the atlantic region had the highest instances of shelflation, with 70 per cent of respondents saying they had thrown away food prematurely in the past half year; saskatchewan the lowest at 42 per cent.
“(shelflation) is absolutely a problem. and when you think about the atlantic, when you think about the prairies, the north as well, perishability is a costly thing,” he adds. “so, if the shelf life of products is compromised and shortened, it will make some markets more difficult to service and it does contribute to everyone’s food bill.”
produce was the hardest hit category (45 per cent), followed by dairy (31 per cent), bakery products (27 per cent) and meat (17 per cent).
produce is especially vulnerable to shelflation, says charlebois, because it’s delivered to retailers on such a tight schedule. this
“just-in-time” model means you could make a salad in toronto using lettuce that was harvested in california just a few days before.
“a lot of things can happen from that field out in california to our plates in canada,” he adds.
“the work that is being done to offer a good product to canadians needs to be appreciated. but something may go wrong, and something will go wrong at times.”
ted onyszczak, produce buyer for toronto grocery store
the sweet potato, told
canadian grocer that at least two shipments per week is ideal for ensuring freshness of boxed salads. his california supplier recently cut the number of shipments to one a week due to transportation issues.