Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the issue of sodium and the active role of Canada's restaurant and food services industry in playing a part in the solution.
The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association is the largest hospitality association in the country, with 33,000 members. We comprise the quick and full-service restaurants, hotels, social and contract caterers, clubs, coffee shops, and pubs, as well as institutions such as hospitals, schools, and offices. We represent a $60 billion industry that employs over one million Canadians. Every dollar spent at a restaurant generates an additional $1.85 in spending in the rest of the economy, well above the average of all industries in Canada.
Food service is a very competitive business that operates on razor-thin margins. Rising food and labour costs reduce the pre-tax profit margin of the average operator to only 4.4% of operating revenue in 2007. In contrast, the average business in Canada enjoys a pre-tax profit of 7%.
Canada's restaurant and food services industry recognizes the challenges Canadians face managing busy, active lifestyles in a complex, modern world. That's why the restaurant industry offers a wide range of menu items to satisfy an increasingly diverse set of consumer demands.