(Image credit: the Canadian Press).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Food chains have a lot of explaining to do on soaring grocery prices

Mar 8, 2023 | 4:46 AM

THE PRICE OF GROCERIES will be the focus of a new phase of a parliamentary probe today, and Canadians will be anxiously awaiting the outcome.

CEOs of the nation’s three biggest food chains are being called on the carpet and they’ve got some explaining to do.

While inflation is expected to continue heading down for the rest of this year, putting food on the plate inexplicably continues to cost us more and more.

Everything from fruits and veggies to meat and potatoes to dairy and cereal keep going up. Why?

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The food stores insist they aren’t taking advantage of us but projections by the 2023 Canada’s Food Price Report are that prices will continue rising.

According to the report, Canadian families of four could pay an additional $1,000 or more this year to feed themselves.

That’s about the amount extra we had to pay in 2022 over 2021. Here in B.C., we pay the highest prices in Canada for chicken, beef, cheese and eggs.

Sylvain Charlebois, the Dalhousie University professor acknowledged as THE food expert in Canada, says one of the main things we need from the food chain CEOs is a breakdown of their food profits as opposed to other goods they sell.

Canadians are angry. The excuse that external factors like the war in Ukraine and supply chain shortages don’t cut it when food chains are making record profits as Canadians suffer.

Food inflation has changed the way we eat. Price has always been a big factor in shopping for groceries but now we’ve been forced to shop for the cheapest, not the most nutritious. We’re saying no to some products in favour of less healthy alternatives and that’s a problem.

We need answers and we need change. But will the parliamentary committee be able to get them for us, or will it simply render a report with no teeth, much like the price-at-the-pump gasoline studies we’ve seen before?

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, alternate TNRD director and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.