TORONTO, CANADA -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) office in Canada continues to play matchmaker, creating delicious food partnerships, like the recent pairing of USA Rice with Sunkist Citrus, to showcase high-quality U.S. food and beverage products in Canada.
The partnership, facilitated by Taste USA, the FAS promotions entity supported by more than 40 U.S. trade associations, tapped popular Canadian influencer and recipe curator, Anna Napolitano (
food.diva), to combine U.S.-grown rice and Sunkist lemons into a delicious and easy recipe dubbed Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice. Napolitano’s Instagram food post of her fresh and fast dish served in a half pineapple received more than 260 positive engagements, and when shared across USA Rice Canada’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, collectively reached more than 8,000 consumers.
This social media initiative aligns perfectly with Canadian consumers’ growing interest in trying new recipes that are appealing and easy. According to a recent survey conducted by a Canadian research firm, if a recipe looks appetizing, 43 percent of Canadians will cook it -- up 19 percent from a similar survey taken in 2017. And, if it looks easy to prepare, 70 percent will make it – an increase of 16 percent over the past three years.
“These results indicate Canadians eat with their eyes so showcasing rice in deliciously creative ways on visual social media platforms is an effective way to encourage consumption,” said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of international promotion in the Western Hemisphere. “Partnering between cooperators and influencers helps keep U.S.-grown rice top of mind in this market and USA Rice appreciates the FAS efforts to amplify our promotional efforts.”
Canada is the third largest export destination for U.S. milled rice, accounting for more than 230,000 MT in 2020.