The rapid growth of e-grocery shopping, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and technological advances, provides consumers a convenient method to purchase food. However, food labelling regulations—originally designed for traditional brick-and-mortar stores—have not kept pace with these digital platforms and are not currently mandated for e-grocery platforms in most countries. As a result, key food labelling information for pre-packaged foods is often missing or inconsistently applied online, limiting consumers' ability to make informed food choices. This session will examine the current state of food labelling on e-grocery websites in Canada and worldwide, assess its potential impact on consumers, and identify research gaps. Further, future policy recommendations will be discussed to support informed food purchasing in the digital marketplace.
Dr. Jennifer Lee is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nutrition at Toronto Metropolitan University and a registered dietitian. Her research focuses on understanding dietary behaviours and the factors that influence them, particularly in relation to the food environment, dietary patterns, and nutrition communication. She earned her PhD in 2024, which focused on the potential dietary impacts of Canada’s front-of-pack labelling regulations. She has a wide breadth of experience in dietetics and nutrition research, including energy balance, exercise physiology, dietary assessment, nutrient profiling models, nutritional epidemiology, and knowledge synthesis.