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Letter: Difficult to avoid large food producers

In her latest Healthy Bites column, Serena Caner complains about our food supply “being controlled by fewer and fewer sources” and then goes on to list the big five “culprits” as being Loblaws, Sobey’s, Metro, Walmart, and Costco who all stock items supplied from 10 companies “who control almost every large food and beverage brand in the world.”
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Rossland Summit School wants to input from parents, students and community members on food and healthy eating. (Thinkstock)

In her latest Healthy Bites column, Serena Caner complains about our food supply “being controlled by fewer and fewer sources” and then goes on to list the big five “culprits” as being Loblaws, Sobey’s, Metro, Walmart, and Costco who all stock items supplied from 10 companies “who control almost every large food and beverage brand in the world.”

One “solution” – she says – “is to walk away from the industrial food system.” And, further, “to get your point across by not accepting bribes, but by spending your dollars elsewhere, such as local, independent grocery stores and farmer’s markets.”

I’m confused!

Is Save-On-Foods with its 91 stores exempted because they are a Western Canada company? If so, what about the fact that like the “big five,” Save-On also stocks products from the 10 big bad food producers?

And insofar as customers “accepting bribes”, what is she talking about?

And let me get this straight. Serena would have a family of four, with both parents working and barely making ends meet, abandon the big savings they’re enjoying with Walmart and Costco and shop instead at the locally owned corner store so they can feel good about paying more and having their budgets stretched further.

And to be sure they avoid buying products like Oreo cookies!

No thanks, Serena!

Terrance William Pausche