"I can't remember a time when I chose Dijon mustard over anything else. To give it some perspective, Mundus Agri reports that in the 2020 to 2021 season, Canada managed to export 99,000 metric tonnes. The scarcity is such that we have a potential 50 percent decrease in seeds so our production is down 50 percent.. France, the world's largest consumer of mustard, is already in the midst of a shortage as residents scramble to find the popular condiment in stores. Surely no further evidence is needed. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193 and email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com, Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform, Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance, Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android, Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube, a limited-edition wine made from mustard seeds, honeysuckle and viognier grapes, US STOCKS-S&P, Dow edge higher as JPMorgan gains; Fed meet in focus, Explainer-With Bluesky, Jack Dorsey has another go at Twitter-like service, Citi's Fraser warns U.S. debt ceiling debate has serious consequences, Apollo CEO on JPMorgan's First Republic deal: 'The strong get stronger', COLUMN-Funds go record short 5-year Treasuries, eye steeper US curve: McGeever. All rights reserved. "Straight-forward, simple ingredients with an average sodium content is what lands Plochman's [in] the middle of the list," Tao says. "Today, we're more in this mindset: of learning how we can move beyond chemicals to produce crops that may not be organic yet, but that are sustainable, if you like. This archived news story is available Well, all the varying kinds out there yield plenty of pros and cons. This is an old, indeed medieval, trope in times of shortage. The mysterious French mustard shortage | The Economist Does it not, after all, stand to reason? The gourmet condiment company Sir Kensington's received 15.68% of votes, followed by the favorite of Copyright The Economist Newspaper Limited 2023. A drought last year in Canada, the worlds largest supplier of mustard seed, wreaked havoc on the harvest. It belongs to the family of the brassicaceae. The U.K. is expected to feel it next. "If you are eating several servings of a mustard that is high in sodium, you could be consuming quite a bit of sodium.". They do not much care for the milder, sweeter sauce that is slathered on hot dogs in America. Monks continued to cultivate mustard in this fashion for centuries, and, in 1752, the link between Dijon and mustard was cemented thanks to Dijon local Jean Naigeon, who married the seeds, not with vinegar, but with verjuice the juice of unripe wine grapes historically used to add a pleasantly sour flavour to recipes in regions inhospitable to citrus. The deficit naturally leads to an increase in prices. Childhood obesity a national health concern has been stable at about 17 percent over the last decade. advice every day. France 24, a state-owned broadcaster, reports the shortage is already noticeable in that country, which is the birthplace of Dijon mustard and one of the countries most associated with the condiment. For Dsarmnien, the answer may indeed be found in the rich history of the region. Ingredients: White Distilled Vinegar, #1 Grade Mustard Seed, Water, Salt, Spices, Paprika. Western Canada wasn't the only area to feel the effects of climate change. The price of seeds has gone up three or four times, and maybe five times soon.". French's "We managed to find one pot in an independent grocery store that received only six pots last week," Nathalie Prevos told Insider. The mustard shortage is a historic event in France, unparalleled. 777 0 obj <> endobj With all that going on, and thanks to ongoing problems with shipping, mustard producers say they have no choice but to raise prices. Apparently, Canada has seen a disastrous harvest of mustard seed, while there is no need to explain the shortage in Ukraine. Why there is a shortage of Dijon mustard in France The reason appears to be a 'perfect storm' of events in the world's three largest mustard-producing countries; Canada, Russia and France. "Since the main ingredient of this mustard is organic and because it has less sodium than many of the other mustards on the list, Gulden's mustard comes in first place," Tao says. } ); Get the best food tips and diet The type they like has a nose-tingling kick. Ingredients: Water, Vinegars (White Distilled, Red Wine and White Wine), Mustard Seed, Sugar, Salt, White Wine, Garlic, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Turmeric, Natural Flavors, Annatto. Information in the story may be outdated The reason for the mustard shortage lies far away in Canada, a country that provides a whopping 80% of the brown-grain seeds needed for the French industry. Hence the problem. Rather than the brown seeds required for Dijon, Ukraine predominantly produces the white variety used in yellow and English mustard. There really isn't one, is there? Fast food is considered heavy in calories, and scientists have pointed at drive-thru french fries and takeout pizza as contributors to kids being overweight. Indeed, rows of speciality mustards line its shelves, flavoured with garlic, lemon or truffles, but plain Dijon mustard has sold out. Stay up to date with what you want to know. "You can make it anywhere in the world. It is a root vegetable, used as a spice and as a condiment. Mustard But "It's also worth mentioning is that both mustards contain unspecified spices and flavoring which could pose an issue for people who have stringent food restrictions," she adds. Surprisingly, French'sa common household brandis sans preservatives. "But [this percentage] is growing," he said. Other countries might be hit by a mustard shortage, but France's crisis is unique as it relies so heavily on Canadian seeds. xhr.send(payload); It's been at about 12 percent for the last decade, slightly more than the 11 percent previously reported for adults. Sacrebleu! Shortage of Dijon Mustard Sparks a Very French Unfortunately, this is out of our control, and without this essential ingredient, we are unable to produce any of our products. That's about the same as it was in the 1990s. Wrecked planes smoulder at Russias Saky airbase in Crimea, Russia is forcing Ukrainian conscripts into battle, A changing climate is bad news for a continent that doesnt like change, California: Do Not Sell My Personal Information, War-crimes prosecutions in Ukraine are a long game, Romanias hot economy is attracting foreign workers, A spat over farming bodes ill for Ukraines future European prospects. In 2009, they established an Indication Gographique Protge (IGP) a protected label similar to the AOP, but with fewer constraints. Packing more heat than American yellow mustard but less than powerful Chinese mustard or Bavarian senf, it capitalises on the pungency of the mustard seed by marrying it with the pleasant acidity of local Burgundian verjuice or, in most contemporary iterations, white wine. French a mustard shortage. As last year's mustard seed stocks are depleted, industry veterans are now warning that the shortage could lead to higher prices and empty shelves, according to CBC News. After recent limits on purchases of cooking oil caused by unnecessary panic-buying, now another staple of French cuisine is hard to come by - mustard. The mustard shortage has prompted Liardet to call for an increase in French production in order to be less dependent on imports. Earlier this year, southern Canada, where most of the country's mustard seed is grown, saw hot weather have a negative impact on the region's mustard crops so that if a plant normally has eight to ten seeds in a pod, the same mustard pods are only giving up four to six seeds this year (via AgCanada). It has lead to empty shelves in some supermarkets, while others have imposed limits on mustard-buying. "They wanted to re-localise production," Ohleyer said of Amora-Maille's parent company. France is in turmoil because of zut alors! We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including medical journals and scientific studies. Mustard Shortage 1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Spices and Flavoring. Read about our approach to external linking. "And that's how it all began.". 799 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<48B08D4E723E2541BC1FE7DB9CE1A4CF>]/Index[777 41]/Info 776 0 R/Length 111/Prev 107316/Root 778 0 R/Size 818/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Yelda says: "There was a disastrous drought in Western Canada [last summer]; Those who want the high-end mustard will have to pay more" (via France24).. This specific mustard is suggested due to its one special ingredient, according to Tao. US consumers do not appear to be affected, however. It's the perfect accompaniment to a slice of crisp-skinned roast chicken, the ideal way to jazz up a simple ham-and-butter sandwich and an essential ingredient in homemade mayonnaise. Given the conflict, producers less tied to specific mustard varieties turned to Canada's already meagre supply, intensifying the shortage. Our content is fact checked or reviewed by medical and diet professionals to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get sound nutrition and diet advice. single Despite the demand, she said, Burgundian seeds currently represent only 20-30% of the supply. mustard Mustard plants that would typically produceeight to 10 seeds in a pod eked out a mere four to six seeds this year, according toAGCanada, a network of farming-oriented publications. Reading or replaying the story in its As French producers of Camembert learned in the '80s, it's nearly impossible to protect a product's geographic origin retroactively. Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. In the meantime, the milder version may be their only optioneven if it is not the kind on which they are, er, mustard keen. F OR THE past few months, France has been gripped by the mystery of the Dijon mustard shortage. Get the best food tips and diet advice every single day, Now, you'll have the best and latest food and healthy eating news right in your inboxevery By the early But the truth is that despite its historical link the to the region, Dijon mustard has been delocalised for quite some time. If you have any concerns about the accuracy or timeliness of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing [emailprotected]. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); La Moutarderie Fallot represents about 5% of the total local mustard market in France (Credit: Georg Berg/Alamy). hbbd```b``"fHN $t ]DH0;l\Je"?ID_] H?7l;P ~ 0 _ "McCormick & Company is not experiencing shortages of mustard seed, which we attribute to our resilient global supply chain and strong sourcing capabilities," the parent company said in a written statement. %%EOF endstream endobj 778 0 obj <. Since the spring supermarkets across France have run short of the sharp, pale-yellow condiment. } Report: One-third of US kids still eat fast food every day Even though this brand is organic, there's something about the ingredient list that knocked it down to third place, and that's the salt. The shortage has shocked consumers and hobbled the mustard industry. Surely shops in Dijon, where the craft of the moutardier dates to 1634, must sell the stuff? xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); mustard A shortage of Dijon mustard has left French people desperately searching for a substitute. "Although we do not know exactly how much turmeric is in this mustard and if it would be enough to have any health benefits.". Mustard Shortage Possible Because of Climate Change "This project had been facing climate challenges these last few years, which discouraged a lot of farmers," she said, noting, nevertheless, that a rise in prices for seeds following the shortage "has rekindled the dynamic" and encouraged farmers to devote themselves ever more diligently to successful production of this now-scarce crop. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Western Canada had never seen flooding of the kind they experienced in November of 2021. France is the world's largest consumer of mustard, getting through about 2.2 pounds a year per person, according to The Times report. Charcoal producers would sow mustard seeds in fields filled with coal residue, a natural fertiliser, and the resulting seeds, explained Marc Dsarmnien, CEO and third generation head of La Moutarderie Fallot, were sold to master moutardiers in Dijon or Beaune. In recent years, more food brands had adopted similar marketing schemes to attract new consumers, and drive greater traffic toward core products. Since this May, France has faced a widespread dearth of Dijon mustard, leading one French resident to advertise two jars for sale to the tune of 6,000 or about 5,000 (since revealed to be merely in jest). "The simple, organic ingredients that are all listed in this one make it a top contender," Tao says, before pointing out that "the sodium content is more than double the Gulden's brand," which is a drawback.