(HiltonFoods.com video screengrab)

U.K. firm to process meats in Canada for Walmart

Plant would be Hilton Foods' first in North America

Reading Time: 3 minutes A British-based firm processing proteins for the retail and foodservice sectors plans to set up shop somewhere in Eastern Canada, after reaching a deal to supply meat products to Walmart’s Canadian grocery business. Hilton Food Group announced Thursday it plans to open a new manufacturing plant in that region to supply Walmart Supercentres in Canada […] Read more

Walmart Canada bills itself as the first retailer in the country with an on-pack certified-sustainable claim for a line of beef products. (CNW Group/Walmart Canada)

Walmart locks in CRSB claim for in-store beef brand

Chain to be first retailer in Canada with certified-sustainable label on pack

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian arm of Walmart has locked in enough of a supply of certified-sustainable beef to label its entire Your Fresh Market burger patty line accordingly. The retail giant announced Monday it’s now sourcing beef from “certified sustainable” farms and ranches according to standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). The company […] Read more


Where Food Comes From (WFCF) is now the second auditing body for the Canadian Beef Sustainability Acceleration (CBSA) pilot. (WhereFoodComesFrom.com)

Sustainable beef pilot passes first-quarter mark

Reading Time: 2 minutes The packer behind the pilot of a Canadian value chain for certified sustainable beef says its first three months are proof the model is scalable as well as functional. The pilot’s first quarter “proved that a significant volume of beef can be successfully traced through a certified supply chain for the participating customers,” Gurneesh Bhandal, […] Read more



Earls president Mo Jessa took to YouTube on Wednesday to announce the company will work with Alberta ranchers to source beef meeting its criteria. (Earls.ca)

Earls retreats from U.S. beef sourcing

Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian upscale-casual dining chain Earls Restaurants has pulled back from its recent public commitment to the “Certified Humane Beef” brand. Mo Jessa, president of Vancouver-based Earls, said Wednesday the company will instead begin to “work with local ranchers to build our supply of Alberta beef that meets our criteria” for animal care and treatment. The […] Read more

A McDonald’s restaurant in Toronto. (McDonalds.ca)

Consumers want sustainable beef, but defining that may be murky

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada –– McDonald’s plans on using sustainable beef by 2016, and intends on sourcing at least part of it from Canadian producers. The fast food giant’s latest step toward sustainability is to define what exactly that means. Defining sustainability is important, according to a beef brand officer, because in some cases it’s something consumers […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Guenther: McDonald’s sustainability goals to reach beyond beef

Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers who want to keep supplying the world’s biggest quick-service restaurant chains can expect more scrutiny of their methods going forward. That’s because the chains’ customers appear to be looking for more sustainably-produced food — so companies such as McDonald’s in turn are looking for third-party verification to prove the ingredients they source make the […] Read more