Canadians are increasingly exposed to labels communicating specific processing aspects of food production. Food labels serve an important role, but who benefits the most from all of these different labels? Could they even be causing confusion and problems in the grocery aisle?
Jo-Ann McArthur, Founding Partner and President of Nourish Food Marketing, provided an overview of the marketing and misconceptions behind food labels.
Labelling local is something that has grown during the pandemic, McArthur said. “I think ‘local’ is kind of a proxy for transparency and trust…if something is locally grown, consumers see it as better tasting, it’s fresher, more nutritious, and it supports community. All these things mean better taste in the consumers’ minds.”
“Remember that nothing tastes as good as food with a good story,” she pointed out.
McArthur’s talk was one of three presentations in the Winter Speaker Series presented by Canadian Food Focus and Farm & Food Care in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.