Frequently Asked Questions

1Where can I purchase your soups?
Please use our Contact form to let us know which of our products you are looking for. We will help you locate them in your area.
2Do your soups contain sugar?
Some canned products require sugar to maintain the flavour, texture and colour of the food and are generally listed in the ingredients as words ending in “ose” such as sucrose and fructose.

If sugar is not listed in the ingredient list, there is no sugar added. Many products, however, contain natural sugars. The amount of total sugars in the product will be stated in the Nutrition Facts Table on the product label.
3Why do you add salt to your soups?
Salt is often added as a preservative and to also enhance flavour. Consumers who are limiting their sodium intake can compare the sodium content of foods by reading the nutritional facts on food labels to find the sodium in a single serving.
4How long is a can of your soup good for?
Most canned foods can be kept for up to two years from the date of processing. Canned food does retain its safety and nutritional value well beyond two years but it may have some variation in quality, such as a change of colour and texture. As always, we recommend that any swollen or leaking containers be discarded regardless of age.
5How can I tell the expiry date of your soup products?
Look at the top or bottom of the can, the expiry date is the first line of the code.

For example: The first line is BB/MA 2020 JA 05, which means Best Before January 05, 2020.

The second line is our internal production/lot code and begins with EST 142.
6How long can your soups be stored once they are open?
Once you remove the product from the can, it can be stored in a non-metal, sealable container inside the fridge for 3-4 days.
7There are black specks in my soup. Should I be concerned?
Black specks in our pasta soups are simply bran from the wheat that is used to make the product.
8Do you use preservatives or MSG in your products?
Preservatives may be used to maintain food quality when food is being shipped around the world. All of the food additives we use are approved by Health Canada and are continuously monitored for health and safety.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) is a flavour enhancer that is widely used in many food products, especially soups and sauces.
9Do your soups contain peanuts?
BCI Foods Inc. is not using peanuts as an ingredient in any of the recipes. Moreover we do not handle peanuts on our manufacturing lines. We label our products with the most up-to-date information according to Health Canada regulations on allergen.
10Do you offer any gluten-free products?
For a product to be deemed gluten-free, the manufacturing facility is required to follow strict allergen controls to ensure that the offending allergens are not carried from one product to the other.

These are the Aylmer soups that are gluten free:
Cream of Chicken
Cream of Mushroom
Chicken Broth

These are the Aylmer soups that contain gluten:
Tomato
Vegetable
Chicken Noodle
Cream of Celery
Less Sodium Tomato
Consommé
Beef Broth
11Do you have any Vegan/Vegetarian products?
Aylmer offers many varieties of soups that are Vegetarian and Vegan suitable. The Aylmer Soups that are Vegan: Tomato and Vegetable. The Aylmer Soups that are Vegetarian: Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Celery.
12Will BCI Foods Inc./Aylmer make a donation to our cause?
Due to the large number of requests we receive for donations, BCI Foods Inc. is unable to give to all organizations. That’s why BCI Foods Inc. commits to making a significant donation to one charitable organization each year.
13Why can't I buy all of your products at my local store?
As long as we are still manufacturing Aylmer soups, it will be available for stores to order. Speak to your store manager and ask them to carry it as they ultimately decide which products they carry.
14What are the inside of your cans coated with?
BCI Foods Inc. is now packing Primo/Aylmer soups in Bisphenol A non-intent (BPA-NI) can coatings. BPA NI refers to the fact that Bisphenol A (BPA) is not an added component of the coatings but may still be detected in very small amounts (parts per billion) as being ubiquitous in the natural environment.
15Are Aylmer products Kosher?
BCI Foods Inc. is not a Kosher recognized facility.
16What are the origins of the ingredients?
Our products are made with both Canadian and imported ingredients.
17Do you add food colouring to the soups?
The food colours used in some of our recipes are natural colours.
18Do the soups contain any modified corn starch?
In some soups, we use modified corn starch to improve the texture.
19Is yeast extract added to the soups?
Yeast extract is used in our products to give specific flavour.
20Where can I get further information on Nutritional Labels?
To learn more about reading Nutrition Labels, please see below:
Health Canada website
21How do I make a general enquiry about Aylmer?
Feel free to contact us by letter, email or phone.

Click here to go to our contact page and fill out our General Inquiry form.