The production of cheap margarine was a boon to poorer consumers. Although some countries adopted it easily, other countries tried to eliminate it or limit its availability. In the 1870s, margarine began to spread (pardon the pun) to other countries.

Shelley and Tony Spruit are going against the grain. After more than a quarter century of growing wheat, soybeans, and corn — mainly for animal feed and ethanol — the couple began experimenting with alternatives on their family owned and operated farm near Ottawa, planting seeds from corn and barley varieties not traditionally grown in Ontario. The move is reflective of their agricultural philosophy, and Shelley Spruit believes it’s critically important to educate consumers about what they’re

In his first article, “ Opening a digital window on our way of life ,” guest author Tim Lougheed introduced us to the federal government’s National Pollution Release Inventory (NPRI). In this second piece, Lougheed illustrates how NPRI data can be used to learn about the pollutants created through food production. When we think about the accomplishments that represent our civilization, does the modern grocery store come to mind? It should. Even the most modest one offers nutritional riches

You may be pleased, or not, my reading friend, to hear (read?) that yours truly, eager as I am to offer you an ever more varied selection of tasty viands, boldly went where I had not gone before in search of a topic for this week. And yes, I plead guilty to 2 counts of awkward paraphrasing, one against William “Bill” Shatner, an actor originally from the Montréal region of Québec, and one against Leonard Simon Nimoy. What’s this? You get the reference to the opening words of every episode of the

An Ottawa-based coffee roaster is hoping to give consumers a wake-up call about coffee waste and by-products.

Have you ever stopped to consider what food will look like in the future? In our rapidly-changing world, global food security issues — such as climate change, declining fresh water supply, loss of biodiversity, food waste, and the gap between producers and consumers — will have a direct impact on our food supply for tomorrow. The results will impact all of us. Amanda Huynh is a Canadian artist who works with food as a medium. Huynh contributed to the development of Edible Futures: Food for

If you’re the parent of a school-age child in Canada, there’s a very good chance you’ve had to think twice about allergic reactions to food — even if your own child doesn’t have allergies. Perhaps you’ve dropped your child off at school with a sandwich or snack, only to find out later that your well-intentioned food item may have put a classmate at risk of a severe allergic reaction. While planning a birthday party or playdate, you may have even been contacted by the parent of a child with

Catherine Beddall is, quite simply, a gingerbread mastermind. Forget basic little houses covered in gumdrops — Beddall is a food artist and gingerbread is her favourite medium. From an antique clock to space rockets and even a chess board, there’s no limit to Beddall’s creative designs. With Christmas on the horizon, the Ingenium Channel caught up with this award-winning pastry chef to learn more about her gingerbread obsession — and to glean some beginner tips. I understand you recently placed