🧂 Comparison of prices between foods high in salt and sugar and their healthier equivalents

In several food categories such as breads, cereals, and cookies, products that are high in sodium or sugars are generally cheaper than equivalent products that contain low amounts. This is what a research team from Laval University observed in a study recently published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.


The team of Véronique Provencher, a professor at the School of Nutrition at Laval University and Scientific Director of the Observatory on the Quality of the Food Supply at the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, wanted to determine whether there was a link between the price of foods within the same category and their nutritional quality.

For the purposes of the study, they considered five categories of ultra-processed foods: sliced breads, breakfast cereals, snacks, cheese products (such as spreadable cheeses), and cookies and biscuits. "Ultra-processed foods are not necessarily of low nutritional quality," explains doctoral student Isabelle Petitclerc, the study's first author. "For example, products like whole grain cereals or sliced bread with low sugar and sodium content have good nutritional quality."

The nutritional quality of each product considered in the study was determined based on the thresholds defined by Health Canada to identify whether it will need to carry the "High in" symbol on its packaging starting in January 2026. "We classified over 2000 food products according to the thresholds adopted by Health Canada for saturated fats, sugars, and sodium," explains the doctoral student.

The researchers found that, within the same food category, products with high sodium and sugar content are generally cheaper than those that fall below the health threshold.

Saturated fats follow an opposite rule: foods that contain more of them are generally more expensive. "This is likely due to the cost of ingredients such as butter or coconut oil, which makes products high in saturated fats more expensive," suggests Isabelle Petitclerc.

Finally, foods for which two of the three nutrients are high in content cost less than those with only one problematic nutrient or those with none.

The upcoming implementation of the nutrition symbol on packaging should help consumers quickly identify products that contain problematic ingredients. In theory, this should lead to better food choices that will positively impact the population's health.

"It is possible that companies will reformulate their products to avoid having to display the nutrition symbol," notes Isabelle Petitclerc. "This could drive food prices upward. Over the next year, we will study the effect of the nutrition symbol's implementation on the price and nutritional quality of foods. The intention behind the nutrition symbol is good, but this measure must help everyone, not only those who can afford to pay more for their food."