A genetically engineered banana created to improve the diet of millions of people in Africa is set to have its first human trial, according to Australian researchers. The trial will test the alpha and beta carotene-enriched banana’s effectiveness on vitamin A levels.

The project hopes to have the bananas growing in Uganda by 2020. They are currently being sent to the U.S. to participate in the six week trial.

“Good science can make a massive difference here in enriching staple crops such as Ugandan bananas with pro-vitamin A and providing poor and subsistence-farming populations with nutritionally rewarding food,” says Professor James Dale, a project leader.

The project is being conducted by the Queensland University of Technology and is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. According to Dale, once the bananas are approved for cultivation, this technology could be used for crops in other countries such as Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Tanzania.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)’s stringent rules with food health claim approval have become a standard on which to base approvals. Until early 2014, Europe has only approved 254 health claims out of a total 2,242.

Japan is another story altogether. The country’s FOSHU system approved over 1,100 health claims by early 2014. This is due to the fact that Japan is less strict in its requirements for a health claim to be approved.

Probiotics, for example, have made many claims which were rejected in Europe due to a lack of clinical evidence, yet were approved as a functional food in Japan.

According to Ronan Stafford, an analyst for Canadean, probiotic health claims should be gaining approval more frequently in the future. “Clinical trial evidence has lagged EFSA’s approvals process by six to 10 years, so within the next five years we should see more definitive outcomes on a range of ingredients.”

While the U.S. has the largest number of functional food and beverage consumers in the world, demand is growing in regions such as China, India and Brazil. These regions will begin to have an influence over the channel in the future.

The Calgary Co-operative Association has started construction on its new Strathmore location.

The co-op is planning to have the 35,000 square foot one-stop shopping centre completed by summer 2015. In addition to selling food, it will offer a co-op wine, spirits and beer store as well as a co-op gas bar. The location will also feature more customer parking and a wider range of products.

“We’ll have a new location, but will continue to provide the same great customer service and high quality products,” says Ken Woo, CEO of the company. “We’ve simply outgrown our current location and will use this opportunity to develop a convenient shopping destination.”

The co-op has over 440,000 members and 3,500 employees, making it one of the largest retail co-ops in North America.

Cory Onell has been appointed Mondelez Canada’s new vice president of sales. Mondelez Canada is a division of Mondelez International, one of the world’s largest snack companies that features popular brands such as Christie, Nabisco and Cadbury.

Onell has 26 years of experience at companies such as Miller Brewing Company, Hershey and Sargento Foods. Most recently, Onell was the regional vice president of the Mondelez U.S. sales team.

In his new role, Onell will oversee the customer business teams and retail selling organizations. He will also be a member of the Canadian leadership team.

Researchers from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University have developed a treatment with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that they claim make peanut consumption safe for people who are allergic. However, a Canadian immunology expert says that more testing is required to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.

The treatment requires soaking roasted peanuts in a food-based “enzymatic solution.” According to the researchers, it yields peanuts that look and taste the same as regular roasted peanuts. However, this method does not involve chemicals or irradiation unlike other methods of removing allergens.

The researchers are close to bringing the products to market. The university has signed a licensing agreement with Xemerge, a company that commercializes emerging technologies in food and agriculture.

“It checks all the boxes: non-GMO, patented, human clinical data, does not change physical characteristics of the peanut along with maintaining the nutrition and functionality needed, ready for industry integration from processing and manufacturing to consumer products,” says Johnny Rodrigues, Xemerge chief commercialization officer in a statement.

Melior, a provincial program with the goal to provide healthier foods for consumers, can count Loblaw banners in Quebec as new members. The program, which was launched in 2011, has members sign voluntary charters of commitment to nutritional progress and may be the first program with these goals in North America.

“Melior is receiving more and more recognition in the province. We felt it was a good vehicle to demonstrate to our consumers that we are following our mission, which is ‘live life well’,” says Anita Jarjour, Loblaw Quebec’s senior director of corporate affairs and communications.

Loblaw has reduced the sodium levels in 95 President’s Choice products by 22 per cent, and has plans to reduce sodium in 400 more products, such as sauces, dressings and baked goods, by 20 per cent through 2015. In addition, the company developed 151 new control label products that adhere to Health Canada’s sodium level requirements.

Loblaw will integrate its Guiding Stars healthy food identification program in Maxi and Maxi & Cie stores by 2016. It is currently available in Provigo, Provigo Le Marche and Loblaw stores.

Empire Co. Ltd., the Nova Scotia-based owner of Sobeys, is closing down 50 stores to improve its net earnings. Approximately 60 per cent of the stores are located in Western Canada.

According to the company in a press statement, the decision will “improve net earnings as a result of cost savings; however it will result in a reduction in future sales of approximately $400 million, or 1.9 per cent of total sales.”

Empire’s fourth-quarter adjusted net earnings grew from $95.7 million last year to $131.3 million this year. Its sales rose by $1.68 billion or 39.5 per cent due to its recent purchase of the Safeway chain of grocery stores. Not including Safeway, the company’s sales rose by 2.2 per cent, while same-store sales grew by 0.2 per cent in the quarter.

300 workers are affected by the closures, but according to the company, several workers will be able to move into other unionized locations. Sobeys says its restructuring costs, including $137.1 million in severance pay, site closing and other costs, would add up to approximately $169.8 million.

A study published by the Texas Biomedical Research Institute shows using sunscreen as a child ‘dramatically’ reduces malignant melanoma in adulthood.

The study was published in the peer reviewed scientific journal Pigment Cell and Melanoma. The lead author of the study, John L VandeBerg, PhD, says that the research was furthered by the fact that malignant melanoma cases are on the rise, although consumers are using sunscreen more regularly.

“While sunscreen is highly effective in preventing sunburn, this paradox has led some to question whether sunscreen is effective in preventing melanoma caused by ultraviolet light,” says VandeBerg. “It has been suggested that sunscreen enables people to receive more UV exposure without becoming sunburned, and that increased exposure to UV light has led to an increasing incidence of melanoma.”

Valeant Pharmaceuticals has offered shareholders a combination of cash and company shares in order to obtain a controlling portion of Allergan in a hostile takeover bid reportedly worth US$53 billion.

Valeant first made a bid for the company in May, though the bid was rejected. Its new strategy is an “exchange offer for the common stock of Allergan.” This will allow Valeant’s financial partner Pershing Square Capital Management to take over the company.

“We believe Allergan’s stockholders should have the opportunity to express their views and we are confident that Allergan’s stockholders will support this combination,” says J. Michael Pearson, chairman and CEO of Valeant. “This offer, together with Pershing Square’s ongoing efforts to call a special meeting of Allergan stockholders, is part of Valeant’s clear path to complete a transaction with Allergan.”

Allergan stockholders are being offered $72 in cash and 0.83 Valeant common shares in exchange for their Allergan stocks. The deadline for the deal is August 15.

April was a good month for the retail industry, according to Statistics Canada. The organization says after four consecutive months of growing numbers, sales increased by 1.1 per cent to $41.6 billion.

Sales grew in 10 of 11 subsectors, or 98 per cent of the industry. The increase surpassed economist forecasts of a 0.6 per cent increase, according to Thomson Reuters. Most of the gains were seen in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, although sales rose overall in six provinces.

The category that saw the largest increase was the motor vehicle and parts sector, with a sales growth of 2.4 per cent. Clothing and accessories stores saw a sales gain of 1.5 per cent after experiencing a decline in March.