YOUR FOOD IS OUR MISSION
IT’S GOOD CANADA
Because your food is in good hands.
It’s Good Canada was created to celebrate the work of everyone involved in Canada’s food system and to show that our system is designed with a single purpose in mind: to ensure good quality food makes its way to the plates of all Canadians and families around the world.
ACCESSIBILITY
In Canada we are fortunate to have access to safe, affordable and nutritious foods. Over time our food offerings have evolved greatly, and we have seen an increase in specialty food stores and farmers’ markets providing consumers with an assortment of ethnic foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meat.
The typical grocery store carries about 50,000 different food products.
SAFETY
Canada’s food system is one of the safest in the world. In 2014, an international food safety review ranked Canada #1 among 17 member-countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Canada’s food processors have a legal obligation to ensure they are providing safe food to Canadians. The safety of food imported into Canada is also regulated and monitored. Food recalls are few, but they are a good indication that our system is working to protect Canadians.
As consumers, we also play a role in food safety by taking proper care of the food we bring into our homes and adopting healthy habits like cleaning, separating, proper cooking and refrigeration.
AFFORDABILITY
On average, Canadians spend about 9% of their household income on food—one of the lowest percentages in the world. In 2017, Statistics Canada reported that the average household in Canada spends $8,527 a year on food. Generally, the more developed a country is, the smaller the percentage of income it spends on food. For instance, the number for the U.S. is just over 6%.
While a study conducted by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity reports that the rising cost of food is one of the top concerns among Canadians, healthy food remains affordable to most of us.
Food prices are influenced by several factors, including global trade agreements, financial markets and weather.