Last month, the Executive Officer of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, purchased the Whole Foods Market brand for $13.7 billion. The announcement naturally generated concerns about the future of grocery shopping, e-commerce, and methods of proper food delivery. However the latest concern surrounds Bezos’ challenge to maintain the organic food industry—a business that’s growing at a considerably high rate.

According to the Organic Trade Association, 5 per cent of food sales in the US are organic, which estimates to $47 billion in revenue. As the industry continues to grow, the future of organic food sales is estimated to double in the next few years—especially if Amazon offers lower prices than in-store grocery markets. As a result, Bezos is trying to acquire as much of the US farming market as possible to keep up with the predicted demand, a strategy that hasn’t been expanded despite the popularity of the industry.

While the demand for organic food is high, farms have relatively kept their size due to the government’s regulations concerning organic farming. For farmers who wish to run and produce fruits and vegetables on organic soil, the government requests a three-year farming plan to ensure that soil levels meet nutrient standards, crops are properly rotated, pest management and erosion are stable, and sanitation compliance is in effect. A quick transition to organic farming may cause financial setbacks during its early stages as it differs from non-organic farming management. Despite rigorous standards and many years of planning, Maggie Monast, a sustainable sourcing expert at the Environmental Defense fund, suggests that farmers might be willing to transition to organic farming with the escalating demand.

Generally the US imports their organic fruits and vegetables from overseas, however questions of fraudulent organic claims are a regular concern that could be reduced with homegrown farming. Although the focus is on American farmers and their soils, Canadian support might offer create an opportunity to produce more organic foods that meet Amazon’s demand while expanding the Canadian job market. According to an Agriculture report released by Statistics Canada in May 2012, the number of farms in Canada decreased but the number of organic farms increased across the country.

Bezos might face challenges in growing the organic landscape, but the industry looks promising across borders.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is issuing an organic fraud task force following the account of a million pounds of grains from Turkey falsely selling as organic. With the help of three senators, the OTA has requested the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to apply higher standards on organic imports with the implementation of a practice guide.

“We want to develop a best practices guide specific to organic systems and certification,” explains Gwendolyn Wyard, Vice President of regulatory and technical affairs for the OTA. The guidelines will implement several assessments, including risk and vulnerability, alerting, reporting and mitigation strategies.

In addition to the execution of stricter guidelines, the association is also calling for a revision of the 2018 Farm Bill, one that will require importers of goods to possess organic certifications to further reduce the risk of fraudulent claims. To fulfill this request, the OTA is also asking for a budget increase of $5 million for new technology.

Although the general food industry is guided by rigorous standards, the organic food industry is particularly under the spotlight where reputation is a fundamental factor for success. General manager of Awe Sum Organics, Matt Landi, says that “one incident can influence your reputation and make a very big difference. That’s why we go through the pains to personally verify our supply chain, in addition to other steps we take, including an in-depth compliance process.” Tanimura & Antle’s vice president Samantha Cabaluna also agrees to upholding the standards of the organic industry from a buyer’s perspective, suggesting that “if you’re buying organic, you want to buy from someone with a stellar reputation to protect.”

Seeing that Canada and The United States share one of the largest bilateral trading relationships in the world, the OTA’s mission to create an organic fraud task force will only serve to protect the Canadian food sector. With extra monitoring and an additional set of requirements to be met, the practice guide will filter Canada’s supply chain and increase the trust of the organic industry. Ultimately, this OTA’s task force will reduce the possibility of fraudulent claims on Canada’s imported products from the US and tighten the high-regulations of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The task force is scheduled to begin in July and will prepare a guideline for the Natural Products East Expo in September.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has cleared as a Class II medical device Insulin Algorithms’ decision-support software, which helps clinicians manage every type of insulin for diabetes treatment. Culminating a lifetime of clinical practice and research led by renowned endocrinologist and former American Diabetes Association (ADA) President Mayer B. Davidson, MD, Insulin Algorithms’ software makes it easy for a clinician to regularly analyze a patient’s blood sugar measurements and quickly optimize their insulin regimen.
The software is based on algorithms that are clinically proven to lower HbA1c even in challenging patient populations, no matter what insulin regimen they are on. This makes it possible to achieve better health outcomes, save billions of dollars in annual health care spending, and reduce rates of diabetes-related complications. With FDA clearance and its previous CE registration, Insulin Algorithms’ decision-support software can now be marketed and sold in both the United States and Europe. 

High blood glucose in people with diabetes is the third highest risk factor for premature mortality. Over half of U.S. diabetic patients fail to reach the ADA’s recommended HbA1c target, and failure rates in reaching HbA1c targets are higher in other countries.

While there is significant industry focus on modifying patients’ behavior with apps and self-management of insulin injections, Insulin Algorithms takes a different approach to diabetes care.

“Think of the tiny percentage of people who keep their New Year’s resolutions, and then ask yourself how realistic it is to expect millions of diabetic patients to make lifelong behavioral changes,” said Josh Davidson, CEO of Insulin Algorithms. “Because of the shortage of endocrinologists, 90 per cent of patients see their primary care provider for diabetes care. This results in a six- to seven-year delay in the initiation of insulin and elevated blood sugar levels once patients are prescribed insulin. We designed our software to close this clinical care gap.”
 
Insulin Algorithms’ Chief Medical Officer, Mayer B. Davidson, MD, is world-renowned for pioneering algorithm-based insulin titration. A former ADA President and recipient of the ADA’s 2016 Outstanding Physician-Clinician in Diabetes award, Dr. Davidson has spent more than 50 years in clinical practice and research. He has trained thousands of clinicians to achieve dramatic reductions in HbA1c using his algorithms, expanding access to care for the patients who need it most. As an affordable, easily adoptable tool for every sized practice, from large EHR-based systems to individual practices, Insulin Algorithms’ software is the culmination of Dr. Davidson’s work.

Sears Canada is undergoing a major court-supervised restructuring process, during which it will close 59 stores and eliminate 2900 jobs.

Company shares were halted last week after the retailer was granted creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. Sears will now have 30 days to restructure itself, axing 20 full Sears stores, 15 Sears Home stores, all 10 of its outlet stores, and 14 Sears Hometown stores—around one third of its total retail footprint. The company has been given $450 million in debtor-in-possession financing to fund its operations during this process.

While the reasons behind this restructuring are complex, e-commerce has made a huge impact on the store’s overall success. With the ability to price match online, as well as find lower prices elsewhere, consumers have been avoiding Sears purchases.

However, this isn’t Sears’s only issue. According to Bruce Winder, founder of the Retail Adviser Network, the company’s biggest problem is its inability to stay current.

“Momentum in retail takes years to gain and years to lose, but once you lose it, it’s gone, and I think that unfortunately they’ve lost that momentum,” he explains.

Winder adds, “Retailers need to evolve. They need to constantly look at their customer base and their stores, and keep investing to renew that.”

This comes as a reminder to other retailers—both independents and big box stores. Refusing to stay current with retail trends and consumer needs could ultimately cost you your business.

Mike Hannalah is looking to serve as the Ontario College of Pharmacists’ Council representative, for District M. See below for his letter of intent.

Dear Colleague,

It is with great honour that I seek your support in my election to serve you as your Ontario College of Pharmacists’ Council representative, for District M.

I possess an extensive experience in the practice of pharmacy. Over the past decade I have been practicing as a community pharmacist, a pharmacy manager, an independent pharmacy owner, an entrepreneur, and a director of multiple specialty pharmacy operations. I deal with the joys and the stresses of our profession daily, which keeps me very current with the issues facing pharmacists and the public that we serve.

I have acquired valuable and rewarding experience in the Regulatory sector through serving as a non-Council member of the College, on various committees since 2008 to present. During this time, I have served on committees such as the Professional to Practice committee, Inquiries, Complaints & Reports committee, Discipline committee and Fitness to practice committee. In addition to serving on these committees, I was appointed to the Professional to Practice Committee at the Ontario Pharmacists Associations. I am also an active member of the Pharmacy Program Advisory Committee at the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

This experience in both the professional and regulatory sectors has enabled me to have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the unique needs, challenges and opportunities of Pharmacy in Ontario.

The profession of pharmacy in Ontario is continually growing and expanding. Recently we have seen the emergence of new regulations to the Regulated Health Professions Act, which has expanded the scope of practice for both pharmacists and technicians.

Additional amendments to the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act allows pharmacists the authority of refill existing prescriptions, provide vaccinations as well as receive reimbursement by the Ontario Government for clinical interventions. I believe that the implementation of these changes needs to be done in a way that upholds the high standard of practice of pharmacy, protecting the needs and interests of our patients and preserves the value of our profession and its members.

The changing dynamics of our profession and the expansion of our roles have allowed the creation of a new fee for service model along with the increased scope of services provided by our practices. The college plays a vital role in supporting, guiding its member to implement those changes as well ensuring the public safety and maintain the self-regulation privilege.

Those of you who know me on either a personal or professional level know I am determined, motivated and an attentive Individual. My strong emphasis on hard work and perseverance will allow me to better serve the growing and changing needs of the pharmacy profession and supporting for expanded scope within our practice.

I believe that I have a firm understanding of the challenges that we in our shared profession share together. With our changing role as health care professionals, we require the ability to cope with and benefit from those changes. We as pharmacists need to take the Initiative and become motivated and mobilized to ensure our shared contribution in the new era of pharmacy practice.

Objectives

1. Encourage and support continued expanded scope of practice. This includes addressing the barriers to additional prescribing. Practicing at full scope and in collaboration with other health care practitioners to ensure direct patient care in all models of practice.

2. Introducing innovative practice models, leveraging technology to support pharmacists and enabling access to patients in contemporary ways.

3. Representing the views of registrants to council, and sharing and discussing council decisions and their impacts with registrant of my district.

4. Work on initiative that increases the awareness, trust and enhances the role of Pharmacist in the newly reshaped model of practice.

5. Assisting on policies in areas of specialization of the profession under the expanded new scope of practice.

Experiences
¥ OCP appointed non- council member, ICRC, Professional to practice, Discipline, Fitness to practice committees, 2008 to present

¥ Fellow of the American College of Apothecaries, TX

¥ Member: PCCA, ACP, IACP, and CHFA

¥ Adjunct faculty: Albany College of Pharmacy (2006-2009)

¥ Teaching tutor, professional to practice lab, pharmacy school U of T & U of W

¥ Board Member of magazine “L’Echo de la Plume”, Communité Francophone

¥ Involved in various educational programs such as expert reviewer for various CE lessons,
facilitator of workshops at the OPA, assisting tutor at the pharmacy students at University of
Toronto and University of Waterloo in advanced compounding course.

¥ Guest speaker and lecturer – Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors & University of
Toronto

Your important vote will serve to consolidate the commitment of all pharmacists, in order to find durable solutions to the challenges generated by both professional and community tasks. Being elected by you, I will make sure to represent our views and the views of the registrants of District M to make a real contribution to the public through our profession. I would like to invite you to contact me at any time, by phone or email, should you have any question, query or concern. Thank you for your consideration and support and I look forward to representing your views and serving on the College Council.

Sincerely,

Magued (Mike) Hannalah
mhannalah@rogers.com
(416) 219 4897

Walmart Canada is making a brand-new swipe at Amazon with another foray into the digital realm. The retailer is expanding the offerings on its Walmart.ca website with the addition of third-party selling, allowing for the sale of goods from outside companies and small businesses.

This bold move follows Amazon’s entrance into bricks-and-mortar grocery with Whole Foods.

“This has been in the works for a long time,” says CEO Lee Tappenden. “We will double the SKUS we have online at the launch date, and by early next year we will have millions of SKUs online.”

What’s more, Walmart Canada is launching in-store pickup for online purchases, with 100 stores set to have the feature by Christmas.

Ultimately, this move will allow Walmart to further compete with Amazon’s number one selling point—its vast product selection. As this retail war continues to escalate, independent retailers must continue to offer the excellent customer service they are known for. Additionally, retailers must consider entering into the e-commerce market: this will allow for better competition on all platforms.

A new review out of Australia suggests that pharmacies should be banned from selling homeopathic products. The study, known as the interim King review, was led by economist Professor Stephen King.

According to the document, homeopathic products pose “unacceptable” risks to patients. The report disputes the safety of homeopathic products, suggesting that instead, they pose a risk to patients who may choose them over conventional treatment.

Specifically, the review cites a 2015 NHMRC assessment, which noted that there were no health conditions for which evidence supported homeopathic treatments. The report also raised concerns about the methods behind the sale of these products.

“Clearly, community pharmacists can play a valuable role in advising consumers on the potential health benefits or dangers of using complementary medicines,” says the document. “[But we remain] concerned that consumers may be misled about the value of complementary medicines in the absence of appropriate evidence-based advice at the point of sale.”

Ultimately, the report suggested that complementary medicines be separated from allopathic remedies, as well as banning them from being displayed behind the counter.

While this is an Australian report, Canadian medical professionals have been known to express issues with the use of homeopathic medication. As members of the natural health industry, it is necessary for all of us to educate and inform consumers and allopathic supporters about the benefits of homeopathy.

Jamieson Wellness Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of natural health products, has raised $300 million in its initial public offering (IPO).

The company has priced its shares at $15.75 each, and will start trading them uder the ticker JWEL next week. The IPO gives Jamieson a market value of about $628 million.

Jamieson has pursued this IPO after last year’s inability to find a buyer. At the time, the company was looking primarily to Chinese buyers, valuing itself at $1 billion.

This move is backed by U.S. buyout firm CCMP Capital Advisors, while the share sale was led by Bank of Montreal and Royal Bank of Canada.

Jamieson’s choice to go public reflects a rebound in Canada’s IPO market, with investors looking to diversify from financial, energy, and materials stocks.

Xylitol Canada Inc. has reached an agreement with Mitch Shore to act as its chief marketing officer and Eli Grossman as a special advisor.
“On behalf of our team, I am excited to have Mitch and Eli join our growing natural sweetener company as we continue to build a world class team to promote healthier eating for families by providing innovative, alternative sweetener solutions to reduce the amount of added, refined sugars in their diets” says Steven Haasz, the company’s CEO.

Mr. Shore brings to Xylitol experience across a variety of customer focused companies including start-ups such as Yak Communications and consumer brands such as Dr. Bernstein Diet Centers and Beaver Canoe. Mr. Shore’s most recent achievement was with building, branding, and marketing Mill Street Brewery into one of Canada’s most successful craft breweries which experienced 15 per cent year-over-year growth in sales of its popular organic beers. Mill Street, including Mr. Shore’s ownership, was sold to Labatt Breweries in 2015.

Mr. Grossman brings to Xylitol over 30 years of experience building all aspects of Canada’s leading natural sweetener brand Billy Bee Honey started in 1958. Mr. Grossman was directly involved in global product sourcing, production and processing systems, employee programs, product innovation, packaging design and marketing.

Mr. Haasz explains “that being able to attract the caliber of exceptional people such as Eli and Mitch to the team is a positive milestone in our journey and we look forward to their valuable contributions as we continue our transformation in 2017 into a leading natural sweetener company.”

About Xylitol Canada Inc.

Xylitol Canada is a consumer packaged goods business focused on an assortment of natural sweetener based products including xylitol, coconut palm sugar and honey. The Corporation operates a 30,000 square foot facility in Colorado where it produces and packages a full catalog of natural sweetener products, most notably its natural sweetener alternatives. Xylitol Canada services major retail customers such as Loblaws, Whole Foods, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Walmart, Publix and distributors including UNFI and KeHE.

Aldi, a German grocer, has begun an aggressive expansion into the North American market. Currently, the retailer operates 1,600 U.S. stores, and plans to add another 400 by the end of 2018, as well as spend $1.6 billion to remodel 1,300 of them. Now, Aldi has announced further plans plans to invest USD $3.4 billion to expand its U.S. base to 2,500 stores by 2022.

What’s more, German rival Lidl plans to open the first of its 100 U.S. stores on June 15. The company has said it will price products up to 50 per cent lower than rivals, making market competition even more fierce.

Aldi’s latest store expansion will create 25,000 U.S. jobs and make it the third-largest grocery chain operator in the country behind Wal-Mart and Kroger Co. The furious pace of expansion by Aldi and Lidl is likely to further disrupt the U.S. grocery market, which has seen 18 bankruptcies since 2014.

However, retailers above the border should also take note: this move could spell disaster for the Canadian grocery sector, say experts from New-York based global management consultancy Oliver Wyman. As such, Canadian grocers—especially discount chains—must steel themselves for tough competition ahead. This could mean offering discounts, creating new sales campaigns, or even expansion.