A new study estimates Canadians have wasted nearly $550 million worth of food over the last six months.
The report by Dalhousie University’s Food Lab has found Canadians are throwing out more groceries due “shelflation.”
Researchers have coined the term and say it occurs when the shelf-life of food is compromised by supply chain issues before you even put it in your cart.
Sixty-three per cent of Canadians surveyed reported wasting groceries due to quality.
“The number of Canadians who have noticed this is astonishing,” says Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. “Shelflation can happen at anytime, due to weather,
labour disputes, labour shortages, mechanical failures, border-related challenges, or anything which can extend storage and/or transportation times. But it may have gotten worse with the pandemic.”
In Quebec, Ontario, and the Atlantic, of those who had to throw away food prematurely at home, 24 per cent said they had to do it 5 times or more.
The greatest food waste was reported in the Atlantic region at 70 per cent and the lowest was in Saskatchewan at 42 per cent.
Approximately, 1,500 Canadians were surveyed in February 2022.
