Cost of celery spikes amid juice benefit claims, poor weather conditions
Posted May 1, 2019 4:24 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The price of celery has roughly doubled recently in part due to heavy rains and a fad diet promoting a one-ingredient celery juice.
Social media users are complaining of paying upwards of $5 for celery stalks, while a major Canadian grocer is advertising stalks for $5.99 online.
Statistic Canada’s most recent data shows a kilogram of celery cost on average $3 in April 2018 and Canadians paid 15.5 per cent more for fresh vegetables, including celery, last March compared to March 2018.
The agency says there has been unseasonably cold temperatures and heavy rainfall in recent months in areas that produce much of the celery Canada imports.
University of Guelph associate professor Mike von Massow says a self-proclaimed medical medium extolling the alleged health benefits of consuming a glass of celery juice daily is also helping to drive demand for an already limited supply.
Von Massow stresses there is no science to suggest celery is a superfood.
The Canadian Press
