Rising grocery prices are forcing many Canadians to cut back on meat and fresh food, while one in five say they have skipped meals over the past six months, according to new research commissioned by the federal Department of Agriculture.Blacklock's Reporter says the survey found food affordability has become the dominant concern for Canadian shoppers, with most respondents saying inflation has fundamentally changed how they buy groceries.According to the report, Survey On Consumer Perceptions Of Food: Wave VII, 71% of Canadians said they changed their food purchasing habits over the past year because of rising food prices.Among those changes, 67% reported shopping for discounted items, generic brands or lower-cost grocery stores.Nearly half of respondents, 48.5%, said they were buying less meat, dairy or fresh produce because prices had become too expensive.Another 44% said they had reduced their overall grocery purchases, while 36% reported substituting canned or frozen foods for more expensive fresh meat and produce.The survey also found food insecurity continues to affect many households.Asked whether they had skipped meals during the previous six months, 20% answered yes.Another 7% said they had relied on a food bank or charitable organization for food.The findings are based on responses from 3,000 Canadian consumers and were collected by Edmonton-based polling firm Advanis Inc. under a $61,704 contract with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.Concern over grocery costs far outweighed other food-related issues..Nine in 10 respondents said they were concerned about the affordability of food in Canada, including 70% who described themselves as "very concerned."Food prices ranked as a greater concern than the impact of tariffs on Canadian farmers, which concerned 81% of respondents.Other issues trailed considerably behind, including access to healthy and nutritious food (70%), pesticide use (67%), hormones in livestock and poultry production (65%), ethical treatment of animals (63%), antibiotic use in farming (62%) and genetically modified foods (57%).The latest survey follows an earlier federal review that concluded many Canadians are no longer able to follow the recommendations outlined in Canada's Food Guide.A 2023 Department of Health evaluation found only 30% of Canadians consumed the recommended minimum of five daily servings of fruits and vegetables."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," the department wrote in its Evaluation Of The Office Of Nutrition Policy And Promotion.The report also noted a continuing decline in fruit and vegetable consumption, adding that foods recommended by the guide, including nuts, seeds and fresh fruit, are either difficult to obtain in some parts of Canada or have become unaffordable for many households.The current version of Canada's Food Guide was introduced in 2019.Health Canada acknowledged external factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and changing food prices, have significantly altered Canadians' eating habits, with fewer than half of Canadians now using the department's dietary guidance.
