Last week’s release of Health Canada’s new Food Guide should provide a welcome boost to the fruit and vegetable sector, in terms of both local production and imports. Although some say the guide hasn’t gone far enough in its recommendations, the new and improved version is undeniably a boon for the sector, given the number of Canadians, at both a personal and institutional level, who rely on it for their everyday food choices, including those whose New Year resolutions include getting (or staying) healthy…
Three things we really like about the new guide : first and foremost, the emphasis placed on fresh vegetables; second, the importance accorded to the daily consumption of pulses (so sorry, Lise Ravary) and cereals; and third, the lesser relative importance of meat and dairy products in our daily diet.
Apparently Health Canada decided to exclude the dairy industry from its review process to avoid being unduly influenced…an interesting concept considering the former’s recent decision to re-authorise the use of glyphosate for aother 15 years based on ‘studies’ financed by another industry. Go figure. Policy contradictions aside, the new guide is a great step towards healthier eating. What we’re hoping for next : better food labeling rules…