Inflation Woes Take Precedence Over Healthy Eating for Most Canadians: Federal Audit Report

People shop for produce at the Granville Island Market in Vancouver on July 20, 2022. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Inflation woes have taken precedence over healthy eating for many Canadians as less than one-third of the population is consuming the minimum daily servings of fruit and vegetables recommended by the country’s official food guide, according to a federal audit report.

Published on June 12, the report noted that Canada’s food guide, launched by the government’s Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion (ONPP) in 2019, is not “reflective of the evolving food environment” Canadians face.

“The food guide was released prior to the recent rising cost of food due to inflation and does not currently acknowledge the growing issues of food availability and affordability in Canada,” said the report, prepared by the Office of Audit and Evaluation (OAE) at Health Canada, which evaluates the performance of ONPP.

As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, the audit found “there has been a decline in the consumption of fruits and vegetables.”

“A little less than half the population is using ONPP’s dietary guidance and only one quarter of the population is consuming the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables,” said the report.

The comment was based on findings in 2021-22 that indicated 44.3 percent of Canadians followed the dietary guide and only 25.4 percent reported eating fruits and vegetables five or more times per day—below the established target of 30 percent.

Findings in previous years didn’t fare much better, the report noted. In 2017-18, Canadians who used the guide made up 46.5 percent, and 28.6 percent ate the recommended servings. In 2016-17, 40.7 percent of the population adopted the guidelines while, notably, 30 percent met the target for fruit and vegetable consumption.

Challenges

The 2019 food guide recommended Canadians avoid luncheon meats, fruit juice, sugary breakfast cereals, store-made cakes and cookies in favour of more raw fruit, seeds and whole grains, fish, eggs, and poultry.

The OAE report acknowledged Canadians face challenges in choosing nutritious food amid the “increasing and easy availability” of “highly processed food items” in the current food environment.

“Not only are some nutritious foods more difficult to find, they can also be more expensive,” auditors wrote. “In addition, recommended foods like nuts and seeds or fruit may not be easily available in some parts of the country, or may be unaffordable.”

Prices for most recommended foods have shot up sharply since 2019. Statistics Canada’s “Monthly Average Retail Prices for Selected Products” compiled since the food guide was published show Canadians are paying:

• 10 percent more for salmon from $25.76 per kilogram to $28.21 on average;
• 15 percent for sunflower seeds from $4.01 per 400 grams to $4.62;
• 22 percent for dried beans from $2.94 per 900 grams to $3.60;
• 23 percent for chicken breasts from $11.97 per kilogram to $14.68;
• 25 percent for dried lentils from $3.17 per 900 grams to $3.97;
• 29 percent for oranges from $3.23 per kilogram to $4.18;
• 32 percent for apples from $4.36 per kilogram to $5.76;
• 36 percent for eggs from $3.30 per dozen to $4.50;
• 44 percent more for carrots from $2.89 per kilogram to $4.16.

The OAE report added that external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the influence of social media also “play a significant role” in affecting the eating behaviour of Canadians.