It’s no secret that our food purchases have a direct impact on our health, but did you know that your choices may also have a far-reaching effect?
Many consumers pay attention to the origins of their food, preferring to choose home-grown products. This type of conscious purchasing has a direct and positive impact on Canadian farmers, beekeepers, and other food-related industries.
Take honey, for example. Recently, many brands have started to blend a foreign supply with a minimum percentage of Canadian honey. As a result, less honey is required domestically and increasingly, more of it is imported into Canada. That’s bad news for local beekeepers who depend on the demand for their product, as well as for the farmers that rely on bees for crop pollination.
But not all Canadian packers are giving in to the blended trend. Guy Chartier, CEO of Bee Maid Honey, notes that this producer-owned co-op has been a part of the Canadian food landscape for over 60 years.
“Our beekeeper owners take great pride in their ownership, and take extreme care to provide the best quality honey,” he explains. “We source it all from our owners, and this structure ensures that our honey is of consistent quality year after year, bottle after bottle.”
Canadian honey standards are among the highest in the world, and the country’s beekeepers work hard to meet and exceed those standards, Chartier points out. “So not only do companies like Bee Maid Honey support the success of our beekeepers and farmers, but you know that what you’re eating meets strict health and safety standards.”
Be sure to read the labels on products the next time you’re in a grocery store. It may be the best way for you to support local beekeepers and agriculture – and as barbecue season arrives, do try this delicious recipe featuring Canadian honey:
Honey Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 cup BeeMaid honey
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
Directions
Sauté onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add remaining ingredients and bring mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
More tasty recipes are available at www.beemaid.com.
www.newscanada.com