategist & Sustainable Development expert and Linda Fox, Regional Innovation Director (Ontario), Canadian Food Innovation Network

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Birendra "Jopy" Perera, Marketing Director at Mlesna Ceylon Ltd & Gail Gastelu, Owner, Publisher at The Tea House Times

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Silvio Serrano, House of Exte

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Deolinda Silva, Executive Director at PortugalFoods

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Santiago Espinosa, CEO Todos Comemos & Retail Guru Carl Boutet

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet U-Luv Cookies Founder Debbie Tartarini

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Gregor Postl, Head of Advantage Austria, Toronto and Julia Goeschelbauer, Head of Export Marketing, AMA-Marketing

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. Over three great days in May, Sylvain and I met dozens of food innovators and thought leaders; these are their stories. On this episode meet Gurth Pretty, Cheese Professional, owner, Lakeview Cheese Galore in Mississauga.

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast recorded live in our on-site podcasting studio at the SIAL Food Innovation show in Toronto. On this episode meet Tracy Bell, Co-founder + CEO Millennia Tea, **Gold Innovation Award - SIAL 2023**

Welcome to a special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast. On this episode, meet Richard Dillon, CEO of Ivy Farm Technologies in Oxford, England. Richard joins me on the mic fresh off a visit to Toronto and the big Collision tech conference. We explore their approach to cultivated beef, the opportunities and the challenges ahead, and how their best move might be outside England and the EU.

In this episode, Felix Cheung, the founder of IXON Food Technology, joins us from Hong Kong to discuss his revolutionary sous-vide aseptic packaging (ASAP) technology that allows meat to stay safe at room temperature for up to two years. In the news, we discuss the House of Commons Agriculture report on the grocery industry and food inflation, what's coming from the Competition Bureau, Loblaw checking receipts, a new Shrinkflation database by the CBC and a new food fraud report from the CFIA

In today's interview, we have the pleasure of hosting the renowned chef and entertainer Chuck Hughes, who shares his insights on various aspects of his career and the restaurant, food entertainment and product retail industry. In the news, we look at the latest study from Sylvain and his co-authors, The Local Food Paradox: A Second Study of Local Food Affordability in Canada, and discuss the surprising results. Sylvain's spidey senses are tingling, and we talk about Danone's boss's calls for higher taxes on unhealthy food and the merits of government intervention on subjectively (or objectively) harmful food products.

Our guest on this episode is Sheena Russell, founder and CEO, Made with Local - and she is raising the bar on sustainable snacking! Sheena is based in Halifax and joins us to share the origin story of her tasty and healthy product, how she built a brand and achieved distribution across Canada and the path to success in a crowded category.

In this episode the discussion revolves around aquaculture and its significance and controversy in British Columbia, the British Government's attempt to control food prices, the Canadian Federal Government's July Grocery rebate going out to Canadians and its impact on food inflation and food affordability, online grocery, home delivery and France's Best Baguette Competition.

Join us on this captivating episode as we delve into the inspiring journey of Shivani's Kitchen, a thriving Indian cuisine business in Nova Scotia. Discover Shivani Dhamija's motivations, their secret to preserving authenticity while based in Canada, overcoming challenges faced during growth, and fascinating anecdotes of product development.

Our guest on this episode, recorded live at the Toronto SIAL food innovation conference, is Vince Sgabellone, Foodservice Industry Analyst at Circana. But first, we discuss "Cold War II" and food geopolitics in food industry-related news, focusing on China and Canadian agriculture. Next, we talk about the story behind Tyson Foods' financial loss. As the Victoria Day weekend approaches, the podcast dives into the start of BBQ season, what to expect, and the significant trends on the grill.

Live from the tradeshow floor of the SIAL food innovation show in Toronto. Our exceptional guest is Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food André Lamontagne, who pays us a visit to our bespoke podcasting studio in Toronto. We talk with the Minister about food innovation in the Province and the government's best role in moving the industry forward for the people and hand out magic wands to discover the art of the possible.

In this episode, we have a fast-moving and fascinating interview with the one and only Dickson Delorme, also known as Quick Dick McDick, a farmer from Saskatchewan with a popular YouTube channel with over 12 million views and over one hundred thousand subscribers.

In this episode as we sit down with industry expert Colleen Martin from Caddle to discuss insights into the future of Canada's plant-based food and beverages category. Sylvain and I also discuss the PSAC strike and its implications, food inflation numbers for March, and an article in the New Republic that explores the lobbying battle between big ag and lab-grown meat. Lastly, we talk about the new Oatly website, which chronicles every bad thing that has ever been said about them and plant-based beverages. It's an exciting approach to transparency and shows how brands adapt to consumer demands for ethical and sustainable products

On our first solo episode of the season, Sylvain and I are together live in person for a wide-ranging conversation, starting with China cloning super dairy cows to 18,000 dairy cows perishing at South Fork Dairy in Texas, celebrating cannabis 4-20 and Sylvain's new gig on Salut, Bonjour!

On this episode, we chat with the dynamic Katie Hotze, CEO of Grocery Shopii, a Top 10 Women in Grocery Tech, with her grocery industry eCommerce application solving a $550B problem in the CPG & Retail industry by reducing cart abandonment with machine learning. In the news, the AI powered Inflation Cookbook, lobster politics, farmer and farmland report, food and first base, and Canada's most reputable companies.

Our special guest for this episode is the dynamic Jake Karls, Co-Founder & Rainmaker of Quebec-based Mid-Day Squares. Based in Montreal, Mid-Day Squares is changing the afternoon snack game, one chocolate square at a time. We cover the latest Federal Budget , talk about the passing of Bill C-234 supporting farmers and the Lab's latest research on consumer perceptions of Grocers. Lastly, we talk turkey or ham for Easter dinner, and speaking of meat, Eat Just's cultured meat product gets a vital letter from the U.S. FDA, but the cold shoulder in Italy.

In this episode, we are joined by a special guest, Barry Murchie, President & CEO of TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture, to discuss his unique vertical farm business. We then jump into the news and discuss Sylvain's viral TikTok on snacks and taxes, the global population, American President Biden's recent visit to Ottawa, California's challenges with floods and the impact on leafy green prices in Canada and Sylvain's upcoming meeting with the Competition Bureau as part of a study on the food industry.

Our special guest in this episode is Susan Krashinsky Robertson, Retail Reporter from The Globe & Mail, recently nominated for two National Newspaper Awards. Susan gives us an insiders look into her tradecraft as a reporter and how modern media approaches and crafts the narrative of a story. First, we discuss a range of news topics, including the Chinese-owned baby powder plant using Canadian dairy for export to China, the downsizing of ice cream tubs by major brands, a new survey on food affordability and political parties in Canada, and Alimentation Couche-Tard's $4.7B acquisition deal.

On this episode, the special guest is Tom Margeson, President & CEO at Healthy Berries, live from PEI, talking to us about Superfruit Puree! Sylvain reviews the grocery CEOS performance in front of the Parliamentary Agri-Food committee and awards the grocers and parliamentarians Oscars based on their opening statements, questions, and overall performance. We check back in on a story we talked about last week, reported in the New York Times, where big brand owners were found to have child labour deep in their supply chains.

In this episode our special guest is Vince Breton from DuBreton. He tells us about his Canadian specialty pork farming and processing company, which is getting worldwide attention for its organic pork products and the standards of treatment of the animals on his farms. In the news, we talk about recent layoffs at Eat Just, the closure of Merit Foods in Winnipeg, the scene from a Montreal underpass where frozen carcasses of pigs strung up in protest, the long-term changes in the food, grocery, and restaurant industries brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and the influence of Tik Tok on food innovation and the new Chicken Big Mac at McDonald's, inspired by a fan recipe.

Our special guest on this episode live from Saskatchewan is Kristjan Hebert, President of Herbert Grain Ventures and the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2022 Prairies winner. In other news, we discuss the recent quarterly results of Loblaw's and the political theatre of grocers confirmed to appear in front of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture in Ottawa on March 8. Lastly, we discuss new Post bedtime cereal and upcoming research from the Dalhousie Agri-foods Analytics lab.

This episode's guest is Michael Burgess, founder of Nerpy's hot sauces and marinades. We talk about Nerpy's origin story, what inspired Michael to get into the food business, and all about the products and what makes them different.But first, we cover Canada's food inflation numbers and if they are on track to match Sylvain's predictions from Canada's Food Price Report amongst other food industry news of the week.

Our extraordinary guest in this episode is JP McMahon, Michelin star chef, restauranteur, ambassador for Irish food and author, joining us live from Galway, Ireland. In a wide-ranging conversation, we talk about his eclectic and artistic interests, the concepts behind his restaurants, what it takes to be a Michelin-star restaurant and the upsides/downsides of that global program. Some folks may have been watching the Superbowl on Sunday night, but you would have missed the important announcement, Best Sommelier in the World competition! Speaking of a live show and competition, the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee is back looking at food inflation. We talk about what the next steps.

Sylvain gets pretty worked up about Nestle's decision to exit the freezer section with their pizzas and other frozen staples, the latest report from the AgriFoods lab on the cashless economy, Canadian dairy in the dumps, and we visit the discount grocery store sector. Finally, a bit of trouble for our friend Yanick Gervais at Olymel, who is closing some processing plants. We get the "T" from our extraordinary guest Shabnam Weber, President of the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, and a special announcement about the show!

Is stealing morally acceptable now? Is Canada's strong croissant game costing consumers here money, the Grocery Code of Conduct rolls forward, and how much is too much information about cancer and alcohol? Our special guest Josh Tetrick, CEO and co-founder of Eat Just and his vision for plant-based eggs and real meat cultivated in stainless steel instead of a factory farm.

In this episode, we're looking ahead to the year 2023. We have an extraordinary guest joining us for this episode - Robert Andjelic, Founder & CEO of Andjelic Land, the largest farm owner in Canada, who has graciously agreed to join us for a rare interview.

For our last episode of 2022, Sylvain looks back to the top food story of 2022 and the tradecraft of how the top 10 food story ranking comes together in a super-busy food year. We also talk about the Russian fertilizer tariff and who paid when for the $ 34 million donation to Ukraine. Our special guest is Sam Zien, aka Sam the Cooking Guy, who shares his remarkable and inspiring journey to 3.5Million subscribers on YouTube, three restaurants and six cookbooks

An action-packed episode as we get the story behind the story of the latest edition, the 13th, of Canada's Food Price Report, plus hear all about Sylvain's day testifying in Ottawa in front of the parliamentary committee on the cost of food along with a whole cast of characters, and our special guest for this episode is Kelly Long, CEO of Noble Premium Bison.

Recorded live in person at the Coffee Association of Canada's The Road Ahead 2022 Annual Conference in Toronto, Sylvain and I sit down with Christine Cruz-Clarke, CEO of Balzacs Coffee Roasters.  In a wide-ranging conversation, Christine takes us through her consulting and packaged goods background and the business's origin story, from a coffee cart at Ontario Place to the shelves of significant grocers across Canada and multiple bespoke locations across Ontario. We also talk about their corporate culture and what innovation looks like across their wholesale and retail business.

In this episode, recorded live in person, our insightful interview with Kate Burnett, President at Bridgehead Coffee. A super interesting new report from the Agri-Food Analytics lab broke through the Twitter clutter and revealed some startling stats about what Canadians heard, how they shop and whom they blame for high food prices. We discuss Dairy Farmers of Canada's investment in the Toronto Maple Leafs, impressions on COP27, and the FDA's stunning approval of lab-grown chicken! We finish with a quick chat about favourite food movies and The Menu.

Recorded live in person at the Coffee Association of Canada's The Road Ahead 2022 Annual Conference in Toronto, Sylvain and I sit down with Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC.   We have a fast past and action-packed conversation around the state of the Canadian economy, prospects for our mid and long-term future, and the impact on the food service and coffee industry. Let's listen in now!

In this episode, Sylvain and I discuss excess profits, how and why the Agri-Foods Analytics lab came up with the term and that number, and what Sylvain wants Canadians to take away from the exercise. Breaking news: we take on IT troubles in the food business in Canada…then more breaking news: lettuce pray for lettuce in trouble again. Michelin guide comes to Canada/Toronto/Vancouver - our last season guest Cory Mintz is not a fan. Cities invest big money to attract the Michelin guide

Recorded live together in person in Toronto, we start with a retrospect on the past two week discussion around grocery price freezes and key take-aways from all the discourse around the price of food, the people who sell it to consumers, and the people who sell it to the grocers. Our excellent guest interview is with Yanick Gervais, President ad CEO of Olymel, the Canadian leader in producing, processing and marketing pork and poultry meat. We talk about the Kroger and Albertsons proposed merger, spooky halloween research, and Alberta's new premier and their agricultural sector.

Highlights from this episode: Ottawa's price gouging investigation, supply chain task force report and special guest Jane Dummer. We open the show with a discussion about the Thanksgiving Holiday - best gravy ever, and Sylvain's love for the hot new trend, butter boards! On a more serious and helpful level, Sylvain has joined joined the BOD of Second Harvest with our season one guest Lori Nikkel. Why and what is ahead for Second Harvest?

Sylvain living his life at the eye of the storm this past weekend as Atlantic Canada got pummelled by an epic storm - and we talk about another storm, his call out for grocers to freeze pricing…Our special guest on this episode is based in PEI, Peter McLaughlin President and Managing Partner at ANNE of Green Gables Chocolates

Our season three premier! Well we are back, live on the mic, Sylvain is back in Halifax teaching at Dalhousie University after being a visiting scholar in Florida We have a great season premier episode with our very special guest Tamara Rebanks - chair of the Homegrown Innovation Challenge Taskforce, director at Weston Family Foundation. This episode is dedicated to our friend and colleague Xavier Poncin who sadly passed away this summer while we were on hiatus - a great supporter of food innovation in Canada.

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! In this episode, meet Karen Proper, Sr. Product Developer, Maple Lodge Farms

Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories. In this final SIAL bonus episode of the series meet House of Exte, Premium Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! In this episode, meet Paula Deane, Director, Corporate Brands Product Development at Metro Inc.

Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode Meet Patrick Griffin, Owner, The Oat Company

Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode: Meet Laurent Dallaire, CEO Innodal

Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode: Meet Isabelle Marquis, Senior Food Strategist

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. In this episode, meet Mary Peluso, Director, Private Label Grocery, Sobeys

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! In this episode, meet Jim Delsnyder, Chief Operating Officer, Zoglo's

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast! In this episode: Meet Sylvain Roux, CEO, and Philippe Begin, Vice President, Dauphinais

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! In this episode, meet Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Finalist Bonus episode: Meet Rob Sengotta and Landon Kroeker, Von Slick's Finishing Touch

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast! Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode: Meet Gurth M. Pretty, SIAL Cheese Ambassador, Lakeview Cheese Galore

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. In this episode, meet Manisha (Mistry) Nagar, Private Brands Product Development Manager - Health & Wellness, Consumables, Baby & Pet, Walmart

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast! Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode: Natasha Vandenhurk, CEO at Three Farmers Foods

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th annual Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards. Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. In this episode, meet Mike Primucci, Mimi Foods

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast! Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode: Shawn Leggett, President/Founder at GroundUP Eco-Ventures

Welcome to a special bonus episode celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many fantastic food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers - from consumer brands to private retail labels. In this episode, meet Scott Spencer, Chief Operating Officer at Island Abbey Food Science Ltd.

Welcome to another special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast! Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal. In this episode: Pierre-Yves Cote, President of Vivanda Boreal

This episode is recored live at the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards 2022 in Toronto June 1st with very special guest Darell Jones, President Save-On-Foods, Margaret Hudson, CEO Burnbrae Farms, Michael Graydon, CEO at Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada, the one and only Jim Slomka (episode picture credit to Jim!), and Errol Cerit, SVP FHCP.

Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! In this episode, meet Tracy Bell, Co-founder + CEOCo-founder + CEO, Millennia TEA

Welcome to the first of several special bonus episodes celebrating the 29th ANNUAL CANADIAN GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS Sylvain and I are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious awards for the third year in a row and have the chance to hand out the hardware on the stage to the winners in person for the first time! In this episode, meet Paige Wolfe from Peace River Honey and their Hot Honey products!

Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April; for many, the first in-person event since the COVID era began two years ago. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. These are their stories. In this episode: Jacqueline Day, Founder & CEO, Real Treat Kitchen Ltd.

Sylvain and I are recording live together at the Restaurants Canada trade show in Toronto. Thanks to the folks at Restaurants Canada for loaning us a great podcasting space right in the middle of the action of the big show!

Welcome to the first of several special SIAL bonus episodes of The Food Professor podcast! Sylvain and I were thrilled to be the official podcast of the SIAL food innovation trade show held in Montreal in April; for many, the first in-person event since the COVID era began two years ago. We had the opportunity to meet and get to know many food innovators and entrepreneurs, creators and makers from many facets of the food industry. In this episode, Meera Sunny Director of Research & Development and Ingredient Sales, CanMar Foods.