Nutrition highlighted in Rabobank report

Rabobank said nutrition is becoming central to food industry growth strategies as consumers increasingly seek products that deliver measurable health benefits and companies invest in solutions that position food as an active contributor to health and wellness.

It said the emerging concept of “food as medicine” is gaining broad-based acceptance and reshaping how food and beverage brands, retailers and ingredient suppliers develop products, engage with consumers and create value.

For many years, healthier products were largely defined by what they excluded, such as sugar, calories, artificial ingredients and highly processed components. 

Today, consumers are increasingly looking for foods and beverages that proactively contribute to their well-being. 

Evidence-based claims related to protein, fiber, gut health, immunity and energy are gaining importance as consumers seek tangible functional benefits rather than simply cleaner labels.

That also reflects a demographic shift to a population that is living longer.

“Whether the movement reflects a broader consumer trend toward better health or a larger embrace of food as medicine as a concept, manufacturers, brands and retailers continue to invest in more nutritious ambitions,” said Billy Roberts, food and beverage economist with CoBank.

 

Market estimates place the global food-as-medicine sector at approximately $26.5 billion in 2025, with forecasts projecting double-digit annual growth through 2033. 

Ingredient developers are investing in clinically supported compounds that address immune health, digestive wellness, microbiome support and other targeted health benefits. 

Demand is also rising for ingredients that can be incorporated into foods and beverages at effective dosages while maintaining desirable taste, texture and convenience.

Scalability remains among the industry's most significant challenges. 

Delivering personalized nutrition solutions to large populations requires more than scientific innovation. Companies must also address supply chain capacity, ingredient availability, affordability, consumer education and regulatory considerations. 

Greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and minimally processed foods may place additional demands on agricultural production, cold-chain infrastructure and distribution networks.

Protein continues to stand out as one of the most influential nutrition priorities shaping consumer purchasing decisions. 

Fiber is emerging as another major area of opportunity. Consumers are looking foods for digestive health, blood glucose management, satiety and overall gut health.

Roberts said the biggest opportunities are likely to emerge where consumer demand, medical relevance, clinical evidence and scalable manufacturing capabilities intersect, positioning food as an increasingly important tool in supporting long-term health and wellness.”

                           

Maple Leaf sales up, profits down

 

 

Maple Leaf Foods reported third-quarter sales were $1,034,703,000, up from $1,010,574,000 for the same quarter last year.

Net earnings were $22,327,000, down from $43,656,000 last year.

Maple Leaf to hike prices

 Maple Leaf Foods plans to increase prices early next year in response to a “challenging external environment,” chief executive Curtis Frank said in the company’s third-quarter earnings call. 

The company said it had not yet announced the details of the price hike to its customers, which include all major grocery retailers across Canada. Maple Leaf products are found in 92 per cent of households across the country. 

Maple Leaf is paying eight per cent more for live poultry compared with the same period last year, Frank said, adding that chicken products account for 40 per cent of the company’s overall sales. 

Fuel surcharges have also increased by 17 per cent in the last quarter, alongside “near everything else,” including labour, packaging and ingredients. 

“When you lump all those together, there’s just more overhanging general inflation than we would have expected at this point in the year,” Frank said. “We’re going to have to address that early in the year next year.” 

China extends tariff relief for peas, canola meal

 

China has extended significant tariff reductions on Canadian peas, canola meal, lobster and crabs, peas and canola meal for another two years after a meeting in Beijing between Chinese officials and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.

The tariff reductions, set to expire on Dec. 31, have been extended to the end of 2028, Sidhu said in a statement from Beijing.

The suspended tariffs include 100-per-cent levies on peas and canola meal and 25-per-cent on lobster and crab. Shipments of these products for the first eight months of the year reached $1-billion, according to Sidhu’s office.

“This extension gives farmers, producers and harvesters predictable access to the Chinese market, and it’s how we will grow our exports to China by 50 per cent by 2030 to create good-paying jobs and new opportunities for businesses across Canada,” Sidhu said.

Meat industry weeps over U.S. voting

 

Livestock farmers and meat packers are disappointed that four senators who are pushing a bill to over-ride California’s livestock housing regulations lost in the mid-term elections.

Those who lost are Ashley Hinson of Iowa. Gabe Evans in Colorado, Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin and Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania.

They are pushing the “Save Our Bacon” bill that would have the federal government setting animal welfare standards for livestock housing and those national standards would over-ride California and other state regulations.

The California standard for housing, such as a ban on confining gestating sows in crates, impacts Canadians who market hogs and pork to the United States where it is costly for packers selling to multi-state customers to segregate pork into lots that do or do not comply with California’s standards.

Maison Si Bon Inc. loses licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence held by Maison Si Bon Inc. of Montreal.

It said the company failed in the development and implementation of a preventive control plan, sanitation and cleaning procedures and procedure to prevent the risk of food contamination.

Farmers optimism inches up

 

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer inched up by three points in October to 126.

The index for farm capital investment posted its strongest reading in nearly a year.

Their biggest concern remains the high input costs of inputs and they are less pleased about trade policy and the country's long-term direction.

The university conducts a monthly survey of about 400 farmers.