Food, Glorious (Canadian) Food

Toronto, ON - In order to control their food bill, eight in ten (80%) Canadians are cooking at home more often, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Dietitians of Canada. Likely in order to save money due to the struggling economy over the past year, many Canadians are also checking weekly flyers for sales or using coupons (76%), going without more costly food (49%), buying in bulk (44%), buying from the farmer's market (27%), and growing their own garden (24%). Just 4% of Canadians aren't employing any of these cost-cutting tactics. Nine in ten (87%) `agree' (50% strongly/37% somewhat) that they sometimes don't buy certain food because it costs too much.

Canadians appear to have a favourable assessment towards food that is produced locally. More specifically, most (96%) believe that the term `healthy' describes food found in their region or province, while most others say that the words fresh (94%), safe (93%), abundant (88%), diverse (85%) and good value (82%) also describe their local food well.

Moreover, most (86%) `agree' (29% strongly/57% somewhat) that they're confident that the food they eat in Canada is safe, and eight in ten (78%) `agree' (27% strongly/52% somewhat) `agree' that it is important for them to know where their food is grown. However, four in ten (39%) `disagree' (6% strongly/33% somewhat) that they know where the food they buy is grown and produced. Admittedly, most (78%) `agree' (26% strongly/52% somewhat) talking to a farmer about how food is grown will help them understand where their food comes from.

Thinking about what their favourite local food is, Canadians across the country chose different items: British Columbians were most likely to indicate that fresh vegetables (unspecified) were their favourite locally-grown food (11%), while Albertans were most likely to choose beef (20%). Residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba named corn on the cob (12%) over other options, while more Ontarians preferred apples (14%) than any other food. Quebecers were most likely to pick cheese (12%), while Atlantic Canadians were most likely to indicate that lobster (12%) was their favourite local food.

Overall, more Canadians named beef (13%) as their favourite food produced in all of Canada than any other food. Next on the list are apples (6%), corn on the cob (5%), potatoes (4%), cheese (4%) and maple syrup (4%).

With all of the tasty choices available to Canadians, it can sometimes be difficult to know which foods are healthier, and which foods should be enjoyed only in moderation. To this effect, three quarters (76%) of Canadians `agree' (20% strongly/57% somewhat) that they trust Dietitians to tell them the straight facts on food and nutrition.

Canadians appear to be confused - or at least not at all in agreement - on some truths and myths about the way certain foods are raised or produced:

• Six in ten (59%) believe it to be true that fruits and vegetables produced closer to where they live contain more nutrients than those that have traveled from afar, while 41% think this claim is false.
• Six in ten (56%) also believe that fresh fruits and vegetables contain more vitamins and minerals than frozen fruits and vegetables, while 44% believe this statement to be false.
• Two in three (64%) think that growth hormones are given to Canadian cows to increase their milk production, while one in three (36%) do not believe that this is the case.
• One in three (32%) are of the opinion that organic foods are more nutritious than conventionally-grown foods, while the vast majority (68%) disagree with this premise.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between November 2 5, 2009, on behalf of Dietitians of Canada. For this survey, a national sample of 2,201 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-2.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Research Manager
Ipsos Public Affairs
(416) 572-4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca .

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