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Edmontonians now have a simple solution to save food every day around the city

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Two months after a record Canadian launch in Calgary, it is now possible for Edmontonians to use this simple solution to save food every day around the city.

Food waste is a massive global issue that needs to be tackled at every level. 58% of all food in Canada goes to waste, which is much higher than the global average of 40%. Additionally, 15% of all habitable land on Earth is used to produce food that we waste. This equates to the surface area of 26 million West Edmonton Malls.

Yet, there is cause for optimism, 74% of Edmontonians recognize that food waste is a serious problem and almost 60% say that they are making efforts to reduce personal waste from surplus food on a weekly basis.

Available in Canada since July 2021, Too Good To Go has already helped thousands of Canadians and more than 2,500 businesses to save almost half a million meals. The app connects consumers with businesses that have surplus food at the end of each day. Too Good To Go believes in a world without food waste and is making it possible to ensure that delicious food does not get thrown out. The app provides a simple, easy-to-use and manage solution for businesses to work into their daily operations. Businesses can immediately start generating incremental revenue from selling Surprise Bags of food and also draw new customers into their stores. Consumers purchase Surprise Bags of that surplus food at ⅓ the retail cost, saving meals and money while eating great food from a variety of local spots, and working to lower greenhouse gas emissions from food waste.

Too Good To Go is very proud to launch in Edmonton with beloved local partners: Neo Juicery, Kinnikinnick, Meuwly’s, Sugared & Spiced. From Strathcona to Garneau to Westmount and everywhere in between, 80+ stores are already live. Edmontonians can start reserving Surprise Bags today and should expect to see many more businesses added daily as expansion continues.

“It is with great excitement that we launch in Edmonton – a vibrant city with a reputed culinary scene. We have seen a great response from local businesses and are confident that a large number of Edmontonians will be saving meals, as of today”, said Sam Kashani, Too Good To Go Country Manager. “We already have a very diverse and engaged group of partners on board who are conscious of the importance of saving surplus food both financially, socially and environmentally. We call on every business to join the movement so that the largest amount of meals can be saved.”

Only 4% of surplus edible food is rescued in Canada; which shows how much food is still to be redistributed. Too Good To Go is proud to partner with food banks and charities across the world to tackle the problem of food insecurity, which is closely linked to surplus food waste. In Edmonton, Too Good To Go is honoured to be partnering with Edmonton’s Food Bank, supporting the crucial work being done in the region. Said Marjorie Bencz, Executive Director, “Edmonton’s Food Bank was created 40 years ago because of two issues – hunger affecting the lives of many and edible food being wasted in the community. We are pleased to partner with the Too Good to Go app to help people in Edmonton access food economically while addressing the issue of surplus food.”

Wasting food also means wasting the energy and resources used to produce it. Food waste accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, globally. Reducing waste on a daily basis can have a massive global and collective impact on the climate crisis. Too Good To Go offers a simple solution to localize and personalize our environmental action. By saving one Surprise Bag at a time, everyone can have an impact while enjoying great food at the same time!Too Good To Go Expands To Edmonton, Its 6th Canadian City

Nature’s Emporium expands its community partnerships, to inspire consumers to eat well so they may live better

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A  fast-growing and leading health food store with locations in Newmarket, Woodbridge, Maple, and Burlington, is expanding its community partnerships. The family-owned company today announced its support of Halton Food for Thought’s Breakfast for Dinner initiative, joining as presenting sponsor.
Nature’s Emporium’s simple, yet important belief is that when we choose to eat well, we live better—and sleep better, move better, and feel better. As a leading health food store, Nature’s Emporium plays a very important role in the communities it serves. This partnership builds on the company’s objective to educate its customers and empower them to take a proactive and preventative approach to their health and wellness.

“Education and information sharing are core pillars of our efforts and, as much as possible, weaved into everything we do,” said Joe D’Addario, CEO, Nature’s Emporium. “Our desire is to have a positive impact on the communities we serve and to become a part of the family. We are proactive in our communities and support many initiatives aimed at inspiring everyone to lead healthier lives and we are thrilled to join as presenting sponsor of this year’s campaign with Halton Food for Thought. Good health builds bright futures. Instilling good nutritional habits early on supports the healthy growth and development of children and can make for a healthier future for all of us.”

The Breakfast for Dinner initiative supports Halton Food for Thought’s student nutrition programs. All funds raised through the sale of tickets will support the organization’s mission to continue providing a strong and sustainable meal program for children so no student goes hungry at school. Everyone who purchases a ticket will receive a Breakfast for Dinner box containing healthy and nutritious food items provided by Nature’s Emporium so that donors can make a healthy breakfast for dinner at home to enjoy while attending this year’s virtual event. The event will be hosted by Rick Campanelli, one of Canada’s most recognizable television and radio personalities, and will take place on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

Nature’s Emporium’s new partnership with Halton Food for Thought builds on its long-standing history of supporting community initiatives. For the last ten years, Nature’s Emporium has been the title sponsor of the Run for Southlake in Newmarket and has helped raise more than $2.5 million to support the most urgent priorities at Southlake Regional Health Centre. Nature’s Emporium has also formed a new partnership with The Abermoray Garden Collective and has sponsored the Mackenzie Ride for Health. Through each of its community-focused initiatives, the company aims to empower customers to make informed decisions about the food and products they choose to put into their bodies.

This announcement comes as Nature’s Emporium ramps up its growth plan to open several new locations in Ontario within the next five to seven years, introduce a new and intuitive digital shopping experience, and expand on its popular Always Organic and Naturally True private label brand offerings.

Mastercard unleashes a new era of payments: Biometric

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No more fumbling for your phone or hunting for your wallet when you have your hands full – the next generation of in-person payments will only need a quick smile or wave of your hand. The trusted technology that uses your face or fingerprint to unlock your phone can now be used to help consumers speed through the checkout. With Mastercard’s new Biometric Checkout Program, all you will need is yourself.

As part of a global launch announced earlier today, the program represents a first-of-its-kind technology framework to help establish standards for new ways to pay at stores of all sizes, from major retailers to mom-and-pop shops. The program outlines a set of standards that banks, merchants and technology providers adhere to, helping to ensure the security and privacy of personal data when people pay biometrically.

Globally, 74% of consumers have a positive attitude towards biometric technology, and the market for contactless biometrics technology is projected to reach $18.6 billion by 2026.

“The way we pay needs to keep pace with the way we live, work and do business, offering choice to consumers with the highest levels of security,” said Ajay Bhalla, president, of Cyber & Intelligence at Mastercard. “Our goal with this new program is to make shopping a great experience for consumers and merchants alike, providing the best of both security and convenience.”

Transforming the checkout experience

Participants in Mastercard’s Biometric Checkout Program offer consumers the option to conveniently enroll in their biometric checkout services, in-store or at home, through a merchant or identity provider app. Once enrolled, there is no need to slow down the checkout queue searching through their pockets or bag. Consumers can simply check the bill and smile into a camera or wave their hand over a reader to pay. The new technology ensures a fast and secure checkout experience, whilst also empowering consumers to choose how they want to pay.

For merchants, the benefits are also considerable, from faster transaction times and shorter lines to greater hygiene and heightened security. The payments system can be integrated with loyalty programs and personalized recommendations to help consumers find products they might be interested in based on previous purchases.

Mastercard is working with partners including NEC, Payface, Aurus, PaybyFace, PopID and Fujitsu Limited to ensure the launch and scale of these types of new checkout capabilities around the globe, adhering to an overarching framework of minimum standards, specifications and guidelines that address security, biometric performance level, and data protection in the context of in-store biometric payments.

The first pilot will be launched this week in Brazil with Payface and St Marche. The pilot will see Payface’s technology implemented across five St Marche supermarkets in São Paulo. Consumers visiting these supermarkets are able to enroll their face and payment information through the Payface app, and once registered, they can simply smile to pay at the checkout without a card or mobile device.  Future pilots are being planned for roll-out in the Middle East and Asia.

“We’ve been developing Payface since 2018, with a mission to help transform the way people pay – improving the experience, without compromising on security,” said Eládio Isoppo, chief executive officer, Payface. “This partnership with Mastercard is a welcome step forward for us and will enable our technology to be used by more merchants and consumers, making shopping easier and bringing the joy of a smile to payments.”

Building on a legacy of rich innovation

Biometric Checkout is Mastercard’s next step to support the evolution of payments, alongside a suite of recent innovations, such as Shop Anywhere, Enhanced Contactless (ECOS) and Cloud Point of Sale, which has been rolled out to provide consumers and merchants with frictionless, flexible and secure in-store experiences.

Mastercard has long pioneered biometrics – in-store and online – as a secure way to verify identity, replacing the password with the person. The effort, which builds on the EMV 3-D Secure standard, enables people to shop and pay through biometric-powered payment cards, devices and wearables. Biometrics have also featured in confirming online shoppers’ identities through “selfie pay” and online, leveraging key standards such as FIDO (Fast Identity Online).

As this technology is increasingly adopted across the world, Mastercard is helping ensure all stakeholders maintain the highest levels of security and privacy to protect consumers. The Biometric Checkout Program is governed by Mastercard’s principles for data responsibility, reinforcing that consumers have the right to control how their personal data is shared and benefit from its use.

Anderson Advanced Ingredients: CeraLOK® Rice Ceramides Receive Health Claim in Canada

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As consumers look to stave off aging, natural ingredients have risen to the forefront of skin health management with collagen and ceramides leading the way.

Gluten-free and extracted from rice by Japan’s Oryza group, CeraLOK® is the crème de la crème of phytoceramide offerings in the ingredient marketplace. Rich in glucosyl ceramides, CeraLOK® is supported by statistically significant published human studies supporting potential claims for moisturizing and skin hydration.

Health Canada has reviewed these studies and the Canadian health authority authorized the following health claims for CeraLOK® Rice Ceramide Powder for use in Canada:

• Helps support skin hydration for the maintenance of healthy skin.
• Helps maintain healthy skin hydration.
• Helps support skin health.
• The authorized use of these health claims is based on a daily dose of 40 milligrams.

“Both the Oryza and Anderson groups are thrilled to have Oryza’s decades of efforts and research recognized by the authorities of Health Canada,” said Russ Anderson, President of Anderson Advanced Ingredients.  “This stamp of approval gives further credibility to the health claims granted by Japan’s Ministry of Health a few years ago: Studies indicate that rice derived glucosyl ceramides help to maintain and protect the moisture in the skin.”

Adam Deffett named President of iHealthOX

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iHealthOX, Canada’s leading provider of corporate mental health and wellness benefit plans, is pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Deffett as the company President,  Mr. Deffett’s experience includes 20 years as a senior capital markets professional and corporate advisor in equity markets, where he has raised more than $2 billion for Canadian growth companies. He has also served as an advisor and executive for companies in the cannabis, health care and technology sectors.
Prior to joining iHealthOX, Mr. Deffett was the VP of Capital Markets and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Ketamine One, a provider of mental health therapy through a network of clinics in North America. In November 2021, the company partnered with iHealthOX to provide its patients with access to iHealthOX’s online mental health services. At iHealthOX, Mr. Deffett will focus on continuing the rapid momentum iHealthOX has made in product development and securing new contracts, while also building out governance, strategic partnerships and funding growth.

“As a leading provider of comprehensive wellbeing and mental health solutions for government, organizations and companies, iHealthOX understands the new consumer healthcare experience,” says Deffett. “While the challenges we face with mental wellbeing following the pandemic are greater than ever, thankfully this has also helped create greater awareness of these issues. I look forward to iHealthOX playing a pivotal role in destigmatizing mental health and increasing access to mental health and wellness treatment.”

“We’re pleased to welcome an experienced business leader like Adam, who shares our passion for making mental health care services more accessible to employers and individuals across North America,” says Terri Storey, Co-Founder and CEO, iHealthOX. “As the demand for consumer health care platforms continues to accelerate among employers, retailers, pharmacies and families, we identified the key leadership and management skill set we wanted to support the next phase of our development. With Adam’s two decades of experience in governance, strategy, M&A, digital transformation and innovation through commercialization, iHealthOX is ideally positioned for success and continued growth in the health care sector.”

Blue Diamond Names McKinney New Creative Agency-of-Record

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This new partnership will focus on expanding the brand’s reach into more US households by showcasing the healthy, flavorful and satisfying product choices within the Blue Diamond portfolio. Aside from being a well-known and loved CPG food brand, Blue Diamond is also an agricultural cooperative owned by thousands of family farms, which makes the successful marketing of its products even more important. Throughout the pitch process, McKinney demonstrated a great understanding of the industry and how purchase decisions are made, ultimately turning simple human insights into attention-grabbing creative work.

“When searching for a new creative agency, we knew we wanted more than just an agency. We wanted strategic partners who shared Blue Diamond Growers’ values and goals. The McKinney team stood out as the best partner throughout this entire process,” said Raj Joshi, Senior Vice President, Global Consumer Division at Blue Diamond Growers. “Working with McKinney will enable us to showcase our commitment to excellence, innovation, and high-quality in visionary and creative ways.”

The opportunity was brought to McKinney through search consultant, SRI (Select Resources International). McKinney participated in a highly competitive, several months-long pitch process alongside some of the top creative agencies in the country, and ultimately won after being one of the four finalists. From its data-driven approach to identifying Blue Diamond’s untapped potential to the social-first strategic thinking to team chemistry, McKinney’s Smarts & HeartsⓇ were on full display.

“We are extremely excited about our new partnership with Blue Diamond,” said Joe Maglio, CEO of McKinney. “We have a lot of passion for the food and beverage category, so the prospect of working with such a great brand and great clients was the perfect mix. There was immediate chemistry between our two sides, and as the pitch went on we already felt like we were one team. Everyone is excited to dive in and help the Blue Diamond brand and business continue to grow.”

The account will be led out of McKinney’s LA office, with support from team members in both its Durham and NYC locations. The first campaign from McKinney and Blue Diamond is set to break in January of 2023.

New FDA Draft Guidance Aims to Increase Safety Information About Dietary Supplement Marketplace

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the availability of draft guidance aimed at increasing the amount of safety information the agency has about the dietary supplement marketplace by providing the industry with an opportunity to submit late new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications.
The FDA wants consumers who use dietary supplements to know that today’s draft guidance, if finalized, will advise the dietary supplement industry that the agency intends to exercise enforcement discretion, for a limited time and in limited circumstances, to encourage manufacturers and distributors to correct any past failures to submit a required NDI notification. By providing the industry with an opportunity to correct past failures to submit required safety information, the FDA can gain more safety information about the dietary supplement marketplace and better protect public health.

“We remain committed to a flexible framework for dietary supplements that ensures the safety of these products for consumers,” said Cara Welch, Ph.D., director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs in the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). “The resulting notifications the agency receives through this period of enforcement discretion will help increase the amount of safety information we have about NDI-containing dietary supplements in the marketplace.”
The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) requires manufacturers and distributors who wish to market a dietary supplement containing an NDI to notify the FDA before marketing unless a legal exception applies. The notification must contain the safety information that a manufacturer relied upon to conclude the dietary supplement containing the NDI is reasonably expected to be safe.  The NDI notification process is the FDA’s only chance to evaluate the safety of a dietary supplement before it becomes available to consumers. For dietary supplements that do not contain an NDI, the law does not require manufacturers to submit safety information to the FDA before marketing. The FDA is aware that in the more than 27 years since the requirement was established, some dietary supplement firms have marketed products for which a premarket NDI notification was required, but never submitted.
The enforcement discretion policy proposed in this draft guidance relates solely to the failure to submit an NDI notification. For example, it would not extend to NDI-containing dietary supplements that are adulterated for safety reasons or that violate any other regulatory requirements that pertain to dietary supplements. This temporary policy also should help facilitate enforcement actions against those that remain out of compliance with the NDI notification requirements after the enforcement discretion period ends.
In a February 2019 statement about new efforts to strengthen the regulation of dietary supplements through modernization and reform, the FDA emphasized the need to ensure that our regulatory framework is flexible yet comprehensive enough to effectively evaluate product safety while promoting innovation. The FDA also stated that fostering the submission of NDI notifications would be key to this effort. This draft guidance is a critical first step toward encouraging those submissions.
If the draft guidance is finalized without change, the enforcement discretion period to submit a late notification would start when the guidance is published, would last 180 days, and would apply only to products on the market when the Federal Register notice announcing the draft guidance was published. Along with this draft guidance, the FDA is also developing a new submission type through the CFSAN Online Submission Module to provide a dedicated pathway for stakeholders to electronically submit their late notifications.

“Draft Guidance for Industry: Policy Regarding Certain New Dietary Ingredients and Dietary Supplements Subject to the Requirement for Pre-market Notification”

CHFA NOW Vancouver: Back and Better Than Ever

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Last month, CHFA NOW (Natural, Organic, Wellness) Vancouver brought the health and wellness community back together with its iconic tradeshow at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC), and it’s safe to say it was back and better than ever. After two years of hosting virtual tradeshows, CHFA proved its commitment to delivering a best-in-class live experience. CHFA’s new brand, CHFA NOW, formerly known as CHFA West, delivered a new Member Lounge, new activations, and an overall, fresh, and exciting vibe.

The theme of the event was Rise Together, to generate a sense of excitement for our community finally having the opportunity to get back together after two long years of restrictions. The conference brought engaging speakers such as the keynote, Shane Feldman, who filled us in on how we can harness the power of community to help our businesses succeed.

We were grateful for a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver, which attendees got to enjoy for a lunch break and bike ride along the seawall to Stanley Park. The much-anticipated LaunchPad event capped off the conference day with competitive pitches of recently launched and innovative products – shout out to the winner, Aeryon Wellness for launching Canada’s first 100% boric acid female health product.

On Saturday, the VCC was filled with over 6,000 industry professionals ranging from health and wellness retailers to investors and over 750+ exhibitors. The industry was itching to get back together, network with the best in the business, and get a taste of what’s trending in natural, organic, and wellness. The energy was palpable.

One of the highlights of attending the CHFA NOW tradeshow is spotting these trends and discovering brands pushing the boundaries with new innovative products. Some are more obvious than others, for example, you couldn’t walk past an aisle without seeing a new brand in the non-alcoholic space. From sugar-free mocktails to alcohol-free wine, this booming industry is on its way to dominating the retail space in the near future.

Others take a bit more sleuthing to discover, such as the from the sea category and the upcycled food trend. From food to beauty products, brands have begun to harness life under the sea to create sustainable products we can feel good about consuming. And companies like Susgrainable and Loop are finding creative ways to upcycle foods to reduce waste in the landfill. For a full list of the top trends at CHFA NOW, head to CHFA’s curated list of trends: Our Top Trends We Saw at CHFA NOW 2022 – CHFA NOW.

The CHFA NOW conference and tradeshow are back in Toronto on September 15-18, 2022, with the new theme, Pop of Wonder! We can’t wait to see the exciting events that take place in their new location, the Enercare Centre! Head to chafnow.ca/Toronto to find out more info.

Kaiser Permanente study finds culturally tailored program leads to long-term benefits in adults with hypertension

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Culturally tailored lifestyle coaching can help Black adults with hypertension improve their blood pressure control, new Kaiser Permanente research shows. Improving blood pressure control is key to reducing the risk for stroke, heart attack, and other hypertension-related health problems.

“Black adults have the highest rates of high blood pressure in the United States, and, for reasons we don’t fully understand, it starts at a younger age and results in strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and other serious hypertension-related health problems occurring at an earlier age as well,” said the study’s senior author, Stephen Sidney, MD, MPH, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. “We know how to treat high blood pressure with medication, but there is also a huge role that behaviour change can play in prevention and treatment. This study was a tremendous opportunity to see if we had an intervention that could change behaviours and get blood pressure under control.”

The study, published May 18 in JAMA Network Open, included 1,761 Black adults with high blood pressure who were members of Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. The patients joined 1 of 3 groups: usual care; usual care and 12-month enhanced medication management; or usual care and a 12-month coaching program of 16 phone sessions with a registered dietitian who talked to them about their diet choices and helped them lower their salt intake by adhering to the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. Then, the researchers analyzed the impact the programs had on blood pressure control at 12, 24, and 48 months post-enrollment.

Statistical analyses showed no significant difference in blood pressure control among the 3 groups after 12 months. However, at both the 24-month and the 48-month mark, blood pressure control was significantly better among the patients who had received the lifestyle coaching than it was among patients in the enhanced medication management program or the usual care only group. At 24 months post-enrollment, 72.4% of the patients who received lifestyle coaching had controlled blood pressure, compared with 67.6% of the patients in the enhanced medication management program and 61.2% of patients receiving usual care. At 48 months the differences were sustained, with 73.1% of the patients in the lifestyle coaching group showing controlled blood pressure compared with 66.5% of the patients in the enhanced medication management program and 64.5% of the patients receiving usual care.

“We had hoped that a 12-month coaching program could help people learn how to start a healthy, low-salt eating plan,” said lead author Mai N. Nguyen-Huynh, MD, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and the Kaiser Permanente Northern California regional medical director for primary stroke for The Permanente Medical Group. “But what was really eye-opening was learning that after the 1-year program ended these patients continued to have better blood pressure control, perhaps by sticking with the lifestyle changes they had learned — even though we had no contact with them.”

Black adults have significantly higher rates of high blood pressure than white, Latino, and Asian adults, and lower rates of blood pressure control. High blood pressure can cause damage to the arteries throughout the body, increasing the risk of a heart attack, stroke, dementia, or heart failure. The new study was funded through a national effort aimed at developing programs to reduce stroke disparities in racial/ethnic, rural, or lower socioeconomic populations.

The researchers said they believe their findings could lead to the introduction of similar programs that can help Black adults learn about dietary changes that improve blood pressure control. “This research opens up the door for the creation of programs that could be offered on a larger scale that implement the principles of coaching for behavioural change that we have shown can be effective,” said Dr. Sidney.

Added Dr. Nguyen-Huynh: “This is the only trial that has shown that a lifestyle coaching intervention can bring about changes that lead to better blood pressure control long after the intervention has ended. We’ve learned from the participants’ feedback what they felt were the most helpful aspects of the program, and we can use them to guide our next steps.”

Freshlocal Solutions Inc the parent company of SPUD files for creditor protection

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Pursuant to the Initial Order, Ernst & Young Inc. was appointed as monitor in the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) proceeding and will assist the Company in creating a restructuring plan, which is anticipated to include, among other things, immediately commencing a sale and investment solicitation process that would seek to monetize the Company’s core and non-core assets.
Ernst and Young is also set to finalize interim financing arrangements in order to obtain short term liquidity and continue with initiatives that will help streamline and focus the operations of the company — and its subsidiaries.

It has been a tumultuous few months for Freshlocal. Earlier this month, the company announced the resignation of a member of its board. In April, the company said it had entered into a “loan and security” agreement with a group of strategic lenders, which advanced Freshlocal $7 million to “support the company’s ongoing financial and operational transformation, and to ultimately replace Silicon Valley Bank as the company’s senior lender.

Meantime, trading of the company’s common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange has been halted. It’s expected that the common shares may be delisted since the company has filed for protection under the CCAA.

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