Hard to pry consumers from their trans-fats Tuesday, June 2, 2009 Fast food chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken boast trans-fat-free menus. Plant breeders are striving to develop soybeans with healthier oils. Can we expect consumers to be informed and make healthier eating decisions? According to research conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars Program, maybe not. Researchers compared news coverage about trans-fats to the sales of seven specific products (targeted because they contain more than half a gram of trans-fats per serving) from a major grocery chain in Los Angeles County, California.Their conclusion? Sales of buttered popcorn, vegetable shortening, buttermilk biscuits, sandwich cookies, stick margarine and crescent rolls fell for a week following negative coverage and then rose to previous levels. Sales of hot dogs, the seventh highest trans-fat product, remained steady.The news coverage reiterated the relationship between trans-fat consumption and heart disease. BF Educators top the pay scales in public sector agriculture Fighting to prevent a California 'dust bowl'
Pilot project supports Ontario and Quebec ag Friday, July 24, 2026 A new two-year pilot project is designed to help livestock farmers in Quebec by giving them access to an Ontario abattoir. The project, a collaboration between the Quebec and Ontario governments, with additional support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), would see a limited... Read this article online
Canada Opens Interprovincial Alcohol Sales Thursday, July 23, 2026 A major change to Canada's internal marketplace is set to create new opportunities for wineries, breweries and distilleries after nine provinces signed a landmark agreement allowing direct-to-consumer sales of alcoholic beverages across participating jurisdictions. The deal is being hailed... Read this article online
Heat and Rain have led to a challenging growing season for Cauliflower Growers in Ontario. Thursday, July 23, 2026 There are only 1,225 acres dedicated to growing cauliflower in Ontario, but they produce 14,545,000 lbs of the vegetable. Growers across key vegetable-producing regions are preparing for increased shipments of locally grown cauliflower to grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers and... Read this article online
Who Knew so Much Canadian Watermelon is Grown in Ontario Thursday, July 23, 2026 Many consumers may think of watermelon as an exotic fruit, but Ontario grows about2,000 acresof watermelons each year, more than 35,084tonnesof watermelon.Watermelonharvest now is underway. Watermelon originated in northeastern Africa, particularly in the region that today includes Sudan... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Harvest One of Canada’s Top Carrot Crops Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Carrots are among Ontario's most important vegetable crops, contributing significantly to local food production and year-round fresh produce availability. Ontario grows the most carrots of any Canadian province – 45% of the country’s carrots. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario... Read this article online