The Food Professor

Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois unpack Canada’s $5B agri-food investment pledge, dairy milk “skimming” data, and trade infrastructure developments and the new Gordie Howe bridge threats before welcoming Jason McLinton, President of the Fisheries Council of Canada. McLinton explains why Canada ranks among the world’s most sustainable seafood producers, how $8B+ in exports shape the sector, and why science-based regulation and stable global market access are critical to protecting Canada’s blue economy.

This episode of The Food Professor Podcast spans food policy, pricing, and restaurant technology. Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois unpack Prairie farmer sentiment, Canada–U.S. trade tensions, the potential painful future of CUSMA, and the fiscal cost grocery rebates versus removing GST on food. The hosts also examine earlier comments from Mark Wiseman, Canada’s incoming Ambassador to the United States, and his critical views on supply management. The episode features an in-depth interview with Deborah Matteliano Simeoni, Global Head of Restaurants at Amazon Web Services, on AI, drive-thrus, loyalty, and QSR transformation.

Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois tackle major food and retail stories—from CFIA job cuts and the GST grocery credit to gene-edited pork, global trade shifts, Amazon’s grocery retreat, and Starbucks’ turnaround—before welcoming Cosimo Mammoliti, Founder & CEO of the Terroni Group. Cosimo shares how ingredient integrity, strict culinary traditions, and vertical integration built his restaurant empire, inspired his cookbook La Cucina di Terroni, and fueled his fast-growing frozen pizza brand, Porta.

Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois explore Canada’s evolving agri-food landscape, from renewed trade with China and Davos policy signals to alarming food inflation trends. The episode’s centerpiece is an interview with Deleo de Leonardis, CEO and Co-Founder of Purity IQ, who explains why basic identity testing is no longer enough to protect consumers from food fraud. Advanced authenticity testing, she argues, is becoming essential for trust in global food systems.

This episode of The Food Professor Podcast tackles major food and retail headlines, including McDonald’s aggressive price freeze, Aldi’s rapid U.S. expansion, Amazon’s underestimated grocery scale, climate narratives impacting agriculture, rising pet food costs, and Canada’s evolving trade relationship with China. Against this backdrop, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois are joined by the Force of Nature that is Suzie Yorke, CEO and Founder of The Little Cacao Company, who shares how founder-led innovation is reshaping chocolate, health, and indulgence.