Recent food environment publications in Canada
This page contains a repertoire of recent food environment research conducted by various INFORMAS Canada researchers and collaborators. Click on the various modules below to see a list of key papers for each policy area.
2025
- Vanderlee L, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, McLaughlin A, Ahmed M, Kirk S, Labonté MÈ, Mah CL, Minaker L, Moubarac JC, Mulligan C, Potvin Kent M, Provencher V, Prowse R, Raine K, Schram A, Vergeer L, Mary R L’Abbé.An in-depth look at Canada's food environments: Results from INFORMAS Canada. 2025 (French version available here)
- Vanderlee L, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Ahmed M, Hamamji S, Jovovic S, L’Abbé MR, Rimouche S, Moubarac JC.An in-depth look at the quality of population diets in Canada: Results from INFORMAS Canada – Complementary report.2025
- Vanderlee L, Vaillancourt C, Hamamji S, Olstad, DL. An in-depth look at risk factors for noncommunicable disease in Canada: Results from INFORMAS Canada - Complementary report. 2025
- Vanderlee L, Vaillancourt C, Hamamji S, Olstad, DL.An in-depth look at rates of diet-related noncommunicable disease morbidity and mortality in Canada: Results from INFORMAS Canada – Complementary report. 2025
2023
- Vanderlee, L, McLaughlin, A, Vaillancourt, C, Olstad DL, Mah, C, L'Abbe, MR. Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Federal government policies and progress -Full report. 2023.
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR. Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: British Columbia policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Alberta policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Saskatchewan policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Manitoba policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Ontario policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR. Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Quebec policies and progress. 2023 (French version)
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR. Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Yukon policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR. Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Northwest Territories policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Nova Scotia policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR. Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: New Brunswick policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador policies and progress. 2023
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Olstad DL, Mah C, L’Abbé MR.Actions to cultivate healthier food environments in Canada: Prince Edward Island policies and progress. 2023
2019
- Vanderlee, L, Goorang, S, Karbasy, K, Vandevijvere, S, L'Abbé, MR. Policies to Create Healthier Food Environments in Canada: Experts' Evaluation and Prioritized Actions Using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI). Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(22). doi: 10.3390/ijerph16224473.
- Vandevijvere, S, Barquera, S, Caceres, G, Corvalan, C, Karupaiah, T, Kroker-Lobos, MF, L'Abbé, M, Ng, SH, Phulkerd, S, Ramirez-Zea, M, Rebello, SA, Reyes, M, Sacks, G, Sánchez Nóchez, CM, Sanchez, K, Sanders, D, Spires, M, Swart, R, Tangcharoensathien, V, Tay, Z, Taylor, A, Tolentino-Mayo, L, Van Dam, R, Vanderlee, L, Watson, F, Whitton, C, Swinburn, B.An 11-country study to benchmark the implementation of recommended nutrition policies by national governments using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index, 2015-2018. Obes Rev. 2019;20 Suppl 2:57-66. doi: 10.1111/obr.12819.
2017
- Vanderlee, L, Goorang, S, Karbasy, K, Schermel, A, L'Abbe, MR. Creating healthier food environments in Canada: Current policies and priority actions - Summary Report. 2017.
- Vanderlee, L, Goorang, S, Karbasy, K, Schermel, A, L'Abbe, MR. Creating healthier food environments in Canada: Current policies and priority actions -Executive Report. 2017.
- Vanderlee, L, L'Abbe M R. Food-EPI Canada 2017. 2017. Provincial and Territorial Reports: Alberta – British Columbia – Manitoba – New Brunswick – Newfoundland & Labrador – Northwest Territories – Nova Scotia – Ontario – Prince Edward Island – Quebec – Saskatchewan – Yukon
2024
- Gaucher-Holm A, Chan J, Sacks G, et al. Food and beverage manufacturing and retailing company policies and commitments to improve the healthfulness of Canadian food environments. BMC Public Health. 2024;24(1):2419
2023
- Gaucher-Holm A, Wood B, Sacks G, Vanderlee L. The structure of the Canadian packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing and grocery retailing sectors through a public health lens. Global Health. 2023;19(1):18.
- Vanderlee L, Gaucher-Holm A, Chan J, Vaillancourt C, Vergeer L, Potvin Kent M, Olstad DL, Sacks G. Benchmarking food and beverage company policies to support healthier population diets in Canada, 2023. Packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturing sector report. 2023. Québec City, QC, Canada.
2019
- Vanderlee L, Vergeer L, Sacks G, Robinson E, L'Abbé M. Food and beverage manufacturers in Canada: Policies and commitments to improve the food environment - BIA-Obesity Canada 2019 - Full report2019.
- Vanderlee L, Vergeer L, Sacks G, Robinson E, L'Abbé M. Food and beverage manufacturers in Canada: Policies and commitments to improve the food environment - BIA-Obesity Canada 2019 - Executive summary2019.
2024
- Potvin Kent, M., Mulligan, C., Pauzé, E., Pinto, A., Remedios, L. The food and beverage marketing monitoring framework for Canada: Development, implementation, and gaps. Food Policy 122, 102587.
- Potvin Kent, M., Bagnato, M., Remedios, L. et al. Child and adolescent exposure to unhealthy food marketing across digital platforms in Canada. BMC Public Health. 2024:24(1):1740
- Potvin Kent, M., Bagnato, M., Amson, A. et al. #junkfluenced: the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages by social media influencers popular with Canadian children on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024;21(1):37
2023
- Minaker, L. Point of sale marketing to children in Canada: evidence from 11 cities.
- Potvin Kent, M., Soares Guimaraes, J., Pritchard, M. et al. Differences in child and adolescent exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertising on television in a self-regulatory environment. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):555.
- Potvin Kent M, Guimaraes JS, Bagnato M, Remedios L, Pauzé E, Pritchard M, Wu D, L'Abbé M, Mulligan C, Vergeer L, Weippert M. Broadcast Television Is Not Dead: Exposure of Children to Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertising on Television in Two Policy Environments (Ontario and Quebec). An Observational Study. J Nutr. 2023 Jan;153(1):268-278.
2022
- Potvin Kent, M., Pauzé, E., Bagnato, M. et al. Food and beverage advertising expenditures in Canada in 2016 and 2019 across media.BMC Public Health. 2022:22;1458.
2019
- Kelly, B, Vandevijvere, S, Ng, S, Adams, J, Allemandi, L, Bahena-Espina, L, Barquera, S, Boyland, E, Calleja, P, Carmona-Garcés, IC, Castronuovo, L, Cauchi, D, Correa, T, Corvalán, C, Cosenza-Quintana, EL, Fernández-Escobar, C, González-Zapata, LI, Halford, J, Jaichuen, N, Jensen, ML, Karupaiah, T, Kaur, A, Kroker-Lobos, MF, McHiza, Z, Miklavec, K, Parker, WA, Potvin Kent, M, Pravst, I, Ramírez-Zea, M, Reiff, S, Reyes, M, Royo-Bordonada, M, Rueangsom, P, Scarborough, P, Tiscornia, MV, Tolentino-Mayo, L, Wate, J, White, M, Zamora-Corrales, I, Zeng, L, Swinburn, B. Global benchmarking of children's exposure to television advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages across 22 countries. Obes Rev. 2019;20 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):116-28. doi: 10.1111/obr.12840.
Work of the Food Quality Observatory
2023
- Provencher, V., Pomerleau, S., Turcotte, M., Gagnon, P., Perron, J., Labonté, M. È., ... & Trudel, L. (2023). L’Observatoire de la qualité de l’offre alimentaire: un effort collectif en appui à l’amélioration de la qualité et de l’accessibilité de l’offre alimentaire au Québec et au Canada. Cahiers de Nutrition et de Diététique.
- Chouinard, J., Turcotte, M., Harrison, S., Loignon, J., Morisset, A. S., Saulais, L., & Labonté, M. È. (2023). Vers une stratégie d’évaluation de la qualité de l’offre alimentaire dans les établissements de santé du Québec: sélection d’outils existants et retours d’utilisateurs potentiels. Cahiers de Nutrition et de Diététique.
2021
- Gilbert-Moreau, J., Pomerleau, S., Perron, J., Gagnon, P., Labonté, M. È., & Provencher, V. (2021). Nutritional value of child-targeted food products: results from the Food Quality Observatory. Public Health Nutrition, 24(16), 5329-5337.
- Perron, J., Pomerleau, S., Gagnon, P., Gilbert-Moreau, J., Lemieux, S., Plante, C., ... & Provencher, V. (2021). Assessing nutritional value of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in the province of Quebec (Canada): a study from the Food Quality Observatory. Public Health Nutrition, 24(9), 2397-2404.
- Le Bouthillier, M., Perron, J., Pomerleau, S., Gagnon, P., Labonté, M. È., Plante, C., ... & Provencher, V. (2021). Nutritional content of sliced bread available in Quebec, Canada: Focus on sodium and fibre content. Nutrients, 13(12), 4196.
Several reports providing a portrait of the Quebec food supply for various food categories are available on the Food Quality Observatory website.
2024
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Ahmed M, Olstad DL, Raine K, Kirk SFL. School Food Environment Surveys in Canada – Final Report. 2024.
- Vanderlee L, McLaughlin A, Vaillancourt C, Ahmed M, Olstad DL, Raine K, Kirk SFL. School Food Environment Surveys in Canada – Executive summary. 2024. (In English/In French)
- Vanderlee L, Vaillancourt C, McLaughlin A, Ahmed M, Olstad DL, Raine K, Kirk SFL. Hospital Food Environment Surveys in Canada – Final Report. 2024 (forthcoming)
2024
- Ziraldo ER, Hu G, Khan A, L’Abbé MR. Investigating reformulation in the Canadian food supply between 2017 and 2020 and its impact on food prices. Public Health Nutr. 2024 Nov 22:1-27.
2023
- Taylor NGA, Luongo G, Jago E, Mah CL. Prev Med Rep. 2023 Feb 23;32:102162. Observational study of population level disparities in food costs in 2021 in Canada: A digital national nutritious food basket (dNNFB). Prev Med Rep. 2023 Feb 23;32:102162.2024.
2024
- Jeong H, Yang Y, Mulligan C, L’Abbé MR. Evaluating the application of front-of-package labelling regulations to menu labelling in the Canadian restaurant sector using menu food label information and price (Menu-FLIP) 2020 data. Public Health Nutr. 2024 Oct 31;27(1):e238.