Thank you very much. It is a very interesting discussion, and I can certainly sympathize with the challenges of trying to manage this file.
We know that Canada has changed a lot. You mentioned in your comments, Ms. Bush, that Canada has changed so much in the years since the food guide was first established.
Dr. Bennett mentioned omega-3. You mentioned folic acid.
Agricultural practices have changed so much today that the food and nutrient content of our foods are perhaps not what they were in our parents' day. The tomato of 1956 was probably not the same as a tomato in 2006 in terms of the nutrient content. When you add to that the complications of travel to the north, many of our food products are picked before they're optimal.
You talked about in-season fruits, which are great when you can get them fresh. But with our transportation today, they are transported great distances. I chose an avocado appetizer the other day, which sounded great on the menu, with tuna and good stuff mixed in with it, but the avocado was so hard it was crunchy. It makes you wonder whether the food value of that is actually what we might have anticipated.
You made reference to the challenge of metering nutrients. I might add to the list—we were talking about calcium—bio-availability challenges with some of the products that are out there. You mentioned eating and then taking a vitamin and mineral supplement. Is there any consideration of recommending to Canadians that they take a vitamin/mineral supplement to augment foods that vary in nutritional value from one place to another, to help meet those nutritional requirements?