Project

To date, no national longitudinal consumer panel has been established in Canada, which is necessary given the socio-economic diversity of Canadians. Some market research companies operate ‘panels’, although they do not undertake longitudinal analysis by which individual consumers are tracked. Where longitudinal panels have been established, these typically focus on health behaviours and disease outcomes. This project is working to establish the AFMNet Consumer Monitor; an innovative approach to understanding consumer attitudes towards food and health, with significant benefits through more effective policy-making and development and commercialization of innovations. This project will establish a key resource for promoting better understanding of consumer attitudes towards diet and health and receptivity to new products aimed at enhanced health and wellbeing in Canada. It will be the first longitudinal panel devoted to consumer attitudes towards food. In addition, the AFMNet Consumer Monitor will act to facilitate collaborative research on consumer acceptance of innovations in the area of food and health across Canada and provide an invaluable resource for graduate student research.