U.S. rice takes stock in Canadian grocery stores
Apr 30, 2019
TORONTO, CANADA -- USA Rice is expanding its repertoire in the Canadian market with affordable and healthy ready-to-eat food options for people on the go. After months of preparation, the Gourmet & Go Express Selection meal line was launched in late November 2018 in select Shopper’s Drug Mart locations in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
The inaugural meal featured butter chicken with long grain U.S. rice. Each meal proudly displays the specially-designed, bilingual Think Rice label. This label, which features the Think Rice logo and complements the product packaging, is exclusively available in the Canadian market. The label was a key element that further motivated the manufacturer to switch to U.S. origin rice.
“Quality assurances are paramount as food safety continues to be a serious industry concern facing Canada’s foodservice sector,” said Pereina Choudhury, USA Rice’s Canadian contractor. “Consumers want to know where their food is from; in fact, origin trumps price point. This presents a great opportunity for U.S.-grown rice as it offers consistent quality and peace of mind to those who procure it and those who reach for products made with it.”
Gourmet & Go meals are popular among consumers. Since the launch of the product 15,501 units have been sold, equivalent to more than two thousand pounds of U.S.-grown rice. A Toronto Shopper’s Drug Mart that stocks the ready-to-eat meals reported that the product is replenished frequently due to solid demand. The promotion is expected to run until October 2019. Continued success in units sold and the overall positive reception of the product may incentivize retailers to extend the promotion throughout more Shopper’s locations and potentially offer it as a permanent store staple.
Canada has no domestic rice production and considers the United States the closest option for “locally” grown. It is the number two U.S. export market for long grain milled rice behind Haiti. Last year Canada imported 234,270 MT of U.S.-grown rice, capturing 57 percent of the market.