This presentation explores the rapidly evolving landscape of digital food retail in Canada, focusing on how online grocery platforms, delivery apps, and meal kits are reshaping consumer food environments. Drawing on recent research, it examines the implications of digital food retail for public health, highlighting both opportunities and challenges. Key issues include diet quality, unprecedented access to food, and potential disruptions in food literacy development. The presentation concludes with recommendations for policy, research, and practice to ensure that digital food retail supports healthier, more equitable food systems in Canada.
Dr. Melissa Fernandez is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Ottawa and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Her research examines how digital technologies shape food purchasing and communication, with the goal of supporting individuals in making healthier, more informed choices within complex digital food environments. She leads interdisciplinary studies on digital food retail (online groceries, food delivery apps, and meal kits) as well as nutrition communication via social media, focusing on the influence of nutrition misinformation and online influencers. Her work investigates the intersection of food literacy and digital food environments, informing evidence-based strategies to improve public health in online contexts. She is a registered dietitian, Associate Editor and French Editor of the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, and an active member of the Canadian Nutrition Society.