Canadians Shift To Healthier Foods

WASHINGTON - May 10/16 - SNS -- The main underlying trend in food consumption in Canada is toward healthier eating, reports the U,.S. agricultural attache for the country.

Initially ascribed to an aging population, individuals between 19 and 35 years of age are "also very interested in these products and that is not expected to change," the agricultural attache said.

"This sector covers a variety of different products and those that made an appearance on this year's trends lists include gluten-free/food allergy conscious foods, foods for Kosher and Halal diets as well as functional or fortified foods."

At the same time, there is a noticeable increase in the number of manufactured foods which contain pulses.

"Perhaps driven by the United Nations naming 2016 its 'Year of the Pulse', this is a new trend for Canada and was found on many lists and at many trade shows this year. As with many of the trends . . . the popularity of pulses could also be tied back to health and wellness or Canada's changing demographics.

"In Canada, the retail market for lentils was estimated at US$320 million in 2015 and is expected to grow to US$334 million by 2017. For dried peas, the retail market was estimated at US$89 million in 2015 and is estimated to reach US$94 million by 2017. For each of these commodities the retail market is a much smaller channel than food processing, account for 25% of lentil sales and 5% of sales of dried peas."

A related trend has been increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. In 2001, 43.0% of females and 31.9% of males consumed 5 or more servings. By 2014, these numbers had grown to 46.6% and 32.1% respectively.

"With the growth of interest in healthy eating fresh produce, especially vegetables, should continue to increase and are expected to take on bigger roles in Canadian diets," the U.S. agricultural attache said.