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Numerous research methodologies have been used to examine food environments. Existing reviews synthesizing food environment measures have examined a limited number of domains or settings and none have specifically targeted Canada. This rapid review aimed to 1) map research methodologies and measures that have been used to assess food environments; 2) examine what food environment dimensions and equity related-factors have been assessed; and 3) identify research gaps and priorities to guide future research. A systematic search of primary articles evaluating the Canadian food environment in a real-world setting was conducted. Publications in English or French published in peer-reviewed journals between January 1 2010 and June 17 2021 and indexed in Web of Science, CAB Abstracts and Ovid MEDLINE were considered. The search strategy adapted an internationally-adopted food environment monitoring framework covering 7 domains (Food Marketing; Labelling; Prices; Provision; Composition; Retail; and Trade and Investment). The final sample included 220 articles. Overall, Trade and Investment (1%, n = 2), Labelling (7%, n = 15) and, to a lesser extent, Prices (14%, n = 30) were the least studied domains in Canada. Among Provision articles, healthcare (2%, n = 1) settings were underrepresented compared to school (67%, n = 28) and recreation and sport (24%, n = 10) settings, as was the food service industry (14%, n = 6) compared to grocery stores (86%, n = 36) in the Composition domain. The study identified a vast selection of measures employed in Canada overall and within single domains. Equity-related factors were only examined in half of articles (n = 108), mostly related to Retail (n = 81). A number of gaps remain that prevent a holistic and systems-level analysis of food environments in Canada. As Canada continues to implement policies to improve the quality of food environments in order to improve dietary patterns, targeted research to address identified gaps and harmonize methods across studies will help evaluate policy impact over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected those who face historical and ongoing marginalization. In centering pandemic experience of recent immigrant women in the accommodation and food services sector in Canada, we examine how their precarious work translated to experiences of work precarity and wellbeing. This paper illuminates how pre-existing and ongoing marginalization are reproduced during a health crisis for those at the intersection of gender, race, migration, and labour inequities. Using semi-structured interviews and systematic analysis using the Work Precarity Framework, we found that the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic marginalization and resulted in unique experiences of work precarity. The latter was experienced as precarity of work (unpredictable work hours and job or employment insecurity), precarity from work (inadequate incomes), and precarity at work (physical, psychological, and relational unsafety). Work precarity stood out as a social determinant of health in relation to its outcome of degraded mental health and wellbeing. Recognizing the role of policies in producing, reproducing, and distributing precarity, we recommend policy directions to reduce social inequities in pandemic recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the wealth of discussion and ideas on how food systems might change, and all the plans and schemes created to provide solutions to unsustainable food systems, very few researchers have examined the accounting practices that define socio-economic relationships around food. In this article, I show that the imperative for each entity in food supply networks to obtain a discount on costs involved in food supply to survive on very thin margins, inhibits large-scale change. The approach here is introductory, providing an explanation of the accounting issues involved for a non-accounting audience, and an illustrative case study is used to show the embeddedness of always 'getting a discount'. The case study is drawn from interview data with those involved in intermediary companies and in alternative food distribution in Canada and the USA. The difficulties faced by organisations distributing food on a more local level and the lack of lasting and widespread change despite their endeavours, is shown to linked to the inevitability that they too need to 'get discounts' to survive. This interdisciplinary study is important to provide context for sociological thinkers and activists seeking to understand the barriers to change in food behaviours and food strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critics have identified the corporate and business sector as contributing to household food insecurity through its endorsement of low wages, anti-union activities and lobbying for retrenchment of the Canadian welfare state. It is therefore troubling that this same corporate and business sector has come to dominate positions on the boards of directors of civil society organizations with missions to reduce household food insecurity. Fisher uses the term 'Big Hunger' to describe how this 'hunger-industrial complex' of food banks, food diversion schemes and corporations and companies are accruing benefits to themselves yet do little to reduce household food insecurity. We consider such processes as illustrating two key political economy concepts: (1) Marx's concepts of base and superstructure and (2) Gramsci's cultural hegemony. We carry out a critical case study of the relevance of these concepts to the Canadian household food insecurity scene by examining how the corporate and business sector now dominates the boards of directors of four major civil society organizations concerned with reducing household food insecurity. We find evidence of these civil society organizations exhibiting agenda distortion, reciprocity and loss of integrity, all reflecting their becoming part of the superstructure of capitalist society whose ruling elites come to dominate the ideas and values of society. Issues of wages, unionization and collective agreement bargaining, taxes and taxation, income inequality and retrenchment of the welfare state – all important contributors to household food insecurity and key concerns of the corporate and business community – are for the most part absent from these civil society organizations' reports, documents and statements. We specify the implications these developments have for addressing household food insecurity and the inequitable distribution of other social determinants of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Corporate power has been recognized as an important influence on food environments and population health more broadly. Understanding the structure of national food and beverage markets can provide important insight into the power held by leading corporations. This study aimed to descriptively analyze the structure of the Canadian food and beverage manufacturing and grocery retailing sectors as of 2020/21. Methods: Packaged food manufacturers, non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers and grocery retailers with ≥ 1% market share in 2020/21 in Canada as per Euromonitor International were identified and characterized. Proportion of market share held by public vs private, multinational vs national, and foreign multinational companies was assessed for the 3 sectors. The concentration of 14 packaged food, 8 non-alcoholic beverage and 5 grocery retailing markets was assessed using the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index (HHI) and the four firm concentration ratio (CR4) (HHI > 1800 and CR4 > 60 suggest high market concentration). Company ownership structure was also assessed, including common ownership of public companies by three of the largest global asset managers using data from Refinitiv Eikon, a financial market database. Results: The Canadian non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing sector, and, to a lesser extent, the packaged food manufacturing sector were dominated by foreign multinational companies, in contrast with the grocery retailing sector which was dominated by national companies. Market concentration varied across sectors and markets but was substantially greater within the retailing (median CR4 = 84; median HHI = 2405) and non-alcoholic beverage sectors (median CR4 = 72; median HHI = 1995) compared to the packaged food sector (median CR4 = 51; median HHI = 932). There was considerable evidence of common ownership across sectors. Overall, the Vanguard Group Inc owned at least 1% of shares in 95% of publicly listed companies, Blackrock Institutional Trust Company 71%, and State Street Global Advisors (US) 43%. Conclusions: The Canadian packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing and grocery retailing sectors include several consolidated markets, with a high degree of common ownership by major investors. Findings suggest that a small number of large corporations, particularly in the retailing sector, have extensive power to influence Canadian food environments; their policies and practices warrant substantial attention as part of efforts to improve population diets in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valorizing non‐conventional raw materials to obtain food products has become a crucial strategy of food processing industries for curbing the current depletion of natural resources worldwide. Thus, non‐conventional starches from protein extraction residues of Canadian oat cultivars are studied regarding their technological properties. Consequently, 29 variables are evaluated in starches originating from 18 oat grain samples harvested from nine locations in Canada. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to analyze the effects of location, cultivar, and their interaction on the properties. Data are also processed using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to reduce the dataset's dimensionality. ANOVA reveals that the starches technological features are greatly affected by harvesting location. PCA and HCA grouped samples into three clusters, explaining >70% of the data variability. Cluster 1 shows the lowest means for each response variable. Cluster 2 presents the highest trough viscosity values, while cluster 3 shows a low swelling factor. For proximate analysis, significantly different values are found for ash and amylose contents. Structural and morphological studies indicate starches with low crystallinity and small, polygonal, and irregular starch granules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses advantages and disadvantages of Highly Processed Foods (HPF). It examines food processing with evidence and perspectives from government, industry, and healthcare. Topics discussed includes the basis for processed foods, rationale for advocating limits on consumption of HPF, potential unintended consequences of limiting HPF, plant based processed foods, and the necessity of some processed foods for clinical settings.

Introduction: Introducing legislation that restricts companies from exposing children to marketing of unhealthy food and beverage products is both politically and technically difficult. To advance the literature on the technical design of food marketing legislation, and to support governments around the world with legislative development, we aimed to describe the legislative approach from three governments.Methods: A multiple case study methodology was adopted to describe how three governments approached designing comprehensive food marketing legislation (Chile, Canada and the United Kingdom). A conceptual framework outlining best practice design principles guided our methodological approach to examine how each country designed the technical aspects of their regulatory response, including the regulatory form adopted, the substantive content of the laws, and the implementation and governance mechanisms used. Data from documentary evidence and 15 semi-structured key informant interviews were collected and synthesised using a directed content analysis.Results: All three countries varied in their legislative design and were therefore considered of variable strength regarding the legislative elements used to protect children from unhealthy food marketing. When compared against the conceptual framework, some elements of best practice design were present, particularly relating to the governance of legislative design and implementation, but the scope of each law (or proposed laws) had limitations. These included: the exclusion of brand marketing; not protecting children up to age 18; focusing solely on child-directed marketing instead of all marketing that children are likely to be exposed to; and not allocating sufficient resources to effectively monitor and enforce the laws. The United Kingdom's approach to legislation is the most comprehensive and more likely to meet its regulatory objectives.Conclusions: Our synthesis and analysis of the technical elements of food marketing laws can support governments around the world as they develop their own food marketing restrictions. An analysis of the three approaches illustrates an evolution in the design of food marketing laws over time, as well as the design strengths offered by a legislative approach. Opportunities remain for strengthening legislative responses to protect children from unhealthy food marketing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food composition tables (FCTs) provide the levels of nutrients and other components in foods. Researchers, dietitians, educators, the food industry, and consumers use these tables to convert food intakes into nutrient intakes to evaluate foods, meals, and diets or to plan feeding programs. Doris Howes Calloway, along with her graduate students, made many contributions to the development of accurate FCTs, including one of the first tables to have complete values for every food: the UC Berkeley Mini-List, which was later extended into tables for use in the classroom and by the public, and a table that could be used globally. Other advances include the development of tables for dietetics, Indigenous Peoples' food composition data, dietary supplement composition tables, and food composition data for use in government surveys and food labeling. Overall, this work significantly advanced the quality and quantity of FCTs available today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a multi‐region heterogeneous‐firm trade model, this paper develops a method to decompose volumes and values of domestic sales, bilateral trade, total production and consumption into their intensive and extensive margins. With the free‐entry condition, the extensive margin is further decomposed into two subcategories: operating‐extensive margin and entrance/exit‐extensive margin. This method can provide ex ante predictions on gains and losses in the margins of member and nonmember countries following a trade agreement. We apply our decomposition methods to quantitatively analyse the impacts of CETA between Canada and the European Union on the world processed food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Alcohol marketing is a commercial driver of alcohol use, including among youth. This study sought to quantify and characterize alcohol advertising on broadcast television in Canada., Methods: Open-source television program logs for January to December 2018 submitted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission by 147 stations with alcohol advertisements were analyzed., Results: Overall, 501 628 alcohol advertisements were broadcast. Four companies accounted for 83% of advertisements, namely, Anheuser-Busch in Bev (33.7%), Molson Coors (22.7%), Diageo (16.1%), and Arterra Wines Canada (10.8%). On conventional stations, advertising was highest on French-language stations [Median (Mdn) = 3224; interquartile range (IQR) = 2262] followed by those with programming in foreign/mixed languages (Mdn = 2679; IQR = 219) and English-language stations (Mdn = 1955; IQR = 1563). On speciality stations, advertising was most frequent on those primarily focused on sports programming (Mdn = 8036; IQR = 7393), movies and scripted shows (Mdn = 7463; IQR = 5937), and cooking (Mdn = 5498; IQR = 4032). On weekdays, 33% of alcohol ads aired from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 9 p.m. and on weekends, 52% aired from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. when children or adolescents are more likely to be watching television. On youth-oriented stations (n = 4), 7937 alcohol advertisements were broadcast with most airing from 9 p.m. to midnight (44-45%) or 12-6 a.m. (50%) on both weekdays and weekends., Conclusions: While few alcohol advertisements were broadcast on youth-oriented stations, young people in Canada are likely exposed to such advertising on programming intended for older or general audiences (e.g. sports). More research is needed to ascertain the extent to which broadcast television constitutes a source of alcohol advertising exposure among youth and to inform policies aimed at protecting them from the influence of such exposure., (© The Author(s) 2024. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press.)

In January 2019, the Safe Food for Canadians Act/Safe Food for Canadians regulations (heretofore identified as SFCR) came into force across Canada and brought a more streamlined process to food safety practice in Canada. Food trade and production processes have evolved rapidly in recent decades, as Canada imports and exports food products; therefore it is critically important to remain aware of the latest advances responding to a range of challenges and opportunities in the food safety value chain. Looking through the optics of the recent SFCR framework, this paper places the spotlight on leading domestic and international research and practices to help strengthen food safety policies of the future. By shedding some light on new research, we also draw attention to international developments that are noteworthy, and place those in context as to how new Canadian food safety policy and regulation can be further advanced. The paper will benchmark Canada through a review study of food safety best practices by juxtaposing (i) stated aspirations with, (ii) actual performance in leading Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unhealthy food advertising can negatively impact children's food preferences and nutritional health. In Canada, only companies participating in the self-regulatory Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) commit to limiting unhealthy food advertising to children. We analyzed food advertising from 182 Canadian television stations in 2018. A principal component analysis explored patterns of advertising by 497 food companies and their targeting of preschoolers, children, adolescents, and adults. Chi-square analyses tested differences in the volume of advertising between target age groups by heavily advertising food companies and by CAI-participating and non-participating companies. In 2018, Maple Leaf Foods, Boulangerie St-Méthode, Exceldor Foods, Goodfood Market and Sobeys advertised most frequently during preschooler-programming. General Mills, Kellogg's, the Topps Company, Parmalat and Post Foods advertised most frequently during child-programming, while Burger King, McDonald's, General Mills, Kellogg's and Wendy's advertised most frequently during adolescent-programming. CAI-participating companies were responsible for over half of the food advertising broadcast during programs targeted to children (55%), while they accounted for less than half of the food advertising aired during programs targeting preschoolers (24%), adolescents (41%) and adults (42%). Statutory food advertising restrictions are needed to limit food companies' targeting of young people on television in Canada. Novelty: Advertising from fast food restaurant chains dominated television programming targeted to adolescents in 2018. Advertising from breakfast cereal, candy, and snack manufacturers dominated television programming targeted at children in 2018. Over 100 Canadian and transnational companies contravened broadcast restrictions on advertising to preschoolers in 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I explore the economic activities of the food processing industry during the coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. One of the key lessons from food processing and related industries is that without being designated as an essential service and targeted stimulus packages, the food industry could have fallen victim to the COVID‐19 crisis. Although the social and economic impacts of the interventions are not clear, being designated as an essential service was likely far more important to the food industry than the targeted stimulus packages. The pandemic and shutdown orders had a considerable production reallocation effect. Some processors have seen temporary closure and reduced capacity utilization. On the upside, disruptions in the food processing sector have not been as severe as in non‐essential sectors. The food processing sector has proven to be relatively stable during the pandemic – food was still processed and delivered to consumers and food price increases were minimal in most cases given the scale of the shock. Moving forward, because COVID‐19 is a global crisis, internationally targeted and coordinated efforts to tackle the virus could place the industry on a strong trajectory towards economic recovery and growth. Résumé Dans cet article, j'explore les activités économiques de l'industrie de la transformation des aliments pendant la pandémie COVID‐19. L'une des principales leçons tirées de la transformation des aliments et des industries connexes est que sans être désignée comme un service essentiel et visée par des plans de relance ciblés, l'industrie alimentaire aurait pu être victime de la crise du COVID‐19. Bien que les impacts sociaux et économiques des interventions ne soient pas clairs, être désigné comme un service essentiel était probablement beaucoup plus important pour l'industrie alimentaire que les plans de relance ciblés. La pandémie et les ordres d'arrêt ont eu un effet considérable de réallocation de la production. Certains transformateurs ont connu des fermetures temporaires et une utilisation réduite de leurs capacités. Les perturbations dans le secteur de la transformation des aliments n'ont pas été aussi graves que dans les secteurs non essentiels. Le secteur de la transformation des aliments s'est avéré relativement stable pendant la pandémie ‐ les aliments étaient encore transformés et livrés aux consommateurs et les augmentations des prix des denrées alimentaires ont été minimes dans la plupart des cas compte tenu de l'ampleur du choc. À l'avenir, parce que le COVID‐19 est une crise mondiale, des efforts coordonnés et ciblés au niveau international pour lutter contre le virus pourraient placer l'industrie sur une trajectoire solide vers la reprise économique et la croissance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition is recognized as one of the leading factors influencing the growing incidence of noncommunicable diseases. Despite society experiencing a global rise in obesity, specific populations remain at risk of nutrient deficiencies. The food industry can use health claims to inform consumers about the health benefits of foods through labeling and the broader promotion of specific food products. As health claims are carefully regulated in many countries, their use is limited due to considerable investments required to fulfill the regulatory requirement. Although health claims represent a driving force for innovation in the food industry, the risk of misleading of consumers need to be avoided. The health claim scientific substantiation process must be efficient and transparent in order to meet the needs of companies in the global market, but should be based on strong scientific evidence and plausible mechanisms of actions, to ensure highest level of consumer protection. The objective of this review is to compare the possibilities for using health claims on foods in the European Union, the USA, Canada, and Australia and New Zealand. In particular, we focused on differences in the classification of claims, on the scientific substantiation processes and requirements for health claims use on foods in the selected regions. Reduction of disease risk (RDR) claims are associated with relatively similar procedures and conditions for use, whereas several notable differences were identified for other types of claims. In all cases, RDR claims must be approved prior their introduction to the market, and only a few such claims have been authorized. Much greater differences were observed concerning other types of claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines how culinary infrastructure encouraged and impeded immigrant entrepreneurship in provisioning Toronto before Canada adopted an official policy of multiculturalism in the 1970s. Culinary infrastructure refers broadly to facilities and technologies – both physical and knowledge-based – that undergird food systems. The Anglo-dominated infrastructural hub of the St. Lawrence market provided the central food retailing space during the Victorian era, then became a wholesale depot in the first half of the twentieth century, and finally gentrified into a tourist market in the 1970s. Nevertheless, until the belated rise of supermarkets, most residents purchased food from immigrant entrepreneurs, largely pushcart vendors in the nineteenth century, and increasingly small shopkeepers and street markets such as Kensington in the twentieth. This essay concludes that although the allocation and regulation of markets were intended to assimilate immigrant foodways into an idealized Anglo city, newcomers actively shaped Toronto's culinary geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) seeds are an excellent source of staple dietary protein that can be a viable plant‐based alternative protein source to food processing industries. Understanding of the basis of genotype × environment (G × E) interaction is fundamental knowledge for plant breeding. We explored genetic stability and G × E for seed protein content and protein yield for 34 lentil genotypes using AMMI (additive main effects and multiplicative interaction) and SREG (site regression) models. Genotypes were evaluated under field conditions in five locations at western Canada during 2017–2018. Protein content and protein yield were 21.6–26.9% of seed dry weight and 156.8–1113.0 kg ha−1, respectively, across 10 environments. Environment and G × E had fewer effects on protein content than protein yield. Higher seed protein content was observed in the extra‐small red market class. Based on both models, genotypes IBC 1235, 3923‐9, 3674‐17, IBC 929R, and 4371‐4 with stable protein productivity would be useful genetic resources for the development of protein‐rich varieties in lentil breeding programs. Our results suggest genetic improvement of protein and protein yield together is possible for lentil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disruption through present pandemic is applicable to almost all the sectors of economy. However, impact on Indian food and dairy industry is largely experienced considering it as the livelihood of sizable stakeholders emphasizing small and marginal farmers. Present study is undertaken to examine the global assessment of dairy supply chain with emphasizing on India, USA and Canada, which will be important to observe positive and negative trends of Covid-19 and suggesting appropriate measures for dealing with present and similar situations in near future. Methods: Systematic literature review assessment had been followed from major web platforms like Jgate, Ebsco database and popular news articles were explored since December 2019 to April 2020 for the study purpose. Conclusion: Along with supply chain assessment through its various components, it was observed that although different countries have negative effect on the dairy communities, but these adverse situations can be converted into new possibilities for expansion. It was also observed that dairy industry has the potential to convert present crisis into opportunity thereby not only concentrating on health part of consumers but also contributing towards generating employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unhealthy food environments contribute to the rising rates of obesity and diet-related diseases. To improve the Canadian nutritional landscape, Health Canada launched the Healthy Eating Strategy in October 2016 which involved several initiatives including the restriction of unhealthy food marketing to children, the reduction of sodium in the food supply and the introduction of front-of-package labelling. Subsequently, various stakeholders engaged in discussions with Health Canada. This study sought to describe the interactions between Health Canada and industry and non-industry stakeholders and to identify the strategies used by industry to influence food and nutrition policy in Canada. Methods: Documents such as correspondences and presentations exchanged in interactions between Health Canada and stakeholders regarding the Healthy Eating Strategy were obtained from Health Canada's Openness and Transparency website. The participating stakeholders of each interaction and the topics discussed were determined and described quantitatively. A directed content analysis was then conducted to identify the strategies employed by industry to influence policy. This was guided by a previously developed coding framework that was adapted during analysis. Results: A total of 208 interactions concerning the Healthy Eating Strategy occurred between October 2016 and June 2018. Of the interactions for which documents were received (n = 202), 56% involved industry stakeholders, 42% involved non-industry stakeholders and 2% involved both. Industry stakeholders were more likely to initiate interactions with Health Canada (94% of their interactions) than non-industry stakeholders (49%). Front-of-package labelling was the most frequently discussed topic by industry stakeholders (discussed in 49% interactions involving industry) while non-industry stakeholders most frequently discussed the Healthy Eating Strategy as a whole (discussed in 37% of interactions involving non-industry). A wide variety of strategies were used by industry in their attempts to influence policy. Those most frequently identified included: "framing the debate on diet- and public health-related issues", "promoting deregulation", "shaping the evidence base", "stressing the economic importance of industry", and "developing and promoting alternatives to proposed policies". Conclusion: Industry stakeholders are highly active in their attempts to influence Canadian nutritional policies. Policymakers and public health advocates should be aware of these strategies so that balanced and effective food and nutrition policies can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about conflicts of interest in commercially funded research have generated increasing disclosure requirements, but are these enough to assess influence? Using the Coca-Cola Company as an example, we explore its research agreements to understand influence. Freedom of Information requests identified 87,013 pages of documents, including five agreements between Coca-Cola and public institutions in the United States, and Canada. We assess whether they allowed Coca-Cola to exercise control or influence. Provisions gave Coca-Cola the right to review research in advance of publication as well as control over (1) study data, (2) disclosure of results and (3) acknowledgement of Coca-Cola funding. Some agreements specified that Coca-Cola has the ultimate decision about any publication of peer-reviewed papers prior to its approval of the researchers' final report. If so desired, Coca-Cola can thus prevent publication of unfavourable research, but we found no evidence of this to date in the emails we received. The documents also reveal researchers can negotiate with funders successfully to remove restrictive clauses on their research. We recommend journals supplement funding disclosures and conflict-of-interest statements by requiring authors to attach funder agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]