Lactalis Canada Applauds Grocery Industry’s Collaboration to Implement First-Ever Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct

Lactalis Canada confident Grocery Code of Conduct will contribute to a thriving grocery sector, benefiting farmers, manufacturers, retailers and Canadian consumers

July 24, 2024 – Toronto, ON – Lactalis Canada, the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro and Lactantia and a subsidiary of France-based Lactalis Group, applauds the announcement by the Federal-Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture on the implementation of a Grocery Code of Conduct in Canada.

“A Grocery Code of Conduct is good for business, everyone’s business – for suppliers and retailers, but ultimately it is good for Canadian consumers,” said Mark Taylor, President & CEO, Lactalis Canada. “Having experienced first-hand the benefits of a Grocery Code in the U.K. and now as an active participant in the development of Canada’s industry-led Grocery Code of Conduct, we must recognize this is a significant milestone as we strive to create an even stronger, more resilient and sustainable grocery supply chain for Canadians.”

Lactalis Canada has proactively identified internal opportunities tailored to working in a Code environment and collaborating with its retail customers to build joint solutions within the spirit and principles of the Grocery Code of Conduct that ultimately benefit the consumer, particularly with the rise of food insecurity in Canada.

“In advance of the Grocery Code of Conduct implementation, we have trained nearly 200 people, run regular briefings to help our teams understand the Code and built guideline protocols to support our customer-facing teams as they navigate our important customer relationships within this new framework,” said Taylor. “To be ready to be compliant, we understand by June 2025, we need to act now and have brought a compliance team together to support the process.”

About Lactalis Canada Inc. 
With over 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P’tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, Khaas, siggi’s, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Enjoy!, Marie Morin Canada, Galbani, and Président. With more than 30 operating sites including 20 manufacturing facilities, the company and its more than 4000 employees are committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians through its high-quality products, contribution to communities and partnership with farmers, customers, partners and suppliers. Lactalis Canada is part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit www.lactalis.ca