Scientific program
The Food Quality Observatory brings together renowned researchers and research professionals. Its work is based on the highest scientific standards and rigorous, internationally-proven methodologies. While its studies focus on two main areas, namely the Overview of Food Categories and Food in Institutional Settings, a third area of Knowledge Mobilization supports their outreach.
Discover the 2021-2025 scientific program here.
Overview of Food Categories
The Overview of Food Categories workstream observes the quality of the food offer and monitors its evolution over time.
Publications and reportsThe teams’ work contributes to the development and validation of innovative methods for observing and monitoring changes in all components of food quality.
15 food categories are being studied. These have been selected according to four criteria:
– Household penetration rate;
– Variability of nutritional composition within the category;
– Potential for improvement;
– Impact on health.
The data generated by these studies make it possible to situate and track the quality of these food categories and consumer purchases over time.
The initial portrait of the 15 categories was completed between 2016-2022. The team is currently carrying out the follow-up studies, which should be completed in 2026.
Team
The team working on the Overview of Food Categories is headed by Véronique Provencher Dt.P., Ph.D, Scientific director of the Observatory, and Marie-Ève Labonté, Dt.P., Ph.D., co-researcher in charge of the workstream.
Their team of research professionals includes :
- Pascale Bélanger, Dt.P., M.Sc., research professional – nutritionist
- Alexa Gaucher-Holm, Dt.P., M.Sc., research professional – nutritionist
- Dylan Guillemette, M.Sc., research professional
- Julie Perron, Dt.P., M.Sc., research professional – nutritionist
- Sonia Pomerleau, Dt.P., M.Sc., research professional – nutritionist
- Clara-Jane Rhéaume, B.Sc., research professional – statistician
Several students also contribute to the projects through research internships and master’s or doctoral work.
Food in Institutional Settings
Food in Institutional Settings is the second focus of the Observatory's work. The aim of these studies is to measure and/or monitor the quality of the food supply in various environments. These settings may be institutional (hospitals, care centers, etc.), municipal or school-based. According to the Observatory's definition, assessing the quality of institutional food supply must take into account issues of availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability to the population.
Publications and reportsCharacterization of the institutional food offer (ALINS)
As part of the Politique gouvernementale de prévention en santé (PGPS), the Observatory has been identified to contribute to the achievement of measure 3.2, which aims to improve the nutritional quality of food in Québec.
The ALINS project is divided into two phases. Firstly, the Québec government has mandated the Observatory to carry out, in parallel with the sector studies, a study of the tools already in place to measure the quality of the food supply for evaluation in establishments in the healthcare network. The objective of phase 1 of this research project was to identify the measurement tools needed to assess and monitor the quality of the food supply in all healthcare network establishments, thanks to the support of the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions. As none of the tools identified in Phase 1 were suitable for use in Québec’s healthcare facilities, the Québec government mandated the Observatory for a second phase of the project. The aim of this phase is to develop and validate a tool for evaluating and monitoring the quality of the food offer, specific to the needs of the province’s healthcare establishments.
Work on the ALINS project is led by Anne-Sophie Morisset, Dt.P., Ph.D., in collaboration with Marie-Ève Labonté, Dt.P, Ph.D. and Laure Saulais, Ph.D.
Local and nutritious food (ANEL)
Québec’s healthcare establishments have a duty to set an example in terms of the nutritional quality of their food supply, the standards for which are set out in the healthy eating reference framework drawn up by the ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux. More recently, MAPAQ’s Stratégie Nationale d’Achats d’Aliments Québécois (SNAAQ) has extended this duty of exemplarity to procurement practices, encouraging establishments to increase the proportion of local products in their purchases. The challenge facing establishments is therefore to offer food that is both healthy and local. However, institutional purchasing is governed by very specific and sometimes complex rules that can make this reconciliation difficult.
What are the best ways of integrating these objectives of provenance and nutritional quality into the decision-making processes of healthcare establishments? This is the question being addressed by the ANEL project.
More specifically, the Observatory’s mandate under this project is to design a decision-support tool to help healthcare establishments implement a food offer that is both healthy and local. This project contributes to objective 3.2.3 of the government’s health prevention policy (PGPS).
The ANEL project is directed by Laure Saulais, Ph.D., in collaboration with Anne-Sophie Morisset, Dt.P., Ph.D.and Marie-Ève Labonté, Dt.P, Ph.D.
Team
The team working on Food in Institutional Settings is headed by Anne-Sophie Morisset, Dt.P., Ph.D., Laure Saulais, Ph.D. and Marie-Ève Labonté, Dt.P, Ph.D..
Their team of research professionals includes :
- Élisabeth Demers-Potvin, Dt. P., M.Sc. research professional – nutritionist
- Ellie Gauthier, Dt. P., M.Sc. Research Professional – nutritionist
- Stéphanie Harrison, Dt.P, Ph.D, research professional – nutritionist
- Jeanne Loignon, M.Sc. research professional
Several students also contribute to the projects through research internships or master’s thesis work.
Knowledge Mobilization
To get “knowledge out of the walls”, a number of actions are implemented, with the help of media relays: articles, conferences, webinars, interviews, etc.
NewsThe aim is to ensure an effective transfer of knowledge to priority target audiences and to all players in the food supply chain, in order to improve its quality and accessibility.
Visibility activities in this area are aimed at :
- Decision-makers and partners
- The biofood industry
- The scientific community
- Consumers
Team
The Knowledge Mobilization team is led by Laurélie Trudel, Assistant Director of INAF. Her team of research and support professionals includes:
- Émilie Chouinard-Cyr, M.A., communications manager
- Jeanne Loignon, M.Sc. research professional
- Julie Perron, Dt. P., M.Sc. research professional – nutritionist