BRAMPTON, ON, July 10, 2012 /CNW/ - (TSX: L) Ontarians looking for locally sourced beef can now find Ontario Corn
Fed Beef at Real Canadian Superstore®** locations across the province, thanks to an expanded partnership between
Loblaw Companies Limited and the Ontario Cattle Feeders' Association
(OCFA). Real Canadian Superstore® is a banner store of Loblaw Companies Limited.
More than 500 Ontario farmers have committed to beefing up supply to
meet growing demand from customers for Ontario Corn Fed Beef. With the
announcement of 37 Real Canadian Superstore® locations involved in this program, approximately 241 Loblaw banner
stores now offer Corn Fed Beef.
Loblaw introduced the Ontario Corn Fed Beef Program in 2011 at 158Your Independent GrocerTM, Zehrs Markets®, Zehrs greatfoodTM and Valu-mart® locations and in May 2012 expanded the program to include 46 additional
stores including Loblaws®, Loblaw greatfood®, the Loblaws® store at Maple Leaf Gardens* and BloorStreet Market™.
"Ontario Corn Fed Beef is a top quality product at a great value - which
is exactly what our customers expect from us," says Sal Baio, senior
vice president, Fresh Meat and Seafood, Loblaw Companies Limited. "Our
customers have told us they want more local products and we've had
excellent feedback to Ontario Corn Fed Beef so far, so we're happy to
make it happen and support local farmers at the same time - it's a
win-win!"
Today's announcement reinforces Loblaw's "Canadian First" commitment, a
pledge to buy Canadian first, placing a priority on local and regional
fresh products when the safety, quality, availability and value are
right for customers.
In store, customers can look on pack and for signage in the meat section
to identify Ontario Corn Fed Beef. Throughout the summer, the Ontario
Cattle Feeders' Association will be on the road visiting stores across
Ontario, including Real Canadian Superstore® locations in Strathroy, St. Thomas, Peterborough, Georgetown, London
and Grimsby, Ontario, offering customers the opportunity to sample this
top quality product, meet Ontario cattle farmers, and learn about the
program. Local stores will promote each stop in advance.
"Loblaw's commitment to the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program is an
important show of support for Ontario farmers," says Jim Clark, farmer
and Executive Director, OCFA. "We're proud of our product and are
excited that even more Ontarians now have the chance to try it through
the increased distribution at Real Canadian Superstore® locations."
Cattle raised through the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program results in
beautifully marbled, rich, full-flavoured and tender top quality beef
and contains 14 essential nutrients. All of the cattle in the Ontario
Corn Fed Beef program have been fed a balanced diet with oversight for
the development of the rations being handled by an Animal Feed
Nutritionist who ensures a balanced diet of nutrient-rich grains such
as corn, wheat, barley and soybeans and seasonal forages such as hay
and grass. Farmers participating in the Ontario Corn Fed Beef program
must adhere to the strictest of Quality Assurance standards.
As Canada's second largest beef producing province, Ontario's cattle and
beef sector supports more than 11,000 jobs and contributes
approximately $4 billion dollars to the provincial economy.***
Canadian First
At Loblaw Companies Limited, we are committed to buy Canadian first,
placing a priority on local and regional fresh products when the
safety, quality, availability and value are right for our customers.
As the largest grocery retailer and food distributor in Canada, Loblaw
is proud to offer safe and healthy foods from across the country. Since
our inception in 1919, we have taken pride in working with local
farmers, fishermen and producers, helping them grow their businesses
and contributing to the growth of local economies. Loblaw enjoys long
standing, deep relationships with a wide assortment of Canadian
suppliers and we are proud to continue the tradition and commitment to
buy Canadian first.
Among the most visible symbols of Loblaw's commitment to local sourcing
are the annual Grown Close to Home™ and Savour the Season campaigns. The campaigns feature wholesome, fresh produce grown by
Canadian farmers and Loblaw aims to maximize the amount of fresh
Canadian-grown produce available year-round in Loblaw banner stores. In
2011, 30 per cent of Loblaw's annual produce purchases were Canadian.
Furthermore, up to 40 per cent of produce sold in-store during the peak
growing season were sourced from Canadian growers.
Among the innovative initiatives the Company believes will serve as
building blocks for its long-term vision to improve the sustainability
of our food, Loblaw granted a $3 million gift to the University of
Guelph to establish the Loblaw Companies Limited Chair in Sustainable
Food Production, and took a leading role in the development of the
Conference Board of Canada's Centre for Food in Canada, which aims to
develop a framework for a national food strategy.
Loblaw's approach to business is guided by five corporate social
responsibility principles: Respect the Environment, Source with Integrity, Make a Positive Difference in our Community, Reflect our Nation's Diversity and Be A Great Place to Work.
For more information, Loblaw's 2011 CSR report can be found online at loblaw.ca.
*Reg'd TM. Lic'd use.
** Real Canadian Superstore® is a banner store of Loblaw Companies Limited, which includes, Loblaws®, Loblaw greatfood®, Zehrs®, Zehrs greatfood™, Fortinos®, Real Canadian Superstore®, valu-mart®, Your Independent Grocer™, nofrills®, Cash & Carry™ Real Canadian Wholesale Club®, Atlantic Superstore®, Dominion® (in Newfoundland and Labrador), SaveEasy®, ProvigoMD, MaxiMD, Maxi&CieMD, Extra Foods® and more. For more information, visit pc.ca.
***Source: Ontario Cattle Feeders' Association
About Canada Beef Inc.
Canada Beef Inc. is an independent national organization representing
the marketing and promotion of the Canadian cattle and beef industry
worldwide. Its efforts to maximize demand for Canadian beef and
optimize the value of Canadian beef products are funded by cattle
producers through the National Beef Check-Off, which in turn makes it
possible to access beef industry market development funds provided by
the government of Canada and the Government of Alberta. www.canadabeef.ca
About Loblaw Companies Limited TSX: L
Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is
Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore,
general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one
of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000
corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its
franchisees employ more than 135,000 full-time and part-time employees.
Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to
providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of
products and services to meet the everyday household demands of
Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and
value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control
(private) label program, including the unique President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC®points loyalty program.