What's New
FARE Helps Develops First-Ever Consumer Food Panel
April 30, 2008
For the first time, researchers will be able to accurately track changes in Canadian's eating habits and measure consumer responses to issues like food scares, thanks to researchers at the University of Guelph.
They have developed The Guelph Food Panel, the first large-scale consumer group dedicated to food and research. Consisting of 2,000 people, it will allow researchers to survey participants with 24-hour's notice to assess any changes in their response over time.
"There is no other instrument like this in Canada," said Professor John Cranfield, Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics. "We can see how people's concerns and perceptions about food and their consumption patterns change over time. We can also get immediate consumer responses to food scares, such as whether people stopped eating spinach after some brands were found to be tainted with E. Coli."
