Veggie Noodles
One of the hottest meal trends in both Canada and the United States are micro-sliced vegetables, often called spiralized or ribbon ‘noodles,’ as a primary protein. Consumers buy them with other packaged sides like fresh-cut fruit and vegetables to create a full meal.
These newfangled noodles have gained considerable pull with shoppers of all ages looking for a quick, healthy meal. The thinly-cut vegetables can be prepared like pasta but have less calories than traditional noodles. Among the sliced vegetables flying off retail shelves as pasta alternatives are broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, and zucchini.
Fresh Forum
Do you think a Trump Administration retool of NAFTA will negatively impact U.S. trade with Canada?Bruce Nicholas, Ontario Food Terminal Board
I would go under the assumption that we are buying a lot of product from the United States and therefore Trump’s interests are selling it to us. Why would he want to interfere with that?Edwin Yu, Season Produce, Inc.
Definitely. It depends on what aspects he retools—tariffs or import restrictions—but there is definitely a fear out there. He has delivered on some of his campaign promises, others he hasn’t. We have to play it day by day, but when all is said and done, we have to eat and we will do our best to work with it.Anthony Formusa, National Produce Marketing, Inc.
You have to be a clairvoyant to answer—it’s hard to foresee exactly the seriousness or the magnitude… More and more Canadian produce companies are developing relationships with Mexican producers, so this could have an impact. New business practices include crossing the goods “in bond” (across the United States without officially entering it) versus buying Mexican from Nogales and other border cities. Depending on policy, that could be a way to avoid duties, or it could be a red-tape nightmare.Manny Dinis, Triple Star Logistics Inc.
The retooling of NAFTA would have a big impact on Canada/U.S. trade. The United States is Canada’s biggest trading partner and any changes to the agreement would slow the number of goods moving across the border.Normand Legault, Metro Ontario Inc.
Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen. Prior to NAFTA, we had tariffs and we lived with them. It’s no different than rain or a drought that raises costs, but it’s all speculation at this time.Rick Carnevale, Veg-Pak Produce Ltd.
It would depend to what extent NAFTA will be retooled; it would change the export dynamics between the United States and Canada versus Canada and Mexico, and likely increase the strength of Mexican and global imports into Canada. I think the United States is very dependent on Canadian markets to make up its volume, so I don’t think U.S. growers would be too happy with a tariff scenario.John Russell, J.E. Russell Produce Limited
As far as imports from the United States, that would probably mean tariffs. Although we experienced tariffs before NAFTA, they will drive prices up. And when you couple that with an already difficult currency exchange, you get increasing prices for fresh produce with no real value basis, and that’s never a good thing.
“We’ve started offering shredded veggie spirals made from squash,” confirms Rick Carnevale, vice president at Veg-Pak Produce Ltd., who has seen demand for not only the spiralized noodles, but various vegetable mixes and an increasing range of ready-to-use items, especially Asian and Indian vegetables.
