Canada鈥檚 industry minister made a point of calling out Pepsi and Coca-Cola for not sending representatives to a meeting he convened on Monday with manufacturing companies to discuss stabilizing grocery prices.

Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne singled out the two companies when asked by a journalist what the consequences would be if major industry players did not succeed in stopping high inflation.

鈥淭his morning, (their CEOs) did not attend the meeting,鈥� Champagne said of beverage giants Pepsi and Coca-Cola.

鈥淚 intend to call on them and I will continue to do so. 鈥� I don鈥檛 stop,鈥� he told reporters.

The Canadian leaders of seven international manufacturing companies, including Nestl茅 and Kraft Heinz, met with Champagne.

He summoned them to answer to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 call earlier this month for Canadian grocers to come up with a plan to stabilize prices by Thanksgiving.

If major grocers fail to deliver ideas, Champagne said, 鈥渢he consequence is for all 40 million Canadians because we will be able to see who is taking action and who is not.鈥�

A government source told The Canadian Press that the CEOs of Pepsi and Coca-Cola responded to the federal government summons by stating they were not available Monday. The source was granted anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the matter.

It鈥檚 unclear, however, whether another meeting between major food companies and the government will take place.

Monday鈥檚 meeting brought together top Canadian executives from McCain, Unilever, Nestl茅, Lactalis, Lassonde, Kraft Heinz, and Smucker Foods.

All avoided speaking with journalists. The CEO of the Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada association, Michael Graydon, attended the meeting and agreed to answer questions on their behalf.

Graydon called the meeting 鈥渧ery productive.鈥�

鈥漌e鈥檙e very much about co-operation and support, collaboration,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an industry that needs to align and work collectively to find a solution.鈥�

He said manufacturers want to collaborate with other players in the supply chain, such as major retailers like Loblaw and Costco, whose leaders Champagne met with one week earlier.

Trudeau has said that if the government isn鈥檛 satisfied with what major grocers come up with to stabilize prices, he would intervene, including with tax measures.

Graydon said it remains to be seen how detailed the plans will be by the government鈥檚 Thanksgiving deadline.

鈥漌e鈥檒l have to see whether, you know, the detail of how much completeness can be done by that time. But I think everybody鈥檚 working very hard to achieve that,鈥� Graydon said.

Champagne said he is happy Graydon 鈥渨ants to do something,鈥� because 鈥渋t鈥檚 a gain for Canadians.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that what鈥檚 important is that we have timelines, work plans, and obviously concrete actions,鈥� the minister said.

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