NOSM U student earns Canadian Medical Hall of Fame honour
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Global News
15 minutes ago
- Global News
Canadians won't see price of weight-loss drug Mounjaro rise despite U.K. hike
People using the popular weight-loss drug Mounjaro in the United Kingdom are set to pay a higher price for it, as pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly said it will raise the U.K. list price by up to 170 per cent. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to get drugmakers to raise prices in Europe to allow for price cuts in the United States. However, Canadians are not going to see a price hike, a spokesperson for Eli Lilly Canada told Global News. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Last week's announcement was specific to the UK, not Canada, so there are no pricing updates to share for Canadian patients,' the spokesperson told Global News in an emailed statement. The new U.K. price, which also applies to Lilly's Type 2 diabetes medicine with the same name, is effective from September. The price for a month's supply of the highest dose of the medicine will increase from £122 to £330 (C$227.98 to C$616.67), the company said. Story continues below advertisement The move reflects how the pharmaceutical industry is navigating policy changes in the United States, by far its most lucrative market, where Trump is pushing for lower domestic prices and encouraging price hikes overseas. Last week, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks told an investor call that parity between U.S. and European drug pricing was desirable in the long run, though he warned that European governments 'are not signing up to pay more for drugs.' — with files from Reuters
Vancouver Sun
3 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Why food recalls have increased so drastically in the last decade in Canada
Last year, it was plant-based refrigerated beverages . This summer, it's Dubai chocolate, which went from viral fame to plain old virulent, with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recalling several brands due to Salmonella contamination. It's not your imagination — there are more food recalls today than a decade ago, though the number has stayed relatively stable over the past five years. Experts say the reason why comes down to a couple of key factors: improved detection methods and regulations that modernized Canada's food safety system. When Sylvain Charlebois, senior director of Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab (AAL), posted a graph of the number of food recalls in Canada since 2011 on social media last week, some of his followers expressed surprise and concern. The graph showed a dramatic jump from 45 recalls in 2018 to 259 in 2019, remaining well above 100 ever since (with two years surpassing 250). Number of food recalls in Canada, since 2011 (Class, 1, 2 and 3). Our food safety culture is 'very strong,' says Charlebois, pointing to Canadians' reluctance to eat perfectly edible products past their best-before dates . Food recalls don't necessarily mean that our food system is unsafe — he sees them as a sign that it's maturing in a positive way. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'People tend to become quite nervous as soon as they see a metric that would suggest, perhaps, that things aren't going in the right direction, but they are in terms of food recalls.' Some recalls, such as the recent outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to various brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, such as Dubai chocolate, cause illnesses and hospitalizations, but many others are preventative. Though recalls due to microbiological hazards were the most prevalent from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2025, they can also result from allergens, extraneous material, chemicals and other reasons. Even in a modern, effective food safety system such as Canada's, risks cannot be completely eliminated 'Even in a modern, effective food safety system such as Canada's, risks cannot be completely eliminated. When unsafe food enters the marketplace, the CFIA works with the company to ensure that the public is informed and that the recall was effective at removing products from the market,' the CFIA said in an email to National Post. 'Consumers can help protect themselves and their families by following safe food handling practices at home and staying informed about food recalls by signing up for food recall notifications .' Keith Warriner, a professor at the University of Guelph's Department of Food Science , highlights that the means of detecting outbreaks are much better than they were 10 years ago, 'if not five years ago.' Sophisticated surveillance systems and advanced techniques, such as whole genome sequencing, have made it easier to identify risks. Companies are also doing more testing, which increases the likelihood of finding something warranting a recall, says Warriner. 'Even though no outbreaks are involved, they'll do it as a precaution. And you'll see microgreen producers, for example, they've had quite a few recalls of Listeria. Even though there's been no real outbreaks of Listeria with microgreens, they preempt it because they do a lot of testing.' Not only has the science improved, but the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Food Safety Modernization Act in the United States were instituted, which Warriner says put the onus on risk management. The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations came into force in January 2019, marking what Charlebois calls a turning point, 'allowing the entire industry at all levels, whether it's municipal, provincial or federal, to run more rigorous food safety systems.' Charlebois credits the regulations for the 476 per cent increase in food recalls — classes I (high-risk), II (moderate-risk) and III (low-risk) — the AAL identified from 2018 to 2019. In 2011, less than 10 per cent of contaminated items could be source-attributed (identifying outbreaks and tracing them to products), says Warriner. Today, that number has increased to roughly 25 per cent. However, the question of whether food is safer now, with 131 recalls so far this year, than in 2011, when there were only four, is a debating point. 'One could say that an increased number of recalls means we're detecting more, and therefore it's a successful food safety management system because the net is getting tighter. But another way of looking at it is saying, 'Well, we've got all this knowledge. Surely recalls should be going down,'' says Warriner. 'Testing doesn't improve food safety. It just makes you much more aware of a problem. Whereas the interventions, i.e., actual things to decontaminate products, have lagged behind. So, the famous saying from Frank Yiannas (former deputy commissioner of food policy and response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), 'When detection outpaces control, you're in trouble.'' Testing is necessary to detect risks, but controlling them needs to be more than words, says Warriner. He references LGMA (the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement), which was established in Arizona and California in the wake of the 2006 E. coli outbreak in spinach. The agreement was intended to tighten up the industry, 'but it all just became words and gestures (rather) than actual control. And that's going to be 20 years old next year.' There's also room for improvement in how the CFIA communicates food recalls to the public, says Charlebois. AI could make the process more precise and proactive by using targeted methods to identify and monitor risks. Implementing AI might mean even more recalls, affecting a smaller volume of food and reducing food waste as a result. 'I think it's reassuring to see the number of recalls we're seeing right now. But one has to think about the costs incurred in the industry because, as consumers, we eventually pay for these recalls. So, how do you make these recalls more efficient?' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our cookbook and recipe newsletter, Cook This, here .
Cision Canada
4 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Back-to-School: Hunger Hits Classrooms Across Canada Français
TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2025 /CNW/ - As thousands of students are heading back to class, a harsh reality emerges: Breakfast Club of Canada, the country's largest school food provider, is witnessing a record number of children attending supported breakfast programs. Indeed, at least one in three children in the country affirm arriving at school feeling hungry almost every day. 1 Faced with this reality, the organization is launching a fundraising campaign and calling on Canadians to join the solidarity movement to feed children. In a context of rising food insecurity, soaring food prices, increased cost of living and the burden of tariffs, families across Canada are facing impossible choices which directly impact the well-being of children and their capacity to learn. Today, nearly 2.5 million children 2 live in a food-insecure household, which represents a third of the children in the country. This is an alarming increase of nearly 20% in just one year. 3 Despite recent commitments by governments, this surge is putting immense pressure on school and nonprofit organizations, such as the Club, which are being called upon more than ever. "Behind these numbers lies immense potential: talents, voices and dreams at risk due to a lack of access to nutritious food. Breakfast programs are not a universal solution to today's challenges, but they remain a beneficial intervention for thousands of students throughout the school year," says Tommy Kulczyk, President and CEO of Breakfast Club of Canada. "Every child deserves an equal chance to succeed, no matter their circumstances," he adds. A seat at the table for equality Breakfast Club of Canada and its community partners have seen an average 30% increase in the number of children served in existing breakfast programs over the past few years, from coast to coast to coast. Today, over 880,000 children benefit from a nutritious breakfast through over 4,900 school nutrition programs supported by the Club and its partners, and the demand continues to grow. "We recognize the efforts and initiatives from all levels of government, especially through the National School Food Program, that played an important role in helping schools respond to growing needs. Despite this step, now more than ever, support from all sectors is essential to maintain and expand programs that ensure every child starts their day with the nourishment they need," says Judith Barry, Co-Founder and Director of Government Relations at Breakfast Club of Canada. "Whether in urban centres or remote regions, all students deserve access to nutritious food at school to support their development and learning. This is an issue that concerns us all," she adds. Indeed, the Club has observed that one in three schools across the country identifies access to healthy, affordable food as a daily challenge. Education is essential. So is nutritious food. Let's make the choice to help feed children at school. Proud of its 30-year history, Breakfast Club of Canada supports a variety of operational models through its national network. The Club is committed to continuing this support while ensuring that every breakfast includes the key components of Canada's Food Guide (protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) as well as promoting local food sourcing and food sovereignty within communities. Breakfast Club of Canada is calling on Canadians to join this movement of solidarity and believe in the power of breakfast. Starting today, anyone can help a child reach their full potential by texting "CLUB" to 20222 or by donating at For this important fundraising campaign, the Club can also count on the generosity of the MTY Foundation and Les Producteurs de lait du Québec, which will match all donations until October 31. To build awareness, ads will be broadcast on TV, online, and across social media throughout the campaign. Together, let's help children reach their full potential. About Breakfast Club of Canada Since 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada has been working with partners from all sectors to help children access a nutritious breakfast and reach their full potential. Accredited by Imagine Canada for its effective governance and recognized for its promotion of local food products, the Club helps reach children in every province and territory across the country. To learn more, visit or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
