VARIUM, a consulting firm in social marketing, released the results of a series of surveys that reveal a revolution in eating habits since 2004. A 2011 survey of 300 adults in Montreal measured changes in choice of food in relation to ten risks (i.e., trans fats, salt, etc.) and ten benefits (i.e., omega-3, dietary fiber, probiotics, etc.). The Food Stress Index (FSI) is the sum of decisions not to buy or not to eat some food when it is related to a risk or, conversely, decisions to buy or to eat some food when it is associated with one of the scale’s benefits. Between 2007 and 2011, the FSI increased significantly with 90% of respondents having changed their eating habits based on a risk or benefit of food. In 2011, 83.2% of those surveyed decided not to buy or not to consume a food because it was linked to at least one dietary risk compared to 77.5% in 2004. In contrast, 93.2% of respondents from 2011, against 87.0% in 2007, claimed to have purchased or consumed a food to enjoy its benefits.
