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Bringing Down the HIGH Cost Of Accepting Credit Cards

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Bringing Down the HIGH Cost Of Accepting Credit Cards

Finance Minister Joe Oliver unveiled an update to the code of conduct for the credit and debit card industry this week. The new revisions will expand the voluntary code to include mobile payments involving smart phones. And while premium credit cards are also required to be clearly branded, consumers must be informed of the fees that cards impose on business owners.

Although Oliver’s announcement is being supported by the Retail Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, a group of business owners representing grocers, travel agents, convenience store owners and other associations, feel that the revisions are not enough.

According to CFIB President Dan Kelly, “The number one issue was the high cost of accepting credit cards.”
The Small Business Matters Coalition, which represents over 98,000 businesses in Canada, says that MasterCard and Visa fees are still too high.

Coalition Chair and Vice President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers Gary Sands says, “We continue to believe as a coalition that the fundamental and most important issue remains that of high credit card fees and we are not satisfied as a coalition that there has been a meaningful or significant step in the right direction in that area.”

The coalition also includes the Canadian Convenience Stores Association, the Independent Petroleum Marketers and the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies.

Back in November of 2014, Visa and Mastercard agreed to reduce their fees charged to businesses to an average of 1.5 per cent.

 

Field Roast to Re-Enter Canadian Market after Controversy

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Field Roast to Re-Enter Canadian Market after Controversy

After ceasing distribution in Canada due to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations that required packaging changes, testing and possibly manufacturing changes, The Field Roast Grain Meat Company found itself in a bit of a moral quandary.

 

On the Field Roast website, they explained that Canadian regulations rule that they are making a “simulated meat product” and need to add this language to their labels. They explained the complications, “The standards for a “simulated meat product” require a Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) study (conducted using live animals) to evaluate the protein in relation to animal meats. A PER study has not been done on vital wheat gluten, yet we are making a protein-rich vegetarian sausage entirely from wheat (and vegetables and real ingredients!). Other companies may be making vegetarian meats using vital wheat gluten alongside soy or other recognized proteins with PER results. Furthermore, we would need to add chemical supplements and vitamins to our product to meet these regulations, which would stray from our purpose of making real meat without animal products or additives. As a company, we believe there is a fundamental bias that exists in these regulations; one that holds animal proteins as the standard of all meats.”

 

The Field Roast Grain Meat Company found a temporary solution and began re-introducing its products to Canada, at the CHFA show in Vancouver, BC. After the outpouring of support and outrage by Canadian consumers and over 74,000 signatures gathered, the Seattle company decided to reformulate for its customers, meanwhile forming the Plant Foods Council in order to continue advocating for change.

 

A Temporary Solution

Canada’s current regulations hold animal foods as the standard of good nutrition, by requiring vegetarian sausages to match the nutritional profile of animal-based sausages. In order to comply, Field Roast added two new ingredients to its sausages; pea protein and a vitamin fortification mixture. Furthermore, the words “simulated sausage” and “contains no meat” have been added to the label, which is a change made for the sole purpose of offering these products to our Canadian customers. For the past 18 years, the concept of real vegan meat has been rooted in the Field Roast brand, rather than fake animal meat. Founded in 1997, Field Roast Grain Meat Company creates artisan vegan meats and cheeses, made with real ingredients and traditional food making practices.  The Company has enjoyed a strong following in Canada for the last 7 years. After controversy surrounding the CFIA regulation that called for testing the protein on animals, Field Roast was approved to use an alternative method, not involving any animals.

 

Plant Foods Council 

The Plant Foods Council (PFC) is a trade association of food manufacturers who make vegan products similar to traditional animal products such as meats, milks, cheeses and butters.  Consumer interest in health and in plant-based products has been growing for the last 10 years, and continues to grow exponentially.

 

The animal meat industry currently benefits from large government subsidies, powerful trade associations and support from industry-funded nutrition associations. The Plant Foods Council will work to update Canadian food labelling regulations and promote the health and ecological benefits of a plant-based diet. For information and support, please visit www.plantfoodscouncil.org, join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter or call Kiley Simmons, kiley.simmons@fieldroast.com, 206-762-5961  

World of Moringa and SO Much More

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World of Moringa and SO Much More

The More of Moringa – the World’s Most Nutritious Leaf! is one of Friday’s educational presentations at this year’s CHFA West Conference – this weekend in Vancouver, BC – this one presented by Linda Bolton of Natural Calm / Top Nutritionals.

 

Moringa Oleifera is the most nutrient-rich plant known to science; its leaves have no equal in delivering densely-packed vitamins, minerals, amino and fatty acids and antioxidants. Linda will share what they’ve learned from extensive research on moringa, encapsulated in their book “The More Of Moringa”- a collaborative project, bringing together the wisdom of natural health experts and the ingenuity of raw and vegan chefs. Find out how your customers can use this nutritional powerhouse daily, and receive an additional 10% off on all orders of TOP Nutritionals moringa products placed at the show.

 

For more on this and other CHFA conferences and trade shows, visit the CHFA Website.

Happy Water is Flowing

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Happy Water is Flowing

Merriman Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Merriman Capital, Inc., announced that it has been retained by Leading Brands, Inc. to identify new strategic opportunities for the company.

 

Leading Brands is the only fully integrated premium beverage company in North America in that it designs, bottles, markets and sells its proprietary brands, allowing it to maintain superior quality control and achieve higher margins. HappyWater, a naturally alkaline blend of spring waters that contain naturally-occurring Lithia is the company’s newest product and will be available across Canadian markets by mid-2015.  The company anticipates the launch of HappyWater into the U.S., by year end.  HappyWater is also available in proprietary, environmentally-conscious packaging, the WaterBox, an alternative to PET and BPA-laden packaging with 85% less plastic than conventional bottles.

 

“We are excited to work with the management team of Leading Brands to find exciting new opportunities for the company, in particular, including but not limited to looking to the U.S. market for acceleration of their business,” commented Jon Merriman, CEO of Merriman Capital. Merriman continued, “We are impressed with the breadth of the Leading Brands product line, especially HappyWater, and believe it is a particularly attractive growth asset in their portfolio.
Read more here.

From Store Shelves to our Waterways

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From Store Shelves to our Waterways

The powers-that-be have been well-aware of microplastics in our waterways since December 2012, when State University of New York professor Sherri Mason reported high amounts of tiny, non-biodegradable plastic pieces in samples from Lake Erie, Huron and Superior. The major source of these microplastics are cosmetic and cleaning products where they are infused as microscopic “scrubbers”.

 

NDP MP Megan Leslie put forth a motion “to add microbeads to the list of toxic substances managed by the government under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.”

 

Many large cosmetics companies are already taking measures to replace microbeads with something more environmentally friendly. But there is a great deal of concern that the transition will not happen quickly enough.

 

Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Conservative MP, Larry Miller agrees. “I am in favour of any measure that the government can take to ensure the safety of the Great Lakes and indeed all Canadian waterways,” he said. “Research conducted by the University of Waterloo has shown that microbeads present a very real problem and are becoming more prevalent in the Great Lakes,” said Mr. Miller. “In much the same way the government is actively fighting the presence of Asian carp in the Great Lakes, there should be an expectation to decrease and eliminate the presence of this ‘man-made’ invasive species.”

 

Earlier this year, Ontario Liberal MPP Marie-France Lalonde, introduced the Microbead Elimination and Monitoring Act, 2015 – which calls for a halt to the manufacture of microbeads and their addition to cosmetics, soaps or similar products. It calls for regular testing of great lakes water.

 

In a Press Release, Lalonde states, “This legislation is important in order to protect our drinking water, our health, marine diversity, and more. Considering other countries, other Great Lakes states, and many manufacturers have already committed to phasing out the use of microbeads, I believe it is time for Ontario to be the first province in Canada to take action.”

 

Several US States including Illinois and New Jersey have either banned or are working to ban microplastics, (defined as anything under five millimetres in size). Lalondes act defines them as “under one millimeter).

 

The Conservative government also announced last month that Environment Canada is studying the dangers posed to wildlife and the environment by microplastics. The findings of the study will determine a federal-provincial action plan on the tiny beads, Colin Carrie, the parliamentary secretary to Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, told reporters.

 

Food retailers must decide for themselves whether to remove items with microbeads from the store shelves – an issue complicated by the fact that the products are popular with consumers – and there are few (if any) environmentally safe alternatives at present. Even with in-store information campaigns explaining why the decision was made not to stock the items in question, retailers brave enough to pull the products from their shelves are likely to take a financial hit for their ethical stance. So most retailers are likely to look to the manufacturers for changes.

Getting the Veggie Balls Rolling

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Getting the Veggie Balls Rolling

Everybody is getting on board the Healthy Living Express. The latest example – grönsaksbullar.

 

Yes – even the world’s largest furniture store is now selling vegan foods, with IKEA adding veggie balls to their in-store menus across North America.

 

Their official announcement explains, “The veggie ball consists of only vegetables and has a reduced environmental impact; for example, a lower carbon footprint.”

 

While IKEA will continue to focus on offering delicious and affordable food, the company will also add more food options that are nutritious and more sustainable. IKEA menu additions will also be produced in a responsible manner that considers people, planet, and animal welfare, based on our People and Planet Positive strategy.”

 

Great news for vegetarian furniture shoppers! Grönsaksbullar – the gluten-free, veggie balls will be priced at $5.99 in Canada – including a side dish (and they do apparently have a range of vegetarian side dishes).

Homeopathic Regulations

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In Ontario, a homeopathy act, that began 8 years ago received royal assent on Wednesday. Since Ontario homeopaths will now be regulated in a manner similar to how doctors and nurses are regulated, skeptics are critical that it legitimizes the field – but they seem to be the only ones unhappy.


“I see this as an issue partly of public safety, to provide for our homeopaths a standard of care and guidelines under which they are expected to practice,” said Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins. Hoskins added that it’s up to educated Ontarians to choose the form of health care they want to be provided with.


This legislation establishes the College of Homeopaths of Ontario as the governing body for the homeopathic industry in Ontario.


Meanwhile in the good old USA, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a public hearing to obtain information and comments from stakeholders about the current use of human drug and biological products labeled as homeopathic, as well as the Agency’s regulatory framework for such products. These products include prescription drugs and biological products labeled as homeopathic and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs labeled as homeopathic.


The hearing takes place April 20-21, 2015 from 9 until 4 in Silver Spring, Maryland. FDA is seeking participants for the public hearing and written comments from all interested parties, including, but not limited to, consumers, patients, caregivers, health care professionals, patient groups, and industry. FDA is seeking input on a number of specific questions, but is interested in any other pertinent information participants would like to share

Hospira’s INFLECTRA (Infliximab) Now Available in Canada

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Hospira, Inc. a global leader in biosimilars and the world’s leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies, announces the availability of INFLECTRA™ (infliximab) in Canada, the country’s first subsequent entry biologic (SEB) monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy. Approved by Health Canada, INFLECTRA is available to healthcare practitioners for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and plaque psoriasis.


An SEB (referred to as a ‘biosimilar’ outside of Canada) is a biologic medicine made from a living organism or cell. SEBs deliver comparable clinical effects to their reference biologics while providing the opportunity for cost savings to the Canadian healthcare system.


“By providing subsequent entry biologic therapies, we can offer patients better access to high-quality, effective treatment options, and can help alleviate some of Canada’s healthcare costs,” said Gerry Stefanatos, corporate vice president, Canada and Australia/New Zealand, Hospira. “We are very proud to bring INFLECTRA to Canada — offering physicians, clinicians and patients a treatment option that maintains similar quality, efficacy and safety to its reference product.”


In addition, Hospira has developed an in-depth patient assistance program to help provide infusion-clinic access to qualifying patients across Canada, along with numerous other patient services.


“Canada is truly a unique country in that the majority of infliximab infusions take place outside of hospitals. Hospira has focused on providing the best possible experience for patients prescribed INFLECTRA, from the moment they leave the physician’s office to the actual administration of the product in the infusion clinics,” continued Stefanatos.


INFLECTRA is biosimilar to the reference product REMICADE® (infliximab), and was the first of its kind to be approved through the Health Canada SEB regulatory pathway. REMICADE recorded sales of nearly CAD $800 million in Canada in 2014.


Hospira has the exclusive distribution rights to INFLECTRA in several major markets, including Canada. Bringing SEBs to Canada is the next major step towards driving healthcare cost savings and improving patient access to high-quality, more affordable biologic drugs. Biologic products, including SEBs, treat some of the most widespread and difficult-to-treat illnesses, such as cancer and chronic kidney diseases, as well as autoimmune diseases.
For an SEB to be approved in Canada, it must show comparative quality, clinical efficacy and safety to the reference product. SEBs developed in line with Health Canada’s requirements can be considered a therapeutic alternative to an existing biologic. Health Canada approved INFLECTRA following a review of safety, efficacy and tolerability data from a comprehensive development program. In a phase 3 (randomized, double-blind) study in rheumatoid arthritis patients, INFLECTRA met its primary endpoint of biosimilarity to REMICADE. Safety and tolerability data showed a similar safety profile for INFLECTRA versus the known safety profile of REMICADE.


“Hospira is a leader in providing safe, effective, biosimilar medicines,” said Sumant Ramachandra, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and chief scientific officer, Hospira. With one of the largest biosimilar pipelines in the industry, Hospira has many years of experience in the field of biologics. INFLECTRA is currently available in 26 countries across Europe, and during the last seven years, Hospira has provided more than 10 million doses of SEB medicines to patients in Europe and Australia.


For safety information and contraindictions visit http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hospiras-inflectra-infliximab-now-available-in-canada-300057635.html

The Role of Oxidative Stress in Aging

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Aging is a multifactorial process that includes the lifelong accumulation of molecular damage, leading to age-related frailty, disability and disease, and eventually death. In a study called, “Siglec receptors impact mammalian lifespan by modulating oxidative stress” on elifesciences.org, researchers from University of California, San Diego and Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute examine how oxidative stress effects lifespan.


In the study, authors Schwarz, Pearce et al report evidence of a significant correlation between the number of genes encoding the immunomodulatory CD33-related sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like receptors (CD33rSiglecs) and maximum lifespan in mammals. In keeping with this, they show that mice lacking Siglec-E, the main member of the CD33rSiglec family, exhibit reduced survival. Removal of Siglec-E causes the development of exaggerated signs of aging at the molecular, structural, and cognitive level. They found that accelerated aging was related both to an unbalanced ROS (Reactive oxygen species – chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen) metabolism, and to a secondary impairment in detoxification of reactive molecules, ultimately leading to increased damage to cellular DNA, proteins, and lipids. Taken together, their data suggest that CD33rSiglecs co-evolved in mammals to achieve a better management of oxidative stress during inflammation, which in turn reduces molecular damage and extends lifespan.


These data indicate that the number of CD33rSIGLEC genes correlates to lifespan in mammals. This correlation appears independent from phylogenetic constraints, from effects of genomic location, from a generally observed rapid evolution of receptors involved in immune responses and from body mass.


The researchers used a mouse model to seek experimental evidence for the observed correlation, as mice have a simplified CD33rSiglec profile compared to other mammalian model systems, in terms of number of genes and expression patterns. Results indicated that elimination of Siglec-E leads to accelerated oxidative modification of DNA, proteins and lipids at the systemic level, via elevated ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production – resulting in a faster progression of aging and, consequently, to increased frailty leading to an earlier death.


The findings of the study also support the concept that alteration of the ROS homeostasis accelerates aging. Access the full study here: http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e06184

Breast Cancer: $4.5 Million for Nine Homegrown Researchers

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The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation announced a $4.5 million investment for nine homegrown researchers, thanks to the continued generosity of its donors and partners. The Foundation’s Strategic Grants Program supports innovation and excellence in Quebec breast cancer research. Over 20 years, the Foundation has invested more than $25 million in research, in the hopes of reaching its vision of a future without breast cancer.


With this 5th edition of its breast cancer research grants program, the Foundation continues its commitment to the Quebec medical and scientific community, investing in promising, innovative research projects. The grants range from $100,000 to $125,000 per year, over a four-year term. The selected projects have, among others, such goals as better understanding how cancerous cells function; developing medication and a vaccine against breast cancer; improving diagnosis; and finding new hereditary links that could help explain the prevalence of breast cancer among certain Quebec families.


“Once again this year, the many high-quality applications we received reveal the energy and vitality of Quebec’s breast cancer research community,” said Francine Cléroux, the Foundation’s chief executive officer. “As our understanding of the different types of breast cancer continues to improve, we can hope for even more targeted treatments with fewer side effects. Breast cancer affects more women in Quebec than any other kind of cancer, but thanks to the advances made in recent years, the five-year survival rate has reached 88%. The investment announced today, brings us closer to a future without breast cancer.”


“The Cancer Research Society is proud to have contributed to the scientific peer review process to select the best research projects in the fight against breast cancer”, said Mr. Andy Chabot, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society. “In fact, we have set up committees of fifteen respected experts from across Canada to review and identify the most deserving projects. We wish to congratulate the researchers who submitted the nine projects that will receive research grants from the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.”


“Research is fundamental in our collective fight against cancer”, said the Minister of Health and Social Services, Gaétan Barrette. “It is the basis of technological and medical advances in recent years and the reason why we have significantly improved our fight methods against this disease and their effectiveness. The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation is a very important partner of our health network.”


The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation is the only Quebec charity devoted entirely to fighting breast cancer, through research, innovation, awareness raising, education, and support for those with breast cancer and their families. For more information, .

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