Tracy Fleming

Advanced Solutions, Avaya

The link between company and customer is built on experiences. It might be products and services that bring people to engage with a company in the first place, but it’s the quality of the interaction that retains customers, or loses them. Wherever and whenever that point of contact occurs, there’s a need to deliver an experience that’s welcoming, useful, appropriate, and enjoyable. With more than seven billion people on this planet, however, each with their own needs and desires, it’s simply impossible to curate a single experience that will suit them all. What one customer loves, another will hate.

And that really matters. People are no longer willing to accept friction in their interactions with companies. They know that there’s a better way and they expect it. The data is quite clear that customers are more than willing to walk away from a company after a bad experience. But how can you consistently create a good one for an audience with infinite variety?

The augmented human experience

In today’s era of cloud AI, the golden prize of a truly personalized experience for each customer is finally within reach. The answer is not, however, replacing agents with computers. Instead, we can augment the capabilities of the agents with AI, blending the human and the digital to create a seamlessly personal experience. “The human piece of this isn’t going away,” says Tracy Fleming, Practice Leader for AI at Avaya, a multinational technology company that specializes in cloud communications and workstream collaboration solutions. “Human interaction is still the gold standard. What you’re seeing is AI enabling that human to provide a better experience.”

Artificial intelligence is by no means a new area of exploration within the customer experience field, but as the capabilities of modern AI continue to grow exponentially, the implementation is taking on a whole new character. “The cloud is really the accelerator for the applied use of AI,” says Fleming. “It allows the technology to be applied seamlessly across an entire business model, and so we’re certainly seeing it being deployed in a much broader range of applications. But the core capabilities in this space have been executed in the Avaya world for years.”

Human interaction is still the gold standard. What you’re seeing is AI enabling that human to provide a better experience.

The angel on the shoulder

One of the major new developments is the ever-increasing speed and flexibility with which these AI solutions can be integrated into ongoing interactions. Gone is the time of AI systems facilitating the start of an interaction and then analyzing it afterwards. Whereas it used to be the norm for something like five percent of daily calls to be thoroughly analyzed after hours, now one hundred percent of calls can be analyzed as they’re happening.

AI still plays an integral role in directing the right customer to the right agent, not only for their needs, but also for their personality, demographics, and mood. But then it stays on the line. “What’s been really interesting due to the amount of computing and storage in the cloud today is the way we can provide outcome and input to agents in real time,” says Fleming. “We can have the AI acting as the front door concierge and also sitting on the shoulder of the agent as they’re talking. The AI hears what the customer is saying, finds the relevant data, and then renders it out to the agent on the fly. And it can prompt the agent before the call is over if they forget something, so you never have these incomplete experiences.”

The end result is an experience that is even more human. This is the real arc of the AI transformation, as it allows us to rehumanize our interactions. After decades of digitization and depersonalization, technology is building us a bridge back to genuine human connection.

Let’s see how your company scores on the total experience self-assessment?

There’s nothing artificial about an experience

When implemented properly to build dynamic experiences, artificial intelligence creates an environment where the humanity of both the agent and the customer is able to shine. The Avaya Experience Builders ecosystem leverages all the power of this technology to customize customization itself, so that the experience can be refined down to the essential of the business and then broadened again to fit the rich diversity of its customers. When done right, the most diligent AI experience work renders itself almost invisible.

“When a customer gets off a call thinking that, for 10 minutes, they were the only thing in that person’s world, they may not think to themselves, that was an incredible use of artificial intelligence,” says Fleming. “I would argue that’s the point. I think artificial intelligence is at its best when you don’t know it’s there.”

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For more than 50 years, LifeLabs has been serving the health care needs of Canadians with lab tests that help diagnose, treat, monitor, and prevent diseases. As Canada’s largest lab provider, LifeLabs performs more than 112 million tests each year.

The health and well-being of travellers as they start their journey is the top priority of FlyClear by LifeLabs.

Early in the pandemic, LifeLabs recognized that Canadians making essential trips required access to fast and accurate COVID-19 testing when planning travel. That’s when it launched FlyClear to provide a COVID-19 testing solution for Canadian travellers. Now available across Ontario and British Columbia, FlyClear by LifeLabs offers both pre-departure and on-arrival testing.

“As the medical science around COVID-19 continues to evolve, the ability to travel safely is critical. Our infectious disease and medical microbiologists have developed testing protocols that ensure those who need to fly, can fly with confidence,” says Dr. Andrew Don-Wauchope, M.D., Vice President of Clinical Services at LifeLabs. “The health and well-being of travellers as they start their journey is the top priority of FlyClear by LifeLabs.”

How do I get tested pre-departure?

With FlyClear by LifeLabs, travellers will receive their test results within 48 hours, allowing peace of mind while travelling. FlyClear offers both COVID-19 PCR and antibody testing, in just five simple steps:

Determine which test you need

Depending on where you’re travelling, you may need to get one or both types of COVID-19 tests — the molecular swab test, which uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) technology to detect whether you have an active infection, or the COVID-19 antibody blood test, which checks for different types of antibodies developed after exposure to COVID-19.

Calculate your testing window

Using a simple form on the FlyClear by LifeLabs website, enter your flight information to confirm that you have enough time to get tested before you travel.

Order testing

A simple questionnaire will provide
you with testing requirements for your destination country. Requirements are different for every country, so make sure you check out your travel destination’s official government website.

Get tested

Book your molecular COVID-19 swab test appointment
at participating Shoppers Drug Mart^® locations across BC and Ontario. If you require antibody testing as well, you can book your appointment at a LifeLabs clinic. The PCR test costs $199 plus HST, and the antibody test is only $75 plus HST.

Receive results

Within 48 hours, your results will be emailed to you.

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When atopic dermatitis causes our babies and children to suffer from itchy, dry, and inflamed skin, probiotics are providing a new option for scientifically demonstrated relief.

When we talk about the human microbiome, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the gut. But, while the microorganisms in our digestive tract are indeed essential to good health, they are far from the only microscopic friends in, or on, our body. Our skin itself is home to hundreds of species of symbiotic bacteria and fungi. Understanding our relationship with them is critical to dermatological health, including the relief of skin conditions like atopic dermatitis.

The skin microbiome, the gut microbiome, and the other microbiota throughout our bodies are not isolated from one another. No bacterial colony is an island, so to speak. Recent scientific investigation has made it quite clear that interventions at the level of the gut can profoundly influence microbiome behaviour throughout the body, opening up significant new support pathways involving oral probiotics.

“In recent years, it has been established that there is a relationship between the gut microbiome and skin health,” says Clinical Pharmacist Dragana Skokovic-Sunjic, author of the Clinical Guide to Probiotic Products published by the Alliance for Education on Probiotics. “New evidence is pointing to a gut-microbiome-skin relationship where bacteria are communicating via our immune responses to have effects on the skin. It’s believed that our gut microbiome can affect maturation of the immune system through this kind of a crosstalk.”

Expanding the treatment playbook for a common ailment

For atopic dermatitis, specifically, the possibility of a new relief option through oral probiotics is extremely welcoming. Atopic dermatitis, or eczema as it’s commonly known, is an extremely common and chronic inflammatory skin disease that can vary in intensity from inconvenient to overwhelming.

“Atopic dermatitis is not life-threatening, but it has a high impact on quality of life for those affected, especially kids,” says Skokovic-Sunjic. “There’s intense itching, inflammation of the skin, disrupted skin barrier and risk of infection, interrupted sleep, and, when we’re not talking about infants, embarrassment related to the skin’s appearance. And atopic dermatitis is very prevalent in kids. The statistics show that 20% of the infant population around the world will have childhood eczema or atopic dermatitis, and we see this prevalence increasing. We see it most often before five years of age, and it’s particularly frequent in very young infants.”

The standard eczema treatment, for decades, has been topical corticosteroids, with systemic treatment being reserved for only the most severe cases due to the risk of unwanted side effects. For children, and especially infants, there is limited data on the long-term effects of corticosteroid use so health care providers are cautious about administering them. As a result this leaves a void in treatment of juvenile atopic dermatitis leaving parents with few choices backed by scientific evidence. Fortunately, with the advent of new probiotic research, that gap is finally being bridged.

“A few single probiotic strains and combinations of strains have been explored and have shown benefits for atopic dermatitis,” says Skokovic-Sunjic. “One particular combination of three strains has shown improvement in kids 4 to 17 years of age when assessing symptoms with a specific index which includes objective and subjective measures. Across the board, there was significant improvement in symptoms with this combination of strains. This probiotic is taken by mouth, meaning that the bacteria first goes to the gut, modulates the gut response, and communicates with the immune system, which then promotes improvement in the skin condition.”

Hard science, over the counter

The specific study which Skokovic-Sunjic is referring to was published in 2018 in the American Medical Association’s peer-reviewed journal JAMA Dermatology; the first time a probiotic study has been included in the prestigious publication. It’s important to recognize that, though probiotics are an over-the-counter option for relief the supporting evidence is straight-forward clinical research, held to the highest scientific standards. “This study uses selection criteria, includes randomization, blinding, there is a group that receives placebo, sometimes there will be crossover,” says Skokovic-Sunjic. “All those fancy words describe the gold standard of clinical investigation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial.”

With that gold standard comes another important benefit, peace of mind. Many Canadians are rightly concerned about the safety of over-the-counter health products, and the scientific rigor with which probiotics are being investigated should thoroughly allay that concern. “People are often concerned about the safety of giving live bacteria to small kids, but there have been numerous studies showing their safety for use in children, infants, and even premature babies,” says Skokovic-Sunjic. “The only issue is selecting the appropriate one that is for the condition you wish to improve.”

We need to think about probiotics as a new opportunity to support skin health. Asking which specific probiotic strains have scientific evidence, demonstrating effectiveness and providing relief will help in the battle against skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis. Just as you wouldn’t take an antacid to deal with an ear infection, there’s no point in taking a Lactobacillus strain for a condition where only Escherichia has been shown to be effective. For atopic dermatitis, as for any condition, it’s essential that you speak with your doctor or pharmacist about the hard evidence when deciding which probiotic to use, or whether to use a probiotic at all.

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How do we find an investment that provides income for today and growth for tomorrow? A differentiated TD ETF provides an all-in-one solution.

We all need income to fulfil our everyday needs. Canadians approaching retirement, or already retired, may require income beyond what their government and various pension plans provide. For many, that means drawing a regular income stream from their investments.

Income-bearing investments tend to be in fixed-income securities, such as bonds and GICs (guaranteed investment certificates), which are tied to interest rates. Lower interest rates over the past decade have made it harder to earn income through fixed-income securities. Even the slightest interest rate drop can trigger a major drop to one’s regular income stream.

Add to this scenario rising inflation and its effect on purchasing power. “Inflation is something investors haven’t had to worry about for the past decade, but it’s going to make this a more challenging period for fixed-income investing than it has been for the last 40 years,” says Ben Gossack, Vice President and Director, Portfolio Manager within the Fundamental Equity Team at TD Asset Management Inc. “Inflation is that silent hand that takes money out from under your mattress.”

Lower yields and inflation cause challenges to long-term investors

Investors need alternate ways to generate income

To offset lower yields and rising inflation, investors need to think about long-term growth. “Income is important, but so is having a growing income stream,” says Gossack. “One way to do that is to build up one’s nest egg, but that gets harder to do as you get older.”

The market offers numerous investment alternatives to help solve this income/growth dilemma, either through individual securities or mutual funds. However, there are often trade-offs. For example, high-dividend-yielding stocks, utility companies, and consumer staples provide income but not growth. Others, like growth stocks, provide growth but not a lot of income.

There are also many exchange traded funds (ETFs) designed for income or growth, but here too investors may need to compromise. “The income solutions the industry has provided through ETFs have typically been high-dividend-yielding stocks or covered call strategies, where you’re giving up future potential upside for income today” says Gossack.

TGED seeks to provide stable monthly income plus long-term growth

The TD Active Global Enhanced Dividend ETF (TGED) is designed to secure a stable monthly income with a focus on total return. Established in May 2019, this differentiated ETF invests primarily in dividend-paying equity securities in developed markets around the world, and in some emerging markets.

“Effectively we’re trying to provide individuals with a healthy income without sacrificing growth, so over the long run we’re aiming to give the investor a great total return, which includes a four percent yield in the meantime,” says Gossack.

The fund employs an active stock selection approach, seeking quality large cap companies that generate free cash flow, have strong balance sheets, and are poised to take advantage of multi-year secular growth trends. “We then build income streams on top of that through active call writing and put writing,” says Gossack.

Here’s where differentiation really comes into play. “A lot of ETFs in the market approach their covered call writing with a systematic philosophy,” explains Gossack. “As such, they roll their contracts on a monthly schedule and limit their upside to a few percentage points above the current price levels,” he says. The downside of this approach is that systematic covered call strategies are often proven to sacrifice growth for income and will lag the market on a total return basis.

“Our approach on the other hand is completely flexible,” says Gossack. “We are not forced to write any contract, so we write ours when we see the best opportunity from an active fundamental lens,” he says. While Gossack notes this approach is more complicated, it enables the fund to enhance its income from these option premiums and leave upside for stock prices to appreciate to capture growth. In addition, it is rare to find an ETF that writes puts in addition to covered call writing. “Put writing allows us to get paid to buy stocks we like at lower prices” says Gossack.

This three-pronged approach is designed to provide an all-in-one solution to investors looking for income and growth. “Not many income strategies have stocks that do not pay out dividends,” says Gossack. “That’s unique to us because we can convert these companies into synthetic dividend payers through our active call writing.”

Despite the market turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic sell-off, TGED has maintained its regular income target of four percent and achieved a 19.6 percent return for 2020.

The fund is available on the retail market to all investors. To learn more about TD ETFs, visit TD.com/ETFs. To hear more from Ben Gossack and for a deep dive on TGED, listen to our TDAM Talks ETFs Videocast:  Income or Growth? Seek both with TGED.

The information contained herein has been provided by TD Asset Management Inc. and is for information purposes only. The information has been drawn from sources believed to be reliable. The information does not provide financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Particular investment, tax, or trading strategies should be evaluated relative to each individual’s objectives and risk tolerance.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in ETFs. Please read the prospectus and ETF Facts before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. ETF units are bought and sold at market price on a stock exchange and brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

TD ETFs are managed by TD Asset Management Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Toronto- Dominion Bank.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

^®The TD logo and other trademarks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or its subsidiaries.

The post TD Is Offering a Differentiated ETF for Income and Growth appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Jason Pelz

VP, Sustainability, Tetra Pak (Americas)

Tetra Pak is on a company-wide mission to create cartons that are more environmentally-sound than ever.

In the 1950s, Tetra Pak revolutionized food packaging with its paper-based, aseptic carton that can store liquids, including milk, for months without refrigeration.

Today, the company aims to transform the industry once again with a commitment to deliver the world’s most sustainable food package. Tetra Pak is working to create cartons made solely from plant-based or recycled materials that are responsibly sourced, fully recyclable, and carbon-neutral.

“Tetra Pak has long been committed to sustainability, but we’re now doubling down and taking this to the next level,” says Larine Urbina, Vice President of Communications (U.S. and Canada) at Tetra Pak. “The company is investing 100 million euros a year for the next five to 10 years in sustainable packaging solutions, working collaboratively across the value chain to ensure that we have innovative technologies and approaches to develop these new packages.”

Time for a better solution

Packaging plays the vital role of maintaining the nutritional value and taste of the product it contains while expanding access to food. Unfortunately, some materials in packaging contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, depletion of fossil-based resources, and waste in landfills and waterways. While recycling is part of the solution, only nine percent of plastic actually gets recycled. The packaging industry, along with food producers and consumers, realize that the world needs a better answer. And Tetra Pak intends to be a leader on this journey.

In addition to packaging liquid food products like milk, dairy alternatives, juice, and soup, Tetra Pak also provides processing technologies for products including ice cream, cheese, prepared foods, and more. Tetra Pak’s packages are made of an average of 70 percent paperboard from renewable wood fibres. However, they also contain thin layers of plastic and aluminum, both of which play a key role in securing food safety and extending shelf life.

“It’s a balance between protecting food and protecting the planet. Every layer in the package serves a specific purpose toward protecting the product inside,” says Jason Pelz, Vice President of Sustainability (Americas) at Tetra Pak. “For example, the thin aluminum layer plays a key role in food safety and long shelf life, so we can’t just remove that from the packaging. Instead, we’re working to find a more environmentally-sound solution.”

Sustainability throughout the supply chain

Pelz says that, in addition to the actual packaging, Tetra Pak’s commitment to sustainability focuses on the entire supply chain, which includes ensuring that materials are responsibly and sustainably sourced, replacing as much aluminum and plastic as possible, and increasing the efficiency of its manufacturing plants.

Already, all of its packages use paperboard from Forest Stewardship Council certified or controlled sources, meaning that the company sources raw materials from forests managed in a way that prevents biodiversity loss and ensures renewability. All of its sugarcane-based plastic is Bonsucro-certified, which means that it’s fully traceable to its origin, ensuring ethical business practices.​

In 2020, Tetra Pak committed to reach net-zero GHG emissions in its operations by 2030 and net-zero GHG emissions across the entire value chain by 2050. The company also educates consumers on recycling and works with customers, waste management professionals, recyclers, municipalities, and others in the value chain to expand the collection and recycling of packages.

Protecting food remains a priority

Pelz adds that the company won’t compromise on one of its founding principles—reducing food waste. Each year, 33 percent of food produced globally is lost or wasted, while many people across the world go hungry. Food waste also affects climate change. When we waste food, it wastes the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And food rotting in a landfill produces the GHG methane.

Urbina says that to reach its goals, Tetra Pak is strengthening its valuable partnerships with food producers, raw materials providers, and recyclers. “We recognize that to truly make it to the next level, we can’t do it alone,” she says. “It takes collaborative innovation to drive change.”

Within Tetra Pak, Pelz says that the journey to creating the world’s most sustainable food package is a whole company effort, with employees who are passionate about their mission. “It’s not just one department,” he says. “It’s a much bigger movement within the company to really make this central to what we do.”

The post Tetra Pak Is Taking the Lead on Sustainable Food Packaging appeared first on HiveInnovates.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented increase in the number of Canadians working from home. As workplaces continue to evolve and transition, it’s necessary to ensure that work can be done anywhere, without compromising speed, security, or performance. 

Over the last year, companies across Canada were forced to kick-start their digital transformations earlier and more quickly than expected to keep up with the need for remote offices. As networks expand and evolve, cyber threat actors look for new ways to access critical data. However, IT decision makers are becoming smarter about cybersecurity as time goes on. “Securing workforces has become a priority for organizations across all industries,” says Ivan Orsanic, Regional Vice President and Country Manager of Canada at Palo Alto Networks. “With one year of planning behind us and lots of trial and error, we’re seeing IT decision makers are preparing for the future with strategic investments into security technology.”
New technology is being developed to help businesses thrive, such as Palo Alto Networks upcoming Prisma Access 2.0, which will securely enable work-from-anywhere via its industry-leading cloud-delivered security platform. 

With experience comes expertise

Organizations are responding quickly and effectively to the new security needs of remote workforces. “Canadians are adapting to this reality with experience than when the pandemic first hit,” says Orsanic. “Organizations aren’t scrambling as they were in the beginning but are preparing for the likelihood that the new work-from-home or hybrid work model may be a permanent option for workers.”

Mindfulness of security needs is essential, with digital transformation, Internet of Things, and remote work being some of the more obvious trends. However, different ideas are circulating to help organizations stay protected. “One of the most notable trends we’re discussing with customers is around building strategic partnerships with security vendors, leveraging platforms, and automating security as we work through this pandemic and prepare for the new normal,” says Orsanic. “Doing more with fewer vendors has extensive financial and operational benefits.”  

The need for endpoint protection

The huge surge in remote workforces has resulted in a massive adoption of cloud technology. However, many cloud-delivered security offerings provide limited application coverage and inadequate protections. In 2021, Palo Alto Network’s over 500 enterprise customers, 53 percent of all remote workforce threats were against non-web apps. As a result, solutions that only protect web applications are leaving organizations open to a massive array of cybersecurity threats. 

“Visibility and control become factors with remote workforces, so having endpoint protection, cloud management for both public clouds and applications, and the right policies in place to protect data and users is important,” says Orsanic.  

Filling this gap is Prisma Access 2.0, which is able to protect all application traffic with complete security from a single cloud-delivered platform while ensuring high-performance access and optimized user experience.

Best-in-class security

Prisma Access 2.0 is resetting the bar for cloud-delivered security. Critical enhancements include machine learning-powered security to prevent attacks in real time, cloud secure web gateway (SWG) capabilities regardless of user location, and a reimagined cloud management experience. This is delivered while providing 10 times more throughput than other solutions for a faster remote connection and 4.3 million security updates per day to make organizations confident that users and data are secure. “We’re very excited to offer Prisma Access 2.0 to Canadians,” says Orsanic. “With this, we’re delivering the most complete cloud-delivered platform for securely enabling today’s remote workforces.”

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Technological advancements and the demand for sustainable and healthy options have converged to create unprecedented opportunities for Canadian agriculture.

Canada has a long-standing global reputation as an agricultural powerhouse. Recent advancements in technology and the growing demand for sustainable and healthy options have converged to create unprecedented opportunities for Canadian agriculture — and the world is taking note.

“We work with multinational corporations right around the globe,” says Shelley King, CEO of Natural Products Canada (NPC). “It’s our privilege to introduce them to Canadian companies and researchers who are developing the products and technologies they’re looking for.”

Not your grandparents’ agriculture

From coast to coast to coast, entrepreneurs are contributing innovative products, technologies, and solutions across the broad spectrum of the agricultural industry — from everything that goes into growing and raising crops and animals to the plethora of value-added products that come out of the other side. From raising insects to converting crop waste into bioplastics, Canada’s agricultural sector is more diverse and technologically advanced than ever.

A different approach to supporting innovation

NPC has the unique experience of working almost exclusively with innovators in and around the agriculture scene. Through a comprehensive and effective suite of programs, investment capital, advice, and networks, NPC supports Canadian startups, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and research institutes in the critical stages of development and commercialization.

Addressing the “valley of death”

A unique aspect of NPC is its focus on the capital requirements of early-stage companies. Often referred to as “the valley of death,” innovative businesses can face a financing gap between the public funds available for research and development and the private capital that’s often reserved for companies with strong balance sheets. NPC’s focus on helping companies become investment-ready, attracting investors to the opportunities, and actually investing in companies — 13 so far — has made a strong impact on the Canadian agricultural innovation scene.

It takes a village

NPC has also cultivated a cluster of investors, corporations, and industry experts — currently over 2,500 strong — all interested in Canada’s innovation opportunities. With partners across the country and around the world, they’re able to leverage the expertise, programs, capital, and industry intel that their clients and members need.

“The opportunity is huge,” says King. “If we all work together, Canada will reap the rewards of this agricultural revolution for generations to come.”

10 Canadian Companies That Boost Sustainable Food Production

BioTEPP’s natural biopesticides help fruit growers combat the pesky codling moth.

CanBiocin’s unique, species-specific probiotics help production animals like poultry stay healthy, naturally.

Entomo Farms is one of the largest producers of crickets in North America, which it turns into protein powder and other products.

Future Fields’ customized growth media for cellular agriculture (growing food from cells) offers cost-effective, scalable solutions.

The Harvest Hub uses proprietary indoor growing technology to create a sustainable and secure food supply.

Healthy Cow’s products address the health issues for dairy cattle in the critical 100-day transition period around calving.

Oberland Agriscience converts organic waste into food for black soldier fly larvae, which are a nutritious protein ingredient for pets, poultry, and fish.

NovoBind Livestock Therapeutics is developing natural solutions to protect livestock against pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites without the use of antibiotics.

Soileos is a plant-based fertilizer made from upcycled crop residues. The result is higher yields and increased nutrient densities.

Swirltex uses a unique membrane system for water treatment in a range of applications, including agricultural settings. This saves water resources and prevents harmful chemicals from leaching into soil or plants.

10 Canadian Companies Creating Innovative Products from Agricultural Outputs

Alberta Rhodiola Rosea Growers Organization (ARRGO) creates a sustainable, traceable source of rhodiola rosea, a plant that’s popular in natural health products for its stress-reducing properties.

Bast Fibre Tech uses hemp to create biodegradable, compostable fibres for use in disposable wipes and other personal care products.

Botaneco has developed a technique to extract protein from canola that shows excellent results as a feed for farmed salmon.

Chickapea produces a protein-rich, nutrient-dense pasta made with chickpeas and lentils.

Chinova Bioworks’ natural preservative, made from mushrooms, meets consumer demand for clean-label, natural ingredients.

Genecis Bioindustries diverts waste from food manufacturers to develop sustainable plastics.

Nature’s Crops is providing a plant-based source of omega-3 from the ahiflower.

Oneka uses plants and herbs grown on its organic farm to produce natural personal care and beauty products.

Winecrush uses a byproduct from the wine industry to create a natural flavour enhancer that reduces the need for salt in food products such as plant-based burgers.

YoFiit’s nutritious products include Mylk10, a dairy alternative made from chickpeas that has 10 times the protein of other plant-based milks.

The post Growing Opportunities with Natural Products Canada appeared first on HiveInnovates.

As we navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, meal solutions are gaining traction as consumers continue to search for easy, sustainable, customizable, and convenient options for dinner. Nick Kuriya, Vice President of Meal Solutions at Loblaw, shares his thoughts on this industry trend, the restaurant industry, and PC Chef, Loblaw’s new meal solutions venture that’s focused on solving dinner for Canadians.

Where do you see the future of food headed?

A few key macro-trends are likely to have an impact on the future of food:

• Meal solutions will continue gaining traction, as consumers seek to ease the mental load associated with the daily dinnertime dilemma. Easing the journey from inspiration to fulfillment will be critical. The distinction between grocery and foodservice will likely continue to blur.
   
• Increasing digital adoption and innovation will change shopping behaviours, ranging from helping Canadians make better food choices and manage shopping lists, while delivering on convenience.
   
• Increasing focus on sustainability of our food delivery system. As global population increases, we will need to feed more mouths while being kind to the Earth.

How is Loblaw helping shape the future of food?

A few of our recent initiatives align well with some of the macro-trends we are observing. For example, we recently launched PC Chef, which offers a range of meal kits and prepared meals in-store and for delivery within the Greater Toronto Area. We continue to innovate with our PC Express online grocery service, which continues to experience strong growth and is a go-to digital solution for Canadians. In addition, we are continuously exploring ways to migrate to more environmentally friendly packaging. 

Why is it important to support local restaurants as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic?

Local restaurants are vital parts of our community and serve a key role in feeding Canadians. They are led by passionate entrepreneurs and often shape the character and culture of our neighborhoods. Some estimates suggest that 30–50% of these local restaurants will have trouble surviving the economic impacts of this pandemic. It would be a shame to lose that many restaurants. We need to find a way to support them or we will lose a big part of our history and community.

How is Loblaw helping local restaurants recover and thrive?

We recently expanded our PC Chef delivery service to include meal kits prepared by restaurants. We partnered with seven top local restaurants (Burger’s Priest, La Carnita, Fresh, Kinton Ramen, Sala Modern Thai, Fat Lamb Kouzina, General Assembly Pizza) so that customers can re-create their favourite restaurant dishes in the comfort of their homes. Restaurants can expand their reach beyond their local area and capitalize on PC Chef’s expanded delivery zone covering most of the Greater Toronto Area. It also provides a new revenue stream to help restaurants offset the impacts of reduced dine-in capacity driven by the pandemic. We believe this is the first restaurant meal kit marketplace in the world and are thrilled with the results so far.

What is PC Chef, and how does it differentiate itself from other meal kits?

PC Chef is a provider of meal kits and prepared meals available in our stores or online at pcchef.ca. Unlike traditional meal kit services, we offer a range of different meal types to suit different occasions, like one-pan meal kits that minimize dirty dishes and are ready in under 10 minutes, and slow cooker meals kits that you can set and forget in an Instant Pot. There is no commitment or subscription. You don’t need to decide a week in advance, orders can be placed as late as noon the day before delivery. Ice packs and extra packaging are optional — we believe it’s a win-win, lower costs for the consumer and less waste for the environment.  

The post Food for Thought with Loblaw’s VP of Meal Solutions appeared first on HiveInnovates.

The COVID-19 pandemic caught many of us off guard. There’s been panic, uncertainty, and fear.  The pandemic has meant a crash course on the subjects of germs, their transmission, and how to deal with an outbreak. As we begin the slow journey of opening up once more, businesses need to focus on doing their part to protect their staff and clients. As a society, we have a  heightened sense of social vigilance with our newfound knowledge of zoonotic diseases, hand hygiene, physical distancing, and keeping our environment safe via disinfection.

Must be wet to disinfect

Many of today’s disinfectants evaporate before they have a chance to completely kill pathogens.¹ It’s essential that businesses and the general public understand that disinfectants must reach the wet dwell time (the length of time the surface needs to stay wet) as listed on the product label in order to achieve disinfection. If the label indicates a contact time of 10 minutes, the surface needs to stay wet for 10 minutes. For this reason, the best disinfectant products must be capable of staying wet throughout the length of the contact time listed on the label.

As we begin the slow journey of opening up once more, businesses need to focus on doing their part to protect their staff and clients.

Avoid poison control 

Many of today’s disinfectant chemicals are a threat to human and animal health.^{2, 3} Accidental poisonings associated with disinfectants have more than doubled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety profile and the potential health risks of a disinfectant must be assessed. Some disinfectants can cause permanent eye, skin, and mucous membrane damage, some are potentially carcinogenic, and some have been shown to induce asthma.^{2, 3}

Business owners are required to provide a safe work environment. When providing disinfectants for staff to use, training and access to personal protective equipment also need to be considered.  

Whether at work or at home, focus on the areas that are most frequently touched: this might include doorknobs, faucets, light switches, TV remotes, cell phones, and keyboards. These surfaces are often highly contaminated with pathogens and we may not think to wash our hands after touching them.

Many disinfectants evaporate before achieving disinfection. Using disinfectants that stay wet for required contact time will increase product effectiveness.

Some disinfectants have labels that are ambiguous. Due diligence is required to effectively select disinfectants to meet regulatory compliance.

Some disinfectants may pose a health risk to users, patients, clients, and the environment. Using a disinfectant with a preferred safety profile will increase user safety.

Good, but not good enough 

In the post-pandemic era, people are going to question the things they had previously taken for granted. Companies that communicate what they’re doing to make a positive impact on the world will attract people, providing a sense of community that staff and clients can be proud to stand behind. The pandemic provides a unique opportunity for businesses to show how responsible they are. 

In cases of emerging viral pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19), Health Canada uses the broad-spectrum virucide concept to determine whether a disinfectant is expected to kill it.^{4, 5}

Strategic businesses plan for the future. Choosing to use a hospital-grade disinfectant that kills more than 99.9% of bacteria and carries a broad-spectrum virucidal claim shows you’re thinking about future outbreaks and investing in the long-term health of its staff and clients.

The war against pathogens 

As disinfection is one of the key tenets for breaking the chain of infection, at Virox® Technologies our focus is on educating and developing disinfectant technologies to combat the shortcomings of legacy disinfectants currently used around the globe.

Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide® (AHP®) provides the perfect balance between safety and efficacy.  The patented technology uses the power of oxidation to clean and disinfect surfaces as it dries slowly to ensure disinfection has occurred. From SARS and norovirus to pandemic influenza and now COVID-19, AHP® has been on the front lines, fighting outbreaks and helping to save lives.

Nicole Kenny is the Vice President of Professional and Technical Services at Virox® Technologies Inc., a Canadian company on the front lines in the war against pathogens, specializing in the development of patented disinfectant technologies. Nicole’s passion for educating also includes a weekly blog called Talk Clean To Me that discusses infection prevention and the use of disinfectants.  

Sources

1. Omidbakhsh, N. Theoretical and Experimental Aspects of Microbicidal Activities of Hard Surface Disinfectants: Are Their Label Claims Based on Testing Under Field Conditions? JOURNAL OF AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 2010, 93(6):1-8.
2. Acute Antimicrobial Pesticide-Related Illnesses Among Workers in Health-Care Facilities – California, Louisiana, Michigan and Texas, 2002-2007. MMWR May 14, 2010;59(18):551-556.
3. Arif, AA, Delclos GL, Serra C. Occupational exposures and asthma among nursing professionals. Occup Environ Med. 2009;66:274-8
4. Government of Canada, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): For health professionals.
5. Government of Canada, Guidance Document – Disinfectant Drugs, January 2018.

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Craig Milligan

CEO & Co-Founder, MicroTraffic

Baiju Devani

Chief Data Officer & Senior Vice President, Data Science, Aviva Canada

By harnessing artificial intelligence to analyze near-miss data, Winnipeg startup MicroTraffic is helping to proactively mitigate traffic collisions.

Most Canadians are familiar with the Humboldt Broncos road tragedy that killed 16 people. While it’s all too common to encounter news about traffic collisions, new technology is enabling cities to build a safer future for drivers.

“Road safety is one of the hidden dangers of Canada,” says Craig Milligan, CEO and Co-Founder of MicroTraffic, a Winnipeg-based startup working to reduce traffic fatalities. “The size and depth of the pain and suffering coming from this issue aren’t top of mind for many people, but they’re very significant.”

“Whether we’re driving, biking, or walking, we all see the issues with safety on our roads. Every time I’m behind the wheel, I see many opportunities to use data to make our roads safer,” adds Baiju Devani, Chief Data Officer and Senior Vice President of Data Science at Aviva Canada, a leading property and auto insurance group.

There are about 2,000 road fatalities every year in Canada and many more serious injuries. The numbers aren’t improving, either — and the subset involving pedestrians and cyclists is on the rise. What makes these numbers especially vexing is the fact that they’re all preventable.

MicroTraffic is part of an effort to know the risk ahead of time and address it proactively.

Craig Milligan, CEO and Co-Founder of MicroTraffic

The value of near-miss data

“Traffic engineers have traditionally used historical crash data to find high-risk intersections and to try to bring targeted infrastructure to them,” says Milligan. However, 75 percent of fatalities occur at locations where fatalities haven’t previously occurred, which means the reactive approach isn’t working.

Near misses — essentially close calls or near crashes — can help cities to better understand risks within intersections and to make modifications before any fatalities occur. While many cities already have cameras pointed at intersections where near-miss collisions happen every day, the information isn’t getting recorded or turning into action.

A unique, proactive solution

MicroTraffic is a video analytics company that uses artificial intelligence to review and assess intersection camera footage for collisions and near-miss collisions, providing traffic engineers with invaluable diagnostics. 

“This technology allows governments to be more proactive,” says Milligan. “We’re not reactively waiting for risk factors to materialize as a result of a tragic outcome and then fixing them after the tragedy. MicroTraffic is part of an effort to know the risk ahead of time and address it proactively.” 

To date, 37 governments — including in the Greater Toronto Area, Los Angeles, Austin, Detroit, New Jersey, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton — have programmed over $200 million of road safety improvements using MicroTraffic’s diagnostic technology: changing the signal timing, adding signs, and even reconfiguring intersections’ physical layouts. Some cities have seen intersections drop from 15 critical near misses per day to zero after measuring with MicroTraffic and installing an improvement. There’s no doubt: the company’s analytics are creating safer roads.

Working together to make cities safer

MicroTraffic is one of four startups that are part of the inaugural cohort of Aviva Insurance and Highline Beta’s Safe x Connected Cities Accelerator, a program that’s helping scale startups with a focus on tackling road safety, mobility, and smart city challenges. The program offers mentorship, networking, and pilot opportunities. This includes a grant program that will be coming later this year, and that will allow more Canadian municipalities to access MicroTraffic’s technology.

“The relationship Aviva Canada has with MicroTraffic is collaborative and partnership-based, and we’re excited to have them on board,” says Devani.

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