The Food Professor

Everything you thought you knew about ghee is wrong. In this episode of The Food Professor podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Vreshin "Vresh" Nagarajan, Founder and Chief Ghee Officer of Vresh Foods, makers of OG GHEE, recorded live on the show floor at the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal. Vresh makes a compelling and slightly incendiary case: roughly 90% of the $100 million of ghee sold in Canada every year isn't actually ghee. It's anhydrous milk fat, or butter oil, an industrially processed dairy ingredient usually made offshore, shipped in shelf-stable, repackaged here and sold as "pure desi ghee." Real ghee is cultured butter cooked until the water evaporates and the lactose and casein caramelize, a distinction the Codex recognizes and one you can smell the moment the jar opens. In four years Vresh has gone from a South Asian meal-kit side hustle in Calgary to a national Loblaw listing and a Costco Ontario rotation, built on an unlikely premise: that ghee is Canada's last viable domestic cooking fat. With a 485F smoke point, a five-year shelf life, no refrigeration required, and 30 litres of Canadian milk in every kilogram, he argues ghee is the best milk-utilization story in the country. He also has pointed words about who has been underselling South Asian consumers, and why "desi" should mean Canadian. The full video interview is on The Food Professor YouTube channel. But first, we start with the food and agriculture news of the week. Michael and Sylvain open on the Prime Minister's address to the nation, and the name he never said, before turning to the latest U.S. tariff recalibration, the new ban on Canadian spirits and wine, and what the September 15 and 29 deadlines mean for agri-food. Sylvain argues the real damage isn't the tariff math, it's the total absence of predictability, with dairy leaders now openly weighing whether to shift production south. Sylvain points to Mark Warner's CBC interview, Ian Lee's parallel argument, and calls for Parliament to be recalled, citing the 1988 free trade debate as precedent. Then: reindeer. Ottawa is putting $800,000 behind a northern herd grown from a few hundred animals to 7,000, and Sylvain explains why no Canadian parent is selling Rudolph at the meat counter. Plus Sapporo's non-alcoholic production possibly heading stateside, Africa's redrawn map and its enormous agri-food potential, McDonald's dropping pumpkin spice after 34 years of PSL dominance, fresh Satov Consulting research on whether Dunkin' can win over Canadian coffee drinkers, why Sylvain would rather support than boycott, Walmart's delivery ambitions, and a farewell to New Coke architect Brian Dyson. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Season Seven, Episode 2 of The Food Professor podcast lands its first guest interview, and it's a Canadian food business story three decades in the making. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois are joined by Dave Jones, President and CEO of Bento Sushi, the company that turned a small 1996 takeout counter in downtown Toronto into the largest sushi business in Canada. Dave joined Bento in 2009 in an entry-level management role, moved through operations, procurement and supply chain, and took over as CEO in 2022. He unpacks a business most Canadians walk past every day without realizing its scale: more than 700 locations inside grocery stores, universities, hospitals and other retail environments, ten commissaries, roughly 2,500 distribution points, about 800 employees and close to 30 million packs a year. He explains the difference between made-in-store kiosks and the delivered commissary model, why automation now shapes production of items like onigiri, how global sourcing and procurement hold up under pressure, and what price sensitivity looks like in a category built on fresh, daily-made food. Bento's 30th anniversary in 2026 gives the conversation a natural lens on how retail foodservice, grocery prepared food and Canadian consumer expectations have all changed. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain work through a busy news week. Ottawa applied counter-tariffs to seafood and fish and reversed course within 48 hours, a reminder of how tangled Canada-US supply chains really are. Honey and molasses stayed on the list, with Manitoba, Canada's largest honey exporter, taking the hit. Sylvain pushes back on Chapman's plan to replace 70 percent of its American ingredients, questioning the timing and the nationalistic framing. On beef, the hosts dig into the Trump administration's push on prices, the 300,000 tonne Brazilian import move, the JBS White House visit, the Department of Justice probe into beef pricing, and why cattle futures fell and ranchers are unhappy. Sylvain's view: ranchers are price takers in a North American market, retail prices won't move much, and Canadians could end up paying more. Also on the docket: dairy dominating CUSMA consultation submissions, Daniel Gobé's election in Quebec and his supply management odds, and Q2 trade numbers showing exports up 3 billion dollars net year over year with 2.6 billion of that heading to the United States, despite all the diversification talk. In the retail block, Michael breaks down the Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons loyalty partnership and why coalition programs need high-frequency categories, plus Loblaw's expanded capital spending on T&T, discount and specialty formats, its real estate DNA and its exit from banking. The episode closes on retail crime, and the arson at a Pattison Foods Nesters store in Vancouver. The full video interview is live on The Food Professor YouTube channel. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

The Food Professor podcast returns for Season Seven with a no-guest, all-catch-up season premiere. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois are back on the mic after a summer of live interviews from SIAL, and there is a serious backlog of Canadian and international food industry news to work through. Sylvain opens with the summer he actually had: 25 to 30 media interviews a week, including live hits on CNN and Fox News about explosive poo and the U.S. lettuce recalls. That leads into a real conversation about food safety and Cyclospora, a parasite you cannot simply wash off produce. With Taylor Farms, a $7 billion operator, at the centre of the recall, Michael asks the obvious question: if the most sophisticated player in the category cannot stop it, who can? Sylvain compares oversight on both sides of the border, noting roughly 8,000 federal inspectors in the U.S. versus nearly 4,000 in Canada for a tenth of the population, and explains why our cold chain and an actual winter lower the risk here. Then the tariff file. Sylvain names Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, Smoot-Hawley's descendant, as the summer's number-one story, with agriculture squarely targeted: dairy, alcohol, and honey. On the Canadian side, they dig into a counter-tariff list heavy on seafood and ag, whether it can really move U.S. midterms, and why potash retaliation could backfire on Canadian producers. Story number two: the Competition Bureau sending Nortera's acquisition of B&G Foods Canada's Green Giant and Le Sieur brands to the Competition Tribunal, a striking break from twenty years of waved-through Canadian grocery and food consolidation. Also on the docket: beef volumes down almost 5% and the risk of losing Canadian shoppers to a premium-price perception; Tyson idling a plant for lack of supply; chicken production up 5.6% as dark meat demand climbs; stubborn diesel prices and the Strait of Hormuz; Gay Lea Foods' $200 million Toronto investment against a backdrop of 1,400 new U.S. food plants versus fewer than 50 in Canada; El Nino's likely push on 2027 food inflation; and why GLP-1 drugs may reshape the Halloween candy aisle, plus the CNE's wildest new midway foods. Sylvain also previews his tenth book, Feed the Power, on food geopolitics, out from University of Toronto Press in January 2027. The episode closes with a tribute to Senator Todd Lewis, a rare and genuine agriculture advocate in Ottawa, and a candid exchange about Prime Minister Carney's trade posture and where Canada goes next. Next week: Dave Jones of Bento Sushi. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, this Food Professor summer bonus episode features Cloé Helmond, Co-Founder of Les Brutes du Soya, fresh off a first-place win in the Start-up Scale CPG category of SIAL Canada's seventh annual Startup Pitch Competition. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois catch her still holding the hardware — and still slightly stunned, since the Scale category is built for companies four to six years old and Les Brutes is barely two. The origin story is pure Quebec agri-food. Les Brutes grew out of a family soy farm in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, in the Montérégie, launched with co-founder Marie-Pier Gélineau and her brother. Cloé, a social worker by training, spotted the paradox: Quebec grows an enormous soy crop and ships most of it overseas, while Canadian shoppers buy imported textured vegetable protein (TVP). Les Brutes closes that loop, processing soy at its own facility and in Saskatoon into shelf-stable TVP. Cloé walks the hosts through the line — plain, Mexican-style and Greek-style TVP, plus two new SKUs debuting at SIAL: soy curls and bacon bites. The bacon bites are plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, 50 per cent protein and 21 per cent fibre, seasoned with paprika, maple syrup and tamari, with no artificial ingredients (Michael's on-mic crunch test does not disappoint). The value math is the real story: a 100-gram pouch rehydrates to 200 grams in about ten minutes with water or broth, delivering roughly two cups of ground-meat substitute for about six dollars, with a two-year shelf life. That economics pitch shapes the retail conversation. Les Brutes sits in IGA, Metro, Rachelle-Béry and Avril, usually in the health food or gluten-free set — and the hosts press on whether the "healthy aisle" default is the right home for a product aimed at flexitarians and budget-conscious families rather than committed vegans. SIAL also opened foodservice doors, including a conversation with Air Canada about a shelf-stable vegetarian option. Then the reveal. At taping, Cloé's appearance on Dans l'œil du dragon — Quebec's Dragons' Den on Radio-Canada — was still under embargo, and she shared the outcome off the record. It has since aired in Season 15: Les Brutes asked for $50,000 for 10 per cent, drew two offers, and closed a deal with dragon David Côté, co-founder of LOOP Mission, Rise Kombucha and Crudessence, at $50,000 for 10 per cent plus a fifty-cent royalty on every unit sold. She also recounts the dragons challenging whether a family business should give up equity at all. Looking ahead, Cloé eyes SIAL Paris, European soy perceptions and the export runway beyond Quebec. A fast, fun conversation about local crops, smart pricing and plant protein that earns its shelf space. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada in Montreal, this Summer Bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast marks a first: an ingredient company winning the show's startup pitch competition. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Asha Wheeldon, Founder and CEO of Kula Foods and a member of the Maia Farms team, and Jason Mackay, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Maia Farms, just hours after the Vancouver company added more hardware to its trophy shelf. Maia Farms makes functional mushroom food ingredients. The company combines oyster mushroom powder with Canadian yellow pea protein and extrudes it into grounds, shreds, chunks and strips that mimic ground beef, pulled meat and chicken. The result is 66 per cent protein per 100 grams, a heavy dose of fibre and iron, a two-year shelf life and no cold storage required. Crucially for manufacturers, the extrudates survive the retort process where soy and pea proteins break down, which is why 100-year-old Pembroke, Ontario soup canner Sprague Foods signed on as a partner. Asha explains how a two-and-a-half-minute pitch built on storytelling rather than numbers won over the judges, and why trust and partnership are Maia's real proof points, including work with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank that has helped feed hundreds of thousands of families. Jason unpacks the technology behind the ingredient and what comes next: cracking mushroom mycelium at commercial scale through liquid fermentation, moving from 3,000-litre proof-of-concept batches to 20,000 litres, with global ingredient players like ADM and Cargill circling mycelium as a clean-label fat mimic and binder. The conversation turns to a bigger question Michael and Sylvain saw play out across the show: is Canada on the cusp of an ingredient renaissance? Pitch competitions usually reward consumer-ready products, from popsicles to upcycled coffee grounds. This year, the fundamentals of food won. The panel connects that shift to front-of-pack labelling, the clean-label push, manufacturers hunting for protein, fibre and iron without wrecking taste and texture, and the trust that Brand Canada's food safety reputation carries into export markets. They also tackle affordability. With beef and chicken prices climbing, Sylvain's "protein orphans" are being left behind, and GLP-1 users are pushing protein demand higher still. A shelf-stable, high-protein ingredient that disappears into a lasagna or pasta sauce when seasoned properly is a genuinely different answer to food insecurity. Plus: what winning an award actually does for a young company, why Maia was the only mushroom ingredient supplier on the SIAL floor, and the company's plan to bring business home to Canada after building traction in the US, Mexico, Singapore and Japan. A smart, optimistic listen on where Canadian food innovation goes next. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down live at the SIAL food innovation show in Montreal with Victoire Guglieri, Founder of Nasdrow, fresh off her win at the startup pitch competition. Energetic, candid, and armed with samples, Victoire takes Michael and Sylvain on a guided tasting tour of her premium non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink cocktail brand and makes a compelling case for why alcohol-free drinks should never be boring. Victoire shares the origin story behind Nasdrow, a brand born from a personal frustration. After a month without alcohol, she discovered that the non-alcoholic beverage options on the market were too sweet, too fizzy, too artificial, or too bitter, and none delivered the complexity and sophistication of a real cocktail. Raised in Bordeaux, France, surrounded by grandparents who taught her the language of wine, and having spent part of her childhood in Poland, she named her company after the festive Polish toast "Na zdrowie," reimagined in English as a non-alcoholic super drink mixed with low alcohol. The result is a line of all-natural, preservative-free, less-sweet ready-to-drink mocktails engineered to deliver the full cocktail experience: the nose, the texture, the taste, and the finish. The tasting begins with Scarlet & Co, Nasdrow's bestseller and a gold medal winner at the World Alcohol-Free Awards in London, a slightly fizzy blend of strawberry, basil, ginger, and lemon. Michael and Sylvain then sample the Mojito Fusion, praising its fresh, fragrant aroma and depth of flavour, before Victoire walks through the rest of the range, including the bone-dry, bubble-free Margarita Salsa and an Espresso Martini that produces a thick foam when shaken in a cocktail shaker. The conversation digs into the forces reshaping the beverage industry: why younger consumers are drinking less alcohol, the influence of health and wellness trends on social media, the lingering effects of COVID on social drinking, and the mounting science around alcohol and health. Victoire notes that roughly one in two consumers is now drinking less, and that 80 percent of Nasdrow's customers also drink alcohol, positioning the brand not as anti-alcohol but as a sophisticated option for moderation, designated drivers, and anyone finishing the night with something lighter. The episode wraps with a look at retail momentum. Nasdrow is already listed in Quebec at Metro, with more listings on the way and national distribution ambitions before year-end, as Victoire works to build an entirely new premium mocktail category alongside retailers and buyers. It is a fun, flavour-forward conversation about entrepreneurship, food innovation, and the fast-growing non-alcoholic beverage market, recorded live on the SIAL show floor, that every retailer, grocer, beverage buyer, and sober-curious listener should hear. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois broadcast live from the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal for a conversation with Naïla Bassin, Marketing Leader Canada, and Carlo Stocco, Managing Director, North America, both of Andriani S.p.A., the Italian company behind Felicia, Italy's fastest-growing pasta brand. Felicia means "happy" in Italian, and the brand's Canadian arrival is built on a simple but stubborn problem: Canadians want healthier pasta, but the better-for-you category has long asked shoppers to compromise on taste and texture. Carlo traces the company's roots to Gravina in Puglia in southern Italy, its rapid European growth, and the decision to build a North American manufacturing facility in London, Ontario rather than simply import from Europe. That plant now anchors a national launch, with organic ingredients increasingly sourced in Canada and an ambition to bring the entire supply chain onshore. Naïla unpacks what makes the product different. Felicia owns its technology and mills its own raw materials, which matters enormously when there's no gluten to bind the pasta. The result is a seven-SKU lineup built on single ingredients and vegetables rather than blends and fillers: buckwheat, brown rice and spirulina, chickpea, red lentil, oat and green cauliflower. One organic red lentil serving delivers 23 grams of protein and 14 grams of fibre, plus iron and potassium. The oat pasta recently took home a NEXTY award for best gluten-free product at Expo West in Los Angeles, chosen from more than 1,000 submissions. The conversation turns to the retail strategy every emerging food brand wrestles with. Felicia has launched in specialty and health stores across Ontario and Quebec, landed at Loblaw in the natural health aisle, secured Costco with red lentil penne plus a limited mid-May drop of organic oat and green cauliflower cavatappi, is rolling into Save-On-Foods, and is in discussions with Sobeys. But where should it live on shelf? Carlo makes the case for the main pasta aisle using Italy's Esselunga, where 14 Felicia items sit alongside conventional pasta and grow the total category, much as cereal and bakery have already been transformed. A sharp listen for anyone tracking Canadian grocery innovation, better-for-you food trends and brand building in a crowded category. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Editorial note: This conversation was recorded live at SIAL Canada in late April — well before the July CUSMA review deadline and the most recent U.S. tariff actions targeting Canada. Some of the optimism expressed here about a smooth CUSMA outcome should be heard in that context. It's become a Food Professor tradition: every year at SIAL Canada, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Martin Lavoie, President and CEO of Groupe Export Agroalimentaire Québec-Canada, for a state-of-the-nation check-in on Canadian agri-food trade. This bonus episode, recorded live on the SIAL Canada show floor in Montreal, picks up exactly one year after their last conversation — and at the time, a lot had already changed. Lavoie opens by reflecting on the whiplash of the prior twelve months. Since "Liberation Day" tariffs rattled Canadian exporters the previous spring, Quebec's agri-food sector had kept growing despite the uncertainty, but the volatility had taken a toll: lost U.S. customers, disrupted contracts, and a level of unpredictability Lavoie says he'd never seen in his career. He walks through how Groupe Export helped member companies navigate the chaos — from renegotiating who absorbs tariff costs to bracing for policy shifts announced, at times, over social media. The conversation turns to CUSMA (USMCA), then under review, with Lavoie offering a cautiously optimistic read at the time: dismantling the agreement would be so disruptive to deeply integrated U.S. industries that he believed cooler heads would prevail on both sides of the border. Listeners should weigh that optimism against what's actually unfolded since the July deadline and the latest U.S. tariff moves against Canada. A major theme is diversification. Lavoie argues Mexico represents Quebec's single biggest near-term opportunity — logistically easier than overseas markets and increasingly motivated to reduce its own reliance on U.S. imports. He also flags growing momentum in Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe, while acknowledging the real barriers: time zones, market development costs, and a Canadian logistics network still built for trucking to the U.S. rather than shipping by ocean freight. Comparing Canada to the Netherlands' export powerhouse model, he makes the case for urgent investment in port infrastructure, warehousing, and resolving ongoing labour disruptions at Canadian ports. Domestically, Lavoie and Charlebois dig into interprovincial trade — noting it's often cheaper and easier for a Quebec exporter to ship to New York than to Calgary — and discuss data from an MNP survey showing Canada ranks as a top-tier nation for agri-food reputation among G20 countries, trailing only the Netherlands. The episode closes with a practical overview of how Groupe Export supports Quebec exporters: 30-40 trade missions and shows per year, shipping and regulatory support, market intelligence, and export-readiness evaluations for companies just getting started. A time-capsule look at where Quebec's agri-food exporters stood mid-storm — worth hearing alongside what's happened since. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Recorded live on the final day of SIAL Canada, this bonus episode of The Food Professor brings hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois face to face with Jacques Duhaime, owner of Duhaime Gourmet — a Quebec fruit-spread and jam company that Sylvain has wanted on the show for years. The conversation traces four generations of agricultural evolution in Saint-Germain, near Drummondville, Quebec, and shows how a small dairy farm became one of Canada's most distinctive low-sugar jam and fruit-spread producers. Jacques walks listeners through the company's origin story: founded in 1945 as a dairy farm by his grandfather, expanded into orchards and vegetables by his father in 1948, and refocused entirely on produce after the dairy herd was sold in 1960. Jacques took over the farm from his parents in 1981, when the operation was running roughly 200 acres of vegetables. A tough vegetable market in 1995 pushed the family toward jam-making, and a pursuit of naturally low-sugar recipes led Jacques back to school at ITA to develop the reduced-sugar techniques that still define the brand today. A pivotal trip with Groupe Export in 2000 opened the door to Japan, where Duhaime Gourmet's low-sugar spreads found immediate demand — at a time when the company already supplied roughly 400 boutique stores across Quebec. The business went on to export to the United States for a decade, supplying jams, spreads, and fruit pairings for cheese, while also building a substantial private-label business across Quebec, Canada, and Japan. Jacques also opens up about the structure of the business today: the orchard remains family-owned and is now run by his son, marking a fifth generation on the land, while the processing side of Duhaime Gourmet was sold roughly a year ago to Bertrand Marquis, a fellow Saint-Germain entrepreneur who previously worked in the wood industry. Jacques reflects candidly on international trade shows — from an early appearance at a golf show in Dubai to lessons learned about race-to-the-bottom pricing in that market — and on how the company's trade show schedule has grown from roughly 10 shows a year before the pandemic to as many as 30–40 today. The episode closes on Duhaime Gourmet's newest product: a 90%-fruit spread sweetened with just 10% organic sugar, containing less than three grams of sugar and no pectin — a launch aimed at diabetics, families, and babies alike, debuting in strawberry rhubarb and headed for Metro shelves soon. A warm, detail-rich conversation for anyone interested in Quebec food manufacturing, family business succession, food innovation, and insights into global trade show strategy in the specialty food sector. https://www.duhaimegourmet.com/en/ About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In the Season 6 regular season finale of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome Pete Hoekstra, United States Ambassador to Canada , for an exclusive and wide-ranging conversation about the future of Canada-U.S. food trade, agriculture, supply chains and North American economic cooperation. While The Food Professor Podcast isn't a political show, few relationships matter more to Canada's food economy than its partnership with the United States. Ambassador Hoekstra offers a candid look at his role representing the Trump administration in Ottawa, explains the work of a modern ambassador, and shares his perspective on the ongoing CUSMA (USMCA) review, agricultural trade priorities, supply management, cross-border investment, and strengthening North American food supply chains. The discussion explores why resilient supply chains have become a strategic priority, the importance of Canadian agricultural exports to American consumers, opportunities for future collaboration in critical minerals, energy, manufacturing and food production, and how both countries can continue building one of the world's largest and most integrated trading relationships. The conversation also tackles the Gordie Howe International Bridge, provincial restrictions on U.S. alcohol sales, touches on Canada's supply management system, and the broader outlook for Canada-U.S. relations as negotiations continue. Whether you agree or disagree with the Ambassador's positions, this thoughtful interview provides listeners with valuable insight into how the United States views its relationship with Canada and why food, agriculture and trade remain central to that partnership. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain break down another busy week in food and agriculture news. They examine how El Niño-driven heat and drought could affect crop production and food prices, discuss the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's latest report on their crackdown on food fraud and product authenticity, review the Grocery Code of Conduct's first public report, and explore the growing global demand for dairy protein as processors struggle with whey shortages amid Canada's supply management system. The episode also covers Rhode Island's new self-checkout legislation, the ongoing Metro labour dispute in Quebec, innovative flavour marketing from Miss Vickie's, and reflects on another remarkable season of conversations with leaders from across Canada's food, retail and agriculture sectors. Thank you for joining us throughout Season 6. While our regular season concludes here, we'll continue bringing you fresh episodes recorded live from SIAL Canada in Montreal throughout the summer before returning this fall for another exciting season of The Food Professor Podcast. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Vincent Breton, President & CEO of duBreton , Canada's leading organic pork producer, for a fascinating live interview recorded at SIAL Canada in Montreal. Vincent shares the remarkable story behind duBreton's evolution from a traditional pork producer into one of the world's fastest-growing organic pork companies. He explains why the company made the bold decision to abandon conventional production in favour of organic and animal welfare-certified farming, why younger consumers are increasingly seeking ethically produced food, and how long-term thinking has become a competitive advantage. The conversation explores the realities of producing premium food in today's marketplace, including the economics of organic farming, the growing importance of transparency, and why Vincent believes consumers deserve clear labelling around gene editing and cloning technologies. He also discusses duBreton's expansion across North America and Europe, the opportunities presented by the U.S. market, the company's growing influence in Texas barbecue circles, and why social media, education and consumer trust are becoming essential tools for modern food brands. Perhaps most compelling is Vincent's candid discussion of Quebec's collective marketing system and why he continues to advocate for greater producer choice, innovation and entrepreneurial freedom within Canadian agriculture. It's an insightful conversation about leadership, values, food policy and building a purpose-driven business in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. First, Michael and Sylvain kick off the episode with their weekly review of the biggest food and agriculture stories making headlines. They examine Canada's latest food inflation numbers as grocery prices continue to outpace overall inflation, discuss why salmon prices have surged dramatically heading into summer, analyze new trade measures affecting canned food imports, and explore ongoing Competition Bureau investigations into grocery property controls. The hosts also dive into new research on costly regulatory delays affecting meat imports, rising regional ice cream prices, the challenges food manufacturers face replacing artificial colours, changes to the U.S. SNAP food assistance program, and the broader debate over balancing affordability, nutrition and agricultural policy. Along the way, they celebrate Canadian Grocer Golden Pencil Award winners and preview the season finale before a full summer of special interviews recorded at SIAL Canada. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome Jean-François Archambault, Founder and General Manager of La Tablée des Chefs , for an inspiring conversation about food recovery, food security, and the power of community action. Recorded live at SIAL Montreal, this episode showcases one of Canada's most remarkable social entrepreneurs and the national movement he has built to reduce food waste while feeding those in need. Since founding La Tablée des Chefs in 2002, Jean-François has transformed a bold idea into one of Canada's most impactful food recovery organizations. What began as a mission to rescue surplus food from hotels, restaurants, sporting venues, and major events has grown into a nationwide network that has recovered enough food to create more than 26 million meals. From the Bell Centre and NHL arenas to Formula 1 events and major hospitality venues, La Tablée des Chefs now redirects millions of meals annually to frontline organizations serving vulnerable Canadians. The conversation explores the organization's two core pillars: feeding people facing food insecurity and educating young Canadians about food autonomy and cooking skills. Jean-François shares the remarkable growth of the Kitchen Brigades program, now operating in hundreds of schools across Canada, empowering nearly 100,000 young people with practical food knowledge while building confidence, self-esteem, and life skills. He also discusses innovative initiatives such as the Solidarity Soups program and the Grand Marmite fundraising events that are helping expand school food programs across the country. The discussion also examines the growing challenges of food insecurity in Canada, the importance of food literacy, the role chefs can play in social impact, and why Canada needs a more ambitious and coordinated national approach to food security. Jean-François offers a compelling vision for how governments, businesses, community organizations, and citizens can work together to create lasting change. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain unpack a busy week in food and agriculture news. Topics include the Competition Bureau's new examination of Canada's food supply chain, the federal government's newly announced food strategy, food waste research revealing Generation X as Canada's most wasteful demographic, the future of salmon farming, Quebec's move to restrict energy drink sales to minors, the return of frozen juice concentrate, and Foodtastic's continued expansion. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome two special guests for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred interview: Axel Schwan, President of Tim Hortons Canada & U.S., and Duncan Fulton, Chief Corporate Officer of Restaurant Brands International (RBI). With Dunkin' Donuts announcing its return to Canada and Canadians passionately debating the future of their most iconic coffee brand, Axel and Duncan showed up ready to answer the tough questions. In a candid 40-minute conversation, Schwan and Fulton open up about Tim Hortons' "Back to Basics" strategy — the largest consumer research project in the company's history — and the quality overhaul that followed: freshly cracked eggs replacing frozen patties in breakfast sandwiches, 40% more apple in the apple fritter, more Venetian cream in the Boston cream, and the removal of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives across the menu. They share how Tim Hortons serves four million guests a day across 4,000 restaurants owned by 1,500 Canadian franchisees, why traffic is the one metric Axel watches daily, and how the brand is winning younger consumers with its Quenchers platform — including the imminent launch of Popping Quenchers — plus celebrity partnerships with Justin Bieber and Ryan Reynolds. The duo also tackles the controversy head-on: Is the wave of announcements — 400 restaurant renovations, 80 new builds, a national hiring campaign — a reaction to Dunkin's arrival? Fulton sets the record straight on the temporary foreign worker debate, noting roughly 4,000 of 110,000 restaurant team members are part of the program, and explains how AI is being deployed to improve the team member experience, from labour scheduling to order accuracy. A rapid-fire round covers everything from the biggest public misconception about Tim Hortons to the products Canadians want back, while Michael shares his own fun factoid: he helped invent Roll Up the Rim during his Dixie Cup days. But first, we start with the food and agriculture news of the week. Sobeys gets served as the Competition Bureau flexes its new Competition Act powers to investigate property controls in Canadian grocery. We break down Ottawa's newly published AI strategy and what it means for agriculture and food, where Canada's persistent data deficit threatens to undermine even the best intentions. Then, the screwworm fly resurfaces in Texas, prompting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to take targeted action — and sending cattle futures and already-high beef prices climbing. Sylvain also reports from Delaware, where he keynoted a healthcare conference on food as medicine and discovered a surprising threat to American farmland: hundreds of AI data centres being built on fertile soil. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Don Hill, Chairman of Sucro , for a rare inside look at one of the most significant investments in Canada's food manufacturing sector in decades. Sucro has quickly become one of North America's fastest-growing sugar companies, and its newly built Ontario refinery marks the first major new sugar-refining investment in Canada in generations. Don explains why Canada became Sucro's first major international investment market, how the company is challenging conventional thinking in a traditionally conservative industry, and why innovation, reinvestment, and operational efficiency are becoming critical competitive advantages in food manufacturing. The conversation explores the strategic role sugar plays in food production beyond sweetness, including shelf life, texture, functionality, product formulation, and cost management. Don also discusses how Sucro is navigating labour shortages, global trade disruptions, tariffs, supply chain volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty while building what he believes is the most modern and competitive sugar refinery in North America. Michael and Sylvain also dive into the impact of GLP-1 weight-loss medications on food consumption with Don, the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence in manufacturing, and why Canada remains an attractive destination for food production despite growing trade tensions and policy uncertainty. Don shares his perspective on the future of food manufacturing investment, North American competitiveness, and Sucro's plans for growth over the next decade. Before the interview, the hosts tackle another packed week of food and agriculture news. They discuss Canada's economic outlook and the debate over recession terminology, new research comparing household food spending across G20 countries, and the ongoing rise in food insecurity and food bank usage across Canada. The discussion also covers soaring tomato prices linked to North American trade disruptions, new revelations surrounding the Canada Royal Milk infant formula facility in Kingston, and concerns about transparency within Canada's supply-managed dairy sector. The episode also reflects on Metro CEO Eric La Flèche's retirement announcement, examining his lasting impact on Canadian grocery retailing and congratulating the highly skilled and experienced Marc Giroux on becoming the new CEO. Finally, Michael and Sylvain explore how some farmers are finding new revenue streams through YouTube and digital content creation, demonstrating the remarkable adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit of modern agriculture. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome back Karen Proud, President & Adjudicator of the Canada Grocery Code, for an important conversation about one of the most closely watched structural reforms in the Canadian grocery industry. Only months after the official launch of the Canada Grocery Code, Proud provides an inside look at how the new voluntary, industry-led framework is functioning in its early stages. She explains the mission of the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, the rationale behind creating a voluntary code instead of government regulation, and why more than 200 companies have already joined the initiative. Proud discusses how the code is designed to improve business relationships between retailers and suppliers, strengthen transparency, create more predictable contracting practices, and encourage long-term investment and innovation throughout Canada’s food supply chain. The conversation explores the challenges of building trust across a fragmented grocery ecosystem while balancing supplier concerns, retailer expectations, and government scrutiny. Proud outlines how her office is approaching compliance, dispute resolution, reporting transparency, and stakeholder engagement while emphasizing that the code is not intended to directly control grocery prices or solve food inflation. Instead, the long-term objective is to create a healthier and more competitive grocery marketplace that ultimately benefits Canadian consumers through increased investment, innovation, and product diversity. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain dive deep into the rapidly rising price of chicken in Canada, examining how supply management, quota allocation challenges, and surging consumer demand are contributing to record levels of poultry imports from the United States and beyond. They debate whether the current system is adequately responding to shifting protein demand as consumers move away from expensive beef toward chicken. The episode also explores Quebec’s decision to permanently remove sales tax from certain grocery categories, growing concerns among Canadian beef producers over potential trade negotiations involving South American imports, and how global instability, drought conditions, and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to impact grain and wheat prices worldwide. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, our interview is recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal. Michael LeBlanc welcomes one of the most influential executives in global consumer packaged goods: Jessica C. Adelman, Mars Snacking North America. Fresh off Mars’ massive $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova, Adelman offers a rare inside look at the strategic thinking behind one of the largest CPG transactions in history. She explains how Mars — now a $86+ billion privately held global powerhouse operating across more than 80 countries — is reshaping itself into a modern snacking giant with iconic brands spanning M&M’s, Snickers, Skittles, Pringles, Pop-Tarts, Cheez-It, and more. The conversation dives deep into how large food companies are navigating a radically different operating environment shaped by geopolitical volatility, inflation, climate pressures, AI disruption, and changing consumer behaviour. Adelman shares Mars’ approach to resilience, reputation management, and long-term strategic planning in an era where business shocks arrive faster and harder than ever before. She also discusses why Mars continues investing heavily in North American manufacturing, including a recent $180 million investment across Ontario facilities. Michael and Jessica explore the transformative impact of AI across food retail and supply chains, from reducing food waste and optimizing logistics to enabling consumer discovery and personalization. They also examine how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are changing eating habits, portion sizes, and snack consumption patterns — a growing issue every major food manufacturer is now monitoring closely. The interview also touches on sustainability, food system resilience, consumer affordability, and the evolving role of global brands in helping consumers balance value, convenience, nutrition, and enjoyment. Throughout the discussion, Adelman offers a thoughtful perspective on leadership, agility, and why companies must move beyond simply “playing the hits” to remain relevant in a rapidly changing marketplace. But first, Michael and Sylvain Charlebois tackle another packed week in food and agriculture news. The hosts debate Ontario’s emerging “6% milk” trend, the accelerating adoption of GLP-1 drugs across Canada thanks to the launch of a generic pill format, and renewed calls (along with the history and original objectives) to overhaul Canada’s confusing best-before date system to combat food waste and improve affordability. They also discuss food theft and organized crime concerns in grocery retail, mounting pressure on Atlantic Canada’s oyster industry, mushroom trade tensions with the United States, the definition of food deserts in urban Canada, and the critical importance of grain infrastructure in Atlantic Canada and a world awash in Bourbon. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast , recorded live from the West Coast, Syvain in Chilliwack, Michael in L.A., begin with a fast-moving roundup of the biggest food, grocery, and agriculture headlines shaping Canada. First, the hosts unpack Dunkin's return to Canada and debate where the iconic brand could fit in a market dominated by Tim Hortons and McDonald's. They also explore major developments in Canada’s greenhouse sector, dairy production policy, and the growing demand for dairy proteins as producers respond to changing consumer habits. The conversation then turns to some of the most consequential policy issues impacting food prices and agriculture today, including climate science, industrial carbon pricing, Canadian counter-tariffs, and what new signals from the Bank of Canada could mean for grocery inflation, farm economics, and consumer affordability. Michael and Sylvain offer their unfiltered analysis on government policy, food security, and how unintended consequences continue to ripple across Canadian households. Then, the episode shifts into a compelling long-form interview with Kim Furlong, CEO of Retail Council of Canada. In one of her first major podcast interviews since assuming the role, Kim provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the realities of modern retail in Canada. She discusses stepping into the leadership role previously held by industry icon Diane Brisebois, and explains why the grocery business remains one of the most misunderstood sectors in the country. Kim breaks down why Canadians often “see the shelf, but not the supply chain,” revealing the upstream pressures—from transportation and labour costs to energy prices and currency fluctuations—that shape food prices long before products ever reach store shelves. She also tackles some of retail’s hottest issues, including algorithmic pricing, surveillance pricing concerns, the Grocery Code of Conduct, AI-driven supply chains, domestic sourcing, Buy Canadian momentum, and how retailers are preparing for a future defined by geopolitical disruption, economic volatility, and changing consumer expectations. We also hear about Michael’s visit to Laurel Supply, a new bespoke grocery store in West Hollywood that could be the most beautiful grocery store in America, thanks to the amazing work of Kevin Kelley’s Shook Kelley retail design firm. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

On this latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live inside the podcast fishbowl at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois welcome one of the most exciting entrepreneurs in Canadian food innovation: Santiago Stacey. Fresh off winning SIAL’s prestigious Gold Innovation Award, Santiago shares the remarkable story behind Ku Na Na, creator of Canada’s first plant-based banana milk made from 100% rescued, upcycled bananas. Born in Ecuador—the world’s largest exporter of bananas—Santiago witnessed firsthand how millions of bananas are discarded simply for failing to meet cosmetic standards. That insight sparked a mission to create not just a beverage, but a better food system. Joined by innovation jury co-president Isabelle Marquis, the conversation explores why Ku Na Na stood out among more than 320 entrants. From sustainability and nutrition to taste, convenience, and commercial viability, this product hits every major trend shaping the future of food. Santiago also reveals his expansion plans across Ontario, Quebec, and beyond, while sharing why banana milk could become the next major plant-based category. But first, Michael and Sylvain break down the week’s biggest food and agriculture headlines. The hosts unpack Canada’s push toward regulatory modernization and why reducing bureaucratic layering could be critical for food innovation, entrepreneurship, and national food security. They examine troubling new data on Canada’s restaurant industry, with margin compression and closures accelerating in key markets like Ontario and Quebec. The conversation also dives into controversial moves by pharmacies in Quebec to pull energy drinks from shelves, AI-powered drive-thrus rolling out at Dairy Queen, and a deeply emotional discussion about dairy farmer mental health and the economic realities facing agricultural producers across North America. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/us/dairy-farm-butter-ridge-pennsylvania.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gVA.Xwqj.Qig6BXd4EEKQ&smid=url-share About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Broadcasting live from the vibrant show floor of the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal, this episode of The Food Professor Podcast delivers a dynamic blend of industry insight, macroeconomic analysis, and a compelling first-ever deep dive into the fast-growing pet food sector. Our guest on this episode is Dylan Munro, Canadian-born COO and Co-Founder of Spot & Tango. Munro unpacks how the company is disrupting traditional pet food with its human-grade, vet-developed meals delivered via a direct-to-consumer subscription model. At the center of its innovation is FreshDry™ “UnKibble,” a product that bridges the gap between fresh and dry food—offering both nutritional integrity and convenience. With millions of meals already served in the U.S., Munro explains how the company is thoughtfully adapting its operations, logistics, and value proposition for Canadian pet parents—highlighting broader trends in premiumization, transparency, and health-conscious consumption across both human and pet food categories. In the news, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois pivot to the week’s most pressing food and agriculture news. They begin with a wide-ranging macro discussion. Central banks, including the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve, are holding interest rates steady amid geopolitical volatility, including disruptions stemming from the Iran war and the blockages in the Strait of Hormuz. The hosts explore how these pressures ripple through global supply chains, commodity pricing, and ultimately food costs and will result in food inflation towards the top of the estimate band for 2026 of 6%. The conversation then turns to Canada’s evolving fiscal strategy, including a spring fiscal update and debate over a potential sovereign wealth fund, drawing comparisons to the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund. They assess what this could mean for long-term agricultural investment and national food security. Data takes center stage with a discussion of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, supported by Caddle. The hosts unpack key findings on consumer confidence, affordability concerns, and shifting perceptions of the food system. They also tackle the increasingly controversial topic of surveillance pricing—what it is, whether it exists in practice, and how regulators and retailers are responding to the political pressure. The episode wraps with a series of sharp, fast-moving stories: follow-up legal action by Quebec’s maple syrup federation over alleged product adulteration, grassroots innovation from food banks experimenting with fresh produce, and the growing influence of creator-led food entrepreneurship—highlighted by a Montreal restaurateur hitting one million YouTube subscribers. The show closes on a celebratory note with the expansion of a local restaurant, reinforcing the resilience and creativity of Indie restaurants. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Trinh Tham , CEO of the Kevito Group , operator of Chatime and Bake Code—two of Canada’s fastest-growing quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands. Tham shares a compelling leadership journey spanning grocery retail, luxury fashion, and now high-growth foodservice, offering a masterclass in brand building, cultural authenticity, and scaling modern food concepts. Tham explains how her career—rooted in marketing, e-commerce, and digital merchandising at leading organizations like Sobeys and Harry Rosen—prepared her to lead in an entrepreneurial environment. She discusses the intentional pivot into a purpose-driven role aligned with her cultural heritage, helping bring globally inspired Asian beverage and bakery concepts into the Canadian mainstream. Under her leadership, Chatime has grown to over 100 locations, capitalizing on the explosive popularity of bubble tea—a category she describes as still early in its growth curve in Canada. A central theme is the balance between authenticity and localization . Tham outlines how Kevito adapts global food trends for Canadian consumers while preserving the cultural DNA that gives these brands credibility. She also breaks down the operational realities of scaling a franchise system, including managing costs, driving unit economics, and maintaining consistency—all while innovating with new products and experiences. Her perspective on building versus managing a business—and her emphasis on relationships, creativity, and disciplined execution—offers valuable insights for food entrepreneurs and retail leaders alike. Before the interview, the hosts unpack the week's food and agriculture news . Key topics include shifting consumer attitudes toward sustainability amid economic pressure, rising food inflation (still among the highest in the G7), and new data identifying Canada’s most and least expensive cities for grocery shopping. The episode also dives into global trade tensions impacting agri-food, including beef pricing pressures, supply chain dynamics, and potential import strategies to ease consumer costs. Additional discussion touches on farmland policy, grocery labour disruptions, and the ongoing complexity of food affordability. About Us Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world’s most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries. With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.