Join Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax with host Michael LeBlanc as they look at the hot issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries. We'll discuss proprietary industry and consumer food related research, check out fresh new ideas and talk about half baked strategies. © 2020-2026 M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Nov 13, 2026 · 56:20
The mood on the conference floor was far more optimistic than a year ago. Consumers are still buying coffee, AI dominated the hallway talk, and companies are looking for ways to…
Nov 5, 2026 · 1:02:41
Can a sub shop in Streetsville become the world’s largest Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food franchise? Bernadette Osmow, President of Osmow’s Shawarma, makes the case.…
Oct 29, 2026 · 1:01:27
Tyler has 31 years of experience and sat on PIC’s board before becoming CEO. PIC is one of Canada’s five global innovation clusters, and Sylvain calls it the strongest of the…
Oct 22, 2026 · 1:02:59
Murad built AGT on one bet: that Prairie farmers would replace summer fallow with lentils, chickpeas, peas and beans. The company now runs 41 manufacturing facilities on five…
Oct 15, 2026 · 51:19
Vin explains why Canada’s heavy reliance on trade with the U.S. and Mexico leaves fresh produce, seafood and imported proteins most at risk. He also looks at why 89% of Canadian…
Oct 8, 2026 · 1:12:34
WfE stands for Whisky for Everyone. Unlike most young distilleries, it makes no gin or vodka to pay the bills while its own spirit ages. Instead, the team buys aged Canadian…
Oct 1, 2026 · 1:13:48
It's an in-depth conversation with Jason Buechel, CEO of Whole Foods Market and Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores , a pick-up of an interview from my Remarkable…
Sep 24, 2026 · 1:02:24
On Season Seven, Episode Five of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Annemarie Swijtink, President & CEO of McDonald's Canada,…
Sep 17, 2026 · 1:01:49
Is artificial intelligence about to transform agriculture more than any other industry? On Season Seven, Episode Four of The Food Professor podcast, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and…
Sep 10, 2026 · 51:02
Everything you thought you knew about ghee is wrong. In this episode of The Food Professor podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Vreshin "Vresh"…
Sep 3, 2026 · 49:17
Season Seven, Episode 2 of The Food Professor podcast lands its first guest interview, and it's a Canadian food business story three decades in the making. Michael LeBlanc and…
Aug 27, 2026 · 43:17
The Food Professor podcast returns for Season Seven with a no-guest, all-catch-up season premiere. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois are back on the mic after a summer…
Aug 20, 2026 · 17:10
Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, this Food Professor summer bonus episode features Cloé Helmond, Co-Founder of Les Brutes du Soya, fresh off a…
Aug 13, 2026 · 17:38
Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada in Montreal, this Summer Bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast marks a first: an ingredient company winning the show's…
Aug 6, 2026 · 16:37
In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down live at the SIAL food innovation show in Montreal…
Jul 30, 2026 · 18:25
In this summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois broadcast live from the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal for a…
Jul 23, 2026 · 33:53
Editorial note: This conversation was recorded live at SIAL Canada in late April — well before the July CUSMA review deadline and the most recent U.S. tariff actions targeting…
Jul 16, 2026 · 16:50
Recorded live on the final day of SIAL Canada, this bonus episode of The Food Professor brings hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois face to face with Jacques Duhaime,…
Jul 2, 2026 · 56:22
In the Season 6 regular season finale of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome Pete Hoekstra, United States Ambassador to Canada ,…
Jun 25, 2026 · 51:18
This week on The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Vincent Breton, President & CEO of duBreton , Canada's leading organic pork…
Jun 18, 2026 · 1:02:04
This week on The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome Jean-François Archambault, Founder and General Manager of La Tablée des Chefs , for…
Jun 11, 2026 · 59:59
This week on The Food Professor Podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome two special guests for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred interview: Axel…
Jun 4, 2026 · 54:50
This week on The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Don Hill, Chairman of Sucro , for a rare inside look at one of the most…
May 28, 2026 · 50:12
This week on The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome back Karen Proud, President &…
May 21, 2026 · 1:07:25
This week on The Food Professor Podcast, our interview is recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal. Michael LeBlanc welcomes one of the most influential executives in global…
May 14, 2026 · 1:00:01
This week on The Food Professor Podcast , recorded live from the West Coast, Syvain in Chilliwack, Michael in L.A., begin with a fast-moving roundup of the biggest food, grocery,…
May 7, 2026 · 56:34
On this latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live inside the podcast fishbowl at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois welcome…
Apr 30, 2026 · 1:06:07
Broadcasting live from the vibrant show floor of the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal, this episode of The Food Professor Podcast delivers a dynamic blend of industry…
Apr 23, 2026 · 55:45
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Trinh Tham , CEO of the Kevito Group , operator of Chatime and Bake…
Apr 16, 2026 · 1:08:59
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome back to the mic Michael Graydon, CEO of Food, Health & Consumer Products…
Apr 9, 2026 · 48:06
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Stéphane Thuillier, CEO of SIAL Canada , for an in-depth…
Apr 2, 2026 · 44:58
What does it really take to run one of Canada's largest western grocery enterprises — and what does the future of food retail actually look like from the inside? This week on the…
Mar 26, 2026 · 58:15
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois lead with a fascinating interview featuring Rob Kelly, Chief Commercial Officer at IKEA…
Mar 19, 2026 · 56:19
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois tackle the biggest forces shaping Canada’s food economy—from rising grocery prices and…
Mar 12, 2026 · 57:41
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Cooper Sleeman, from John Sleeman & Sons Company’s Spring Mill Distillery…
Mar 5, 2026 · 55:05
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois begin with their weekly conversation on the latest food and agriculture news…
Feb 26, 2026 · 56:13
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Robert Carter, President of the Coffee Association of Canada and Managing…
Feb 19, 2026 · 37:10
In this special “Year of the Fire Horse” episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois deliver a wide-ranging and unfiltered analysis of the…
Feb 12, 2026 · 56:13
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois deliver a wide-ranging discussion that spans Canadian agricultural investment, dairy…
Feb 5, 2026 · 50:38
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois deliver a wide-ranging discussion that connects Canadian food policy, trade risk, pricing…
Jan 29, 2026 · 1:01:46
On this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois unpack one of the most wide-ranging conversations of the season—blending major food…
Jan 22, 2026 · 58:07
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois unpack two powerful and timely themes shaping Canada’s food system: the shifting…
Jan 15, 2026 · 53:44
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois deliver a wide-ranging discussion on the forces reshaping food, retail, and consumer…
Jan 8, 2026 · 53:34
In the first episode of 2026, The Food Professor Podcast kicks off the year with a wide-ranging discussion that blends big-picture food system insights with an inspiring founder…
Dec 18, 2025 · 1:04:52
The final episode of The Food Professor Podcast for 2025 delivers a timely, wide-ranging examination of Canada’s food system, blending macroeconomic analysis with a compelling,…
Dec 11, 2025 · 58:20
This episode of The Food Professor Podcast opens with Michael and Sylvain analyzing the most pressing developments shaping Canada’s food and retail landscape. Sylvain reflects on…
Dec 4, 2025 · 1:01:52
In this action and insight-packed episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Hugo Magnan, President of Groupe MAG , the…
Nov 27, 2025 · 51:50
This episode of The Food Professor Podcast takes a deep dive into one of the most powerful forces now reshaping the food industry: the rapid rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such…
Nov 20, 2025 · 54:50
In this can’t-miss episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois return with Part Two of their exclusive, final official interview with Michael…
Nov 13, 2025 · 54:56
In this first instalment of a two-part exclusive, The Food Professor Podcast sits down in person with Michael Medline, (now) former President and CEO of Empire Company Limited…
Nov 6, 2025 · 46:16
Recorded live at the Coffee Association of Canada Annual Conference , this special edition of The Food Professor Podcast with Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois brews up…
Oct 30, 2025 · 49:54
In this flavorful new episode of The Food Professor Podcast —presented by Caddle— Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois serve up an inspiring conversation with Rob Sengotta…
Oct 23, 2025 · 55:36
In this dynamic episode of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle , co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois dive into the latest headlines shaping Canada’s…
Oct 16, 2025 · 54:26
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois open with a wide-ranging conversation on global trade…
Oct 9, 2025 · 1:01:43
In this powerful new episode of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle , co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois dissect the forces shaping Canada’s food…
Oct 2, 2025 · 57:51
In this lively new episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois dive into the latest food, retail, and agriculture headlines before sitting…
Sep 25, 2025 · 49:30
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast presented by Caddle, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois bring their trademark mix of food industry news analysis…
Sep 18, 2025 · 53:35
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois deliver their trademark mix of hard-hitting food industry…
Sep 11, 2025 · 59:17
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois tackle the latest headlines shaping Canada’s food and retail landscape before…
Sep 4, 2025 · 59:02
Season Six, Episode Two of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle, blends sharp industry commentary with a fascinating guest interview. Hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr.…
Aug 28, 2025 · 41:54
Season Six of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle, kicks off with hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois diving into a whirlwind of summer news, trade…
Aug 21, 2025 · 19:45
In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc sits down with Brian Choi, CEO of The Food Institute , for a candid conversation recorded…
Aug 14, 2025 · 17:45
In this flavour-packed episode of The Food Professor Podcast , recorded live at the SIAL Canada Food Innovation Show , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois welcome Dieter…
Aug 7, 2025 · 20:51
In this flavourful episode of The Food Professor Podcast , host Michael LeBlanc welcomes Shruti Priya Agarwal and Akshay Kalekar , the co-founders of Whipdd , a rising Canadian…
Jul 31, 2025 · 22:14
In this deliciously inspiring episode of The Food Professor Podcast , co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down live in person in Toronto at the SIAL Food…
Jul 24, 2025 · 20:45
In this sizzling episode of The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live at the SIAL Canada food innovation show in Toronto, co-hosts Michael and Sylvain welcome Pierre-Olivier…
Jul 17, 2025 · 23:42
In this live episode from the SIAL Canada show floor in Toronto, we welcome a very special guest: Laura Brehaut, Food Reporter at the National Post . With a thoughtful blend of…
Jul 10, 2025 · 16:10
In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast , co-Michael interviews Ed Madronich, President of Flat Rock Cellars , recorded live at the Ontario Craft…
Jul 3, 2025 · 29:30
In this insightful summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Keith Currie , President at the Canadian…
Jun 26, 2025 · 23:59
In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast , recorded live at the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Toronto, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain…
Jun 19, 2025 · 20:11
In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor Podcast , host Michael LeBlanc brings listeners straight to the SIAL Food Innovation Show floor for a flavorful…
Jun 12, 2025 · 1:18:56
The Food Professor Podcast closes out its fifth season (sort of) with a sizzling, two-guest double feature and a feast of food industry insights. Co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr.…
Jun 5, 2025 · 44:42
This episode of The Food Professor Podcast , recorded live at the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Toronto, opens with co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois breaking…
May 29, 2025 · 54:11
This episode of The Food Professor Podcast is steeped in insights, storytelling, and smoky Texas flavour. Hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois kick off with a deep…
May 22, 2025 · 53:46
This episode opens with alarming news about Canada's food inflation reaching crisis levels. Charlebois reveals that Canada now has the highest food inflation rate among G7…
May 15, 2025 · 1:02:45
In this insightful episode of The Food Professor podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois explore Canadian food politics and industry developments before sitting…
May 8, 2025 · 57:32
In Season 5, Episode 35 of The Food Professor podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois deliver an information-packed episode with significant developments in both…
May 1, 2025 · 59:38
n Season 5 of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois take listeners inside the bustling SIAL Food Innovation Show in Toronto, bringing fresh…
Apr 24, 2025 · 54:02
In Season 5, Episode 33 of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois deliver a dynamic episode split between urgent food policy news and an…
Apr 17, 2025 · 51:19
The episode kicks off with breaking economic news: while Canada’s overall inflation slowed to 2.3% in March, food inflation surged to a staggering 3.2%—a monthly jump not seen…
Apr 10, 2025 · 59:22
In this power-packed episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois bring listeners up to speed on one of the most complex and…
Apr 3, 2025 · 49:53
This episode of The Food Professor Podcast brings together global trade drama and local wine opportunity. In the opening news segment, Michael and Sylvain react to the latest…
Mar 27, 2025 · 53:34
In the latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast , we dive into a wide range of topics, from international trade tensions to the evolving role of social media in the culinary…
Mar 20, 2025 · 52:11
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois take on some of the hottest topics, shaking up the Canadian food industry. There's…
Mar 13, 2025 · 1:10:10
In this episode of The Food Professor podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois tackle pressing issues in Canada's food industry before interviewing Mark Cunningham,…
Mar 6, 2025 · 58:21
The latest episode of The Food Professor Podcast delivers a timely and insightful discussion on the state of Canadian agriculture, the impact of Trump's tariffs, which Canadian…
Feb 27, 2025 · 41:50
Prepare for a jam-packed episode of The Food Professor Podcast as hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois break down the latest food and retail industry trends shaping…
Feb 20, 2025 · 58:55
The latest The Food Professor Podcast episode dives deep into the regulatory landscape shaping Canada's natural health product sector. Hosts Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain…
Feb 13, 2025 · 55:27
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , we welcome Karen Proud , the inaugural President and Adjudicator of the newly established Office of the Grocery Sector Code of…
Feb 6, 2025 · 48:00
Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois break down the most pressing food and trade stories this week on The Food Professor Podcast, which is making waves across Canada and…
Jan 30, 2025 · 53:01
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois explore diverse food industry topics. The show kicks off with a conversation about Texas…
Jan 23, 2025 · 57:53
This episode of The Food Professor podcast features Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois in conversation with Nicholas Mulroney, co-founder and CEO of Bond Bakery Brands. The…
Jan 16, 2025 · 35:26
On this episode we look at the hottest topics in the food business including class action claims over inaccurate grocery scales and the FTC's case against John Deere's repair…
Jan 9, 2025 · 52:11
The latest episode of The Food Professor podcast, hosted by Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois, offers a forward-looking discussion on 2025's potential impacts on the food…
Dec 19, 2024 · 45:49
In the final episode of The Food Professor Podcast for 2024, presented by Caddle, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois reflect on a whirlwind year in the agri-food…
Dec 12, 2024 · 50:18
In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast , Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois discuss various pressing topics in the food and retail sectors. We begin with reflections…
Dec 5, 2024 · 55:28
This episode of The Food Professor #podcast highlights the release of Canada's Food Price Report, forecasting a 3-5% increase in food costs for 2025, translating to an additional…
Nov 28, 2024 · 55:00
In this engaging episode of The Food Professor Podcast , hosts Sylvain Charlebois and Michael LeBlanc navigate a packed agenda, blending international trade, environmental…
Nov 21, 2024 · 43:35
In this lively episode of The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois tackle a rich menu of topics spanning BBQ, agriculture,…
Nov 14, 2024 · 51:48
This week on The Food Professor Podcast , presented by Caddle, we dive into a compelling episode featuring Mitchell Scott, CEO of Cult Food Science. Mitchell's company is at the…
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