Canadians are eating risky foods to cope with high food prices, study suggests

Article By Laura Brehaut Published April 25, 2024
Article Source: Canadians are taking more risks with their food due to high prices | National Post

From pushing past best-before dates to changing storage habits, food inflation is taking a toll on food safety, according to a new Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab study

Canadians are rethinking the food they might have otherwise thrown away, often without knowing whether that food is safe to eat, to cope with food inflation and higher prices, according to a new study from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

The study, released on April 25, concluded that the high cost of food has led Canadians to take more risks.

The survey of 9,109 Canadians found that 58 per cent are more inclined to eat food close to or past their best-before date due to high food prices, and 23 per cent always do so. Nearly half (48 per cent) of those who eat close- or past-dated food do so while unsure of its safety.

“Higher food prices have made all of us different risk managers at home,” says Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab (AAL).

“There is a fine balance between food safety risk and food affordability, and higher food prices have pushed that line. A lot of people are just trying to figure out, ‘OK, so what’s safe, what’s not safe? I can’t really buy more food, so what do I do?’ I think that a lot of people out there have been faced with that dilemma over the last several months.”

Best-before dates indicate when a product will have the best flavour or quality; they’re not a safety timeline. You can safely eat canned goods, for example, long after their best-before dates — as long as the can is free of bulges, dents or rust.

Expiry dates apply to a limited number of products with nutritional specifications, such as infant formula and meal replacements. Judging whether a carton of milk or a clamshell of spinach is good to eat comes down to the consumer. The researchers focused on best-before dates for the AAL study because many Canadians rely on them to judge whether food is expired.

“Best-before dates aren’t necessarily the be-all, end-all. It doesn’t necessarily mean ‘bad after,’ but at the same time, you have to use your senses and your judgment to appreciate what is edible and what is not,” says Charlebois.

As the study shows, many people are taking their chances.

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, more than four million Canadians get food poisoning each year.

One in five Canadians reported getting sick after eating food close to or past its best-before date, the Dalhousie study found, with millennials and Gen Xers hardest hit at 41 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively. The researchers say younger generations are under more financial pressure — especially millennials, who are “at their economic prime.” Many have debt and mortgages, making higher food prices hard to bear.

Janet Music, manager of the AAL, says the study’s findings point to a need for food education. Learning how to tell if food has gone off, what tools can help minimize the risk of foodborne illness, such as a meat thermometer to gauge doneness, and how to properly clean your countertops and cutting boards to eliminate cross-contamination would go a long way in improving food safety at home.

“People feel like food is intuitive. There are a ton of recipes online, and you just follow the recipe or follow what that person is doing. But it’s not necessarily intuitive in some aspects. You don’t need all the latest gadgets, but you should be up to date on food safety issues.”

The study showed that Canadians have adapted their food storage or preparation habits in the face of rising food costs. Nearly half (47 per cent) have started taking steps such as freezing bread, vacuum-sealing leftovers and storing vegetables in humidity-controlled drawers to extend shelf life.

In light of the study’s findings, Music hopes Canadians won’t be discouraged from using leftovers, buying food for the week or cooking with close- or past-dated food to save money and curb waste. “People shouldn’t be scared of doing it themselves. Shouldn’t be scared of cooking at home.” But they should arm themselves with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about pushing past best-before dates according to their own level of personal risk.

“Ultimately, prices are going to fluctuate, and people are going to get more income or lose income. That’s dynamic, but climate change is not dynamic. Anything we can do to save money and help with food waste are good things.”