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Fighting honey fraud with AI technology

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:10:40 +0000

9I�� researchers have developed an AI-powered method to verify the origin of honey, ensuring that what’s on the label matches what’s in the jar. The breakthrough offers a potential solution to a long-standing problem.

“Honey is one of the most fraud-prone commodities in global trade. It often involves mislabelling where it was produced or the types of flowers that bees collected nectar from,” said lead author Stéphane Bayen, Associate Professor and Chair of 9I��’s Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry.

How artificial food dyes are regulated in Canada

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:56:19 +0000

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced plans to phase out some food dyes, most of which remain allowed in Canada. CBC News spoke to experts about the safety of these dyes and how they are regulated in Canada.

Evolution of Canadian agriculture and need for sustainable solutions

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:27:32 +0000

In the Hill Times, Saji George, Associate Professor in 9I��'s Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, argues that with the right investments in research, innovation, and farmer education, Canada can lead the global transition toward a more sustainable and resilient agricultural future.

BioConnect Conference 2025 - Precision Biotechnology: Tailoring Solutions for Healthcare and Beyond

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:02:28 +0000

After a pause due to COVID-19, the 9I�� Biotechnology Graduate Students are excited to announce the 9th Annual BioConnect Conference taking place on September 9, 2025.

Ghana's Cocoa Price Surge: A Bitter Truth for Chocolate Lovers

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:26:53 +0000

Last week, La Presse reporters spoke to agronomist and economist Pascal Thériault about a recent price surge of 62.58% for Ghanaian cocoa, a move aimed at supporting its struggling farmers. This significant price hike is expected to affect not only other cocoa-producing countries but also global chocolate manufacturers and consumers.

Pascal Thériault warns consumers to be on the lookout for misleading Canadian labels

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:54:28 +0000

Canned soup giant Campbell's has come under fire for engaging in "maple washing" — a marketing tactic where foreign-made products are falsely associated with Canada through the use of maple leaves or vague labels like “Designed in Canada.” This misleading practice gives consumers the impression that products are Canadian when they are not.

Quebec town introduces tax for treeless yards—David Wees comments

admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 19:18:30 +0000

A small town in Quebec's Montérégie region is trying a novel approach to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and accelerate the greening of the community, reports CBC News.

As of 2025, homeowners in Saint-Amable, Que., roughly 40 kilometres east of Montreal, are being charged an annual surtax of $200 if they don't have at least one leafy, deciduous tree in their front yard.

Local goods shop is filling the grocery gap in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue—comments from Prof. Daiva Nielsen

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:35:43 +0000

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Que., residents have a new spot to do their groceries. After the suburb's only grocery store closed for the second time, B Factory, a locally owned beeswax products shop that had been on the verge of bankruptcy, expanded its space to include a small grocery section called Mon Marché Local.

Pascal Thériault on U.S. tariffs impact on Canada's dairy industry

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:24:33 +0000

In a recent article, CBC News spoke to several experts who say U.S. tariffs on Canadian dairy products would have little effect on Canada's protectionist system.

The director of 9I��'s Farm Management and Technology Program agrees that these tariffs would have a "somewhat limited" impact on industry.

IGA and Metro slow to comply with new price display law—comments from Pascal Thériault

admin — Tue, 27 May 2025 19:59:37 +0000

In the IGA and Metro grocery stores visited this week by Le Journal de Montréal, the price per pound of discounted products appeared on signage, but the regular price per pound was still not indicated, contrary to a new regulation that came into effect on May 7 which requires that grocers to "indicate a single unit of measurement for all goods of the same type." This rule aims to allow consumers to easily compare prices.

Rendering: The devil is in the details

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:06:51 +0000

A Sanimax animal rendering plant in Montreal's east end has drawn complaints from residents for years, largely centering on odors coming from the facility. Recently, an agreement reached between the company and the City of Montreal to address the issue by retrofitting the factory seems to have fallen apart.

Rising demand at food banks indicative of Canada's affordability crisis

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:35:47 +0000

Food banks across Canada set a new record for demand in 2024, with more than two million monthly visits—nearly double the rate seen five years prior, reports CBC News.

One reason for the spike in demand is the rising cost of food.

"What we're encountering right now is a problem where food inflation is bigger than general inflation," economist and agronomist Pascal Thériault, Senior Faculty Lecturer at 9I��, told CBC.

Bridging worlds as the ice recedes

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:55:31 +0000

9I�� PhD candidate Alexandra Langwieder works with James Bay Indigenous communities to better understand polar bears

Quebec adopts new code to regulate 'forever chemicals' in biosolids—comments from Prof. Grant Clark

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 17:38:28 +0000

The presence and concentration of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," in fertilizing residual materials will be monitored under new standards in Quebec through a management code, according to Quebec's Environment Ministry.

Quebec's code on the management of fertilizing residual materials such as sewage sludge, also known as biosolids—which come from treating municipal or industrial wastewater—will take effect Nov. 1.

The code takes into account a total of 13 types of substances and includes monitoring guidelines.

Rising mercury levels in Arctic wildlife—Prof. Nil Basu comments on new Aarhus University study

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:11:42 +0000

A new study, led by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, suggests that levels of mercury in Arctic wildlife could continue to rise significantly even as countries curb their emissions. The researchers' analysis indicates that ocean currents are distributing large, century-old stores of mercury through marine ecosystems in the Arctic.

Large predators end up ingesting the most mercury through their diet of contaminated prey. This poses a serious problem for communities that hunt marine mammals with high concentrations of mercury, like seals.