Nutrition Policy Research
Our research in Nutrition Policy strengthens public health nutrition by generating data, strategies, and tools that:
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Analyze and improve the development and implementation of nutrition policies and programs.
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Promote positive nutrition behaviours among the public.
Our work includes national and international studies on the nutritional quality of processed foods, and its reformulation. An emphasis has been on sodium and trans fat, which has led to important policy decisions and reduction targets for processed foods.
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We also conduct qualitative and quantitative behavioural studies that generate data to address gaps in evidence and inform targeted communication strategies as well as interventions for healthy eating and dietary sodium reduction.
Improving the Nutritional Composition of Processed Foods in Canada, Latin America, & the Caribbean (LAC).
Monitoring the nutrient levels of packaged foods is essential to understanding population risk exposure and evaluating progress on nutrition-related policies.
This research includes large databases of branded packaged foods sold in Canada (the University of Toronto Food Label Information Program), and similar databases developed by collaborators in countries in Latin America. This research has:
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Assessed the use of industrial trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) in packaged foods informing Health Canada’s ban on partially hydrogenated oils.
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Monitored changes in sodium added to packaged and processed foods in Canada and Latin America, informing the WHO/PAHO Harmonized Sodium Reduction Targets for the Americas. Adopted in 2022, these targets now guide sodium-related food reformulation policies in numerous Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Ascertaining Population-Level Sodium Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours (KAB) to Achieve Healthy Eating.
Our research on sodium knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours (KAB) has generated key insights into how Canadians understand, prioritize, and respond to dietary sodium guidance. This data is essential for understanding public support for and ability to adopt both sodium reduction policy and behavioural interventions.
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Recently, our team developed and validated a more robust and theoretically grounded sodium KAB instrument—The Behavioural Assessment for Intake of Dietary Sodium (BAIS). Developed through qualitative research, expert review, cognitive interviews, and psychometric validation, the BAIS was administered to a national sample of adult Canadians from Nov 2024 - Feb 2025. Planed research using these data include:
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Measure the changes in sodium KAB since 2012.
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Examine the association between sodium KAB and measured sodium intake.
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Apply a machine learning model to segment the population based on sodium behaviour profiles. This is expected to provide a quantitative understanding of the behavioural factors that drive or hinder dietary sodium reduction in subgroups of the population.
Assessing the Implementation of Nutritional Standards in Public Settings.
The Arcand Lab team has conducted a number of studies examining the implementation of nutrition standards in hospital and broader public food service settings. Building on Dr. Arcand's previous work in hospitals, these studies generated foundational evidence, including:
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The sodium content, and overall nutritional quality, of hospital meals in Ontario in a highly publicized article.
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The barriers and facilitators food service operators experience in decision-making, identifying barriers and facilitators to implementing nutrition-focussed procurement policies.
Recent Nutrition Policy Publications
Studies on Dietary Sodium Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours in the Americas: A Scoping Review.
Overview: This study mapped and analyzed existing research on dietary sodium knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours (KAB) among adults across the Americas. Conducted as a scoping review from 2023 to 2025, it included 32 studies, most from North America, followed by South and Central America.
The majority of studies focused on awareness of the health effects of dietary sodium and actions to reduce intake, but few examined rural or under-represented populations. Only one study monitored changes over time, and very few used validated or theory-based tools.
The findings reveal major data gaps, particularly in lower-income countries. Strengthening sodium KAB surveillance using equitable and validated approaches is essential to inform public health strategies and achieve WHO sodium reduction targets.
Access the Full Study:
Gomes ATDS, Al Ghali R, Tan MC, Franco-Arellano B, Jaime PC, Arcand J. Studies on dietary sodium knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in the Americas: a scoping review. BMJ Public Health. 2025;3:e003142. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2025-003142
