SIAL Canada is not only key to the Canadian agrifood industry, it is also a privileged entryway to the US and international markets. SIAL is now the only event of its scale in Canada, with more than 850 national and international exhibitors from 50 countries hosting over 15,000 buyers from Canada, the U.S., and 60 other countries.

SIAL Canada is the only national trade show that offers a complete range of food products under one roof to meet customers’ expectations.
Find out what you missed:

https://sialcanada.com/en/article/2eme-jour-au-sial-canada-decouvrez-en-photos-ce-que-vous-avez-manque/
https://sialcanada.com/en/article/decouvrez-en-photos-ce-que-vous-avez-manque-aujourdhui-au-sial-canada-a-toronto/

According to a CTV news report, Walmart Canada is laying off an unspecified number of employees due to restructuring.

Walmart spokesman Alex Roberton did not disclose how many employees would lose their jobs. He did note that the number is lower than the 475 that was previously reported.

Roberton added that the retail giant has also adjusted its store structure so that associates can work across the entire store, rather than in one specific department.

The Retail Council of Canada will award Anthony Longo, president and CEO of Longo’s, the Canadian Grand Prix Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017.

“Over more than six decades, The Longo Family has continued to lead by example through a strong work ethic and living its values of honesty, trustworthiness and mutual respect,” says Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. “Co-founder Gus Longo, his 17 family members in the business, and the talented senior leadership team have led the expansion of Longo’s across the Greater Toronto Area and grown the online channel with GroceryGateway.com, ensuring that, as a progressive independent grocer, Longo’s is able to meet consumers’ needs.”

Anthony Longo has acted as president and CEO of Longo’s since 1998. Under his leadership, the company has been recognized as one of Canada’s 10 most admired corporate cultures and as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed companies.

Longo’s was founded in 1956, when Tommy, Joe and Gus Longo opened a fruit market in Toronto. Now, Longo’s employs more than 5,000 people and operates 25 grocery stores around the GTA, five “The Market, by Longo’s” stores in Toronto, and GroceryGateway.com.

The award will be presented to Anthony Longo and The Longo Family at the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards Gala on May 31, 2017.

Loblaw Companies Limited will be selling its gas station operations to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. for approximately $540 million. This gas station network is one of the largest in the country, and is comprised of 213 retail gas stations. The transaction is expected to end during the third quarter of 2017.

Brookfield is also agreeing with Imperial Oil to rebrand said gas station portfolio to the Mobil fuel brand. This will be the first entrance of the Mobil fuel brand into Canada.

Despite this, the gas stations will continue to offer Loblaw’s PC Plus loyalty program. Loblaw said it expects to use the proceeds from the sale for “general corporate activities.”

“In Brookfield we have a strategic partner with an experienced management team and a strong business track record,” says Sarah Davis, president of Loblaw Companies Limited. “They are committed to preserving and growing the elements of the business that matter most to our customers – high quality fuel service and convenience along with PC Plus loyalty benefits. This is a positive outcome for our customers, our gas station operators, and our company.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) has delayed the federal rule mandating all chain restaurants, supermarkets, and other food sellers to post calorie counts on menus until 2018.

Originally THE RULE was proposed as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and was set to go into effect Friday. The FDA announced Monday that the new deadline for all businesses that sell food and have 20 or more locations is May 7, 2018.

Opponents of menu labeling had petitioned the Trump administration to delay the rule and pushed for passage of a bill called the Common-Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which would dilute and remove some of the regulations. It passed the House but has not gone to a vote in the Senate.

Domino’s Pizza has argued that posting calorie counts on menu boards doesn’t make sense for businesses that have most of their sales through delivery. Domino’s reports about 90 percent of its orders as being placed outside the store.

“We’re very pleased that our voices have been heard, but there is still more work to do,” Tim McIntyre, chairman of the Domino’s Pizza-backed American Pizza Community shares in a statement. Many businesses had already spent the money to print new menu boards to accommodate the fast-approaching compliance date.

The FDA is opening the regulations to a public comment period again, starting Thursday.

Prescription opioids have been increasingly prescribed as a miracle pill for chronic pain management. With the rise in opioid prescriptions has come a rise in an addiction often seen as a precursor to heroin. While there are a select number of patients who truly do benefit, it is very tricky to identify those patients in order to provide safe therapy.
The first step, says Christopher J. Burnett, MD, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Texas A&M College of Medicine and director of the Baylor Scott & White Health’s Temple Pain Clinic, is to follow the guidelines the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released last year. “The CDC guidelines, which outline when to prescribe these drugs and provide guidance for how to do so safely, are a good starting point for providers caring for chronic pain patients,” Burnett said.
The CDC guidelines do not apply to palliative care, hospice or to oncology patients being actively treated for their disease. “If they are providing end-of-life care, providers should do what is necessary to make the patient comfortable,” Burnett said. “The CDC guidelines are intended for the typical chronic pain patient.”
“Much of the time, the right thing to do for lower back pain is to simply wait,” Burnett said. “It might be an acute injury that will heal on its own given a little time.” There are a number treatment options available, such as anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) units, acupuncture and massage.
“The population of patients who need opioids chronically is actually pretty small,” Burnett said. “For most people, the prescription comes with an exit plan. These medications are now considered to be a way to bridge to the next line of therapy,” he added.
Burnett suggests that a serious discussion about the risks of opioids with the patient be had before a prescription is made.

Metro Inc. confirmed this week it would complete an acquisition it began in 2011.

Metro, Canada’s third largest grocer, previously obtained a 55 per cent interest in Marché Adonis and its distributor, Phoenicia Products.

After reviewing second quarter earnings, President and CEO Eric R. La Flèche said the remaining holdings would be purchased by Metro “shortly after this fiscal year.” The company will continue to be run independently and report to Metro.

Since 2011, Metro has expanded the Adonis brand from its original four stores to 11, with a 12^th location already in progress.

In addition, Metro said same-store sales improved 0.3 per cent and net earnings climbed to CAD$132.4 million for the fiscal second quarter, ending March 11.

“We are pleased with our second quarter results that show sales, net earnings and tonnage growth against a background of food deflation and intense competition,” La Flèche said. “The growth reflects our effective execution and strong expense control.”

Researchers at Clumbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center with the interdisciplinary team of colleagues at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada have analyzed which integrative treatments are most effective for patients with breast cancer using newly updated guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO).
More than 80 different therapies and developed grades of evidence were reviewed, and the SIO recommends the following based on the findings:
• Use of music therapy, meditation, stress management and yoga for anxiety and stress reduction
• Use of meditation, relaxation, yoga, massage and music therapy for depression and mood disorders
• Use of meditation and yoga to improve quality of life
• Use of acupressure and acupuncture for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
• A lack of strong evidence supporting the use of ingested dietary supplements or botanical natural products as part of supportive care and/or to manage breast cancer treatment-related side effects
“Studies show that up to 80 percent of people with a history of cancer use one or more complementary and integrative therapies, but until recently, evidence supporting the use of many of these therapies had been limited,” said Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and past president of SIO. “Our goal is to provide clinicians and patients with practical information and tools to make informed decisions on whether and how to use a specific integrative therapy for a specific clinical application during and after breast cancer treatment,” Greenlee continues.
Letter grades were assigned to therapies based on the strength of research and evidence. A grade of “A” would indicate a therapy of high certainty of benefit to the patient. In their systematic review, meditation had the strongest evidence supporting its use.
“The routine use of yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques, and passive music therapy to address common mental health concerns among patients with breast cancer is supported by high levels of evidence,” said Debu Tripathy, MD, chair of Breast Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and a past president of SIO. “Given the indication of benefit coupled with the relatively low level of risk, these therapies can be offered as a routine part of patient care, especially when symptoms are not well controlled.”
“Clinicians and patients need to be cautious about using therapies that received a grade of C or D and fully understand the potential risks of not using a conventional therapy that may effectively treat cancer or help manage side effects associated with cancer treatment,” warned Lynda Balneaves, RN, PhD, associate professor, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Winnipeg, Canada, and president-elect of SIO.
“Patients are using many forms of integrative therapies with little or no supporting evidence and that remain understudied,” noted Dr. Greenlee. “This paper serves as a call for further research to support patients and healthcare providers in making more informed decisions that achieve meaningful clinical results and avoid harm.”

Amazon.com has been making headline more than once with rumours of a potential brick-and-mortar food retailer, but some are saying there is more smoke than fire.

The New York Post quoted confidential sources on Friday stating e-tailer giant had was considering evaluating BJ’s Wholesale Club as an acquisition target.

A spokeswoman for Amazon said the company was unable to comment on those reports.

“There seems to be an awful lot of smoke around Amazon on a potential acquisition, so I think they’d have to be at least looking at things internally,” said Neil Stern, managing partner for McMillanDoolittle. “Their name keeps popping up. I think they are recognizing that if they’re going to become a serious player in food retail that it’s likely it’s going to be some combination of clicks and bricks. They can’t get it done solely on a virtual and delivery model.”

In recent months, Amazon has built two food stores near its Seattle headquarters suggesting it is exploring physical stores as a means to promote its AmazonFresh business, which has come up against operational challenges of virtual food retailing business.

“If I’m a speculator, I’d look for them to do something that’s a little closer to their space,” Stern added. “While BJ’s and Whole Foods are intriguing, they are fundamentally different business models than Amazon has.”

LeBeau Excel is pleased to announce that William Nadeau has joined the company as a full-time salesperson covering Central and East Toronto. Hailing from Clarington, Ontario (East GTA), William most recently was the Assistant Store Team Leader at the Whole Foods Market Markham location. He was also a Whole Body Team Leader for many years within their system. Prior to this, William managed several Loblaw Natural Value department locations throughout the GTA. William is a graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and holds his Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) designation. William brings fantastic organizational skills, independent work ability, product knowledge and is very passionate about customer service.  You can reach William at william@lebeauadvance.com or 905-903-6955.

“Stepping out from behind the retail counter and onto the showroom floor as part of the sales team at LeBeau Excel Ltd. has been a natural transition for me,” says Nadeau. “Having worked with industry leaders Loblaws and Whole Foods Market on the retail side isn’t all that different now that I am on the vendor side of the aisle. Both sides seek out quality, innovative offerings that shape their business and gainer profitability in a highly competitive market place. As a broker sales representative, I focus on product placement, marketing and promotions for the brands specific to LeBeau Excel.”

“Recently I had the pleasure of attending and working the show floor at the Showcase 360 McKesson Canada show held at the Toronto Congress Centre where I met with Pharmacy retailers from across the country looking to build their business and enhance the customer experience in their stores,” he adds. “The 360 Show provided a unique opportunity for retailers and vendors to connect face to face, vendors to showcase their products and services while presenting retailers an opportunity to sample, try and to ask questions. I also attended and worked the show floor at the UNFI Central Table Top Show held at the Universal Event Space in Vaughan. The show was a flurry of excitement as retailers and buyers were given an opportunity to check out the latest brand offerings from vendors available through UNFI. The show was fun, lively and jammed packed with high quality natural health food products. Although uniquely different the common element of both shows was a sense of family and comradery as old and new friends reunited and reconnected to discover new products and services to ultimately build their business and to satisfy and delight their customers.”