Many Canadians might do a double take at prices when they head to the grocery store for Thanksgiving supplies, with traditional foods like turkey and potatoes up over 10 per cent compared to a year ago, according to a report by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

In the report released Tuesday, it found potatoes have increased the most in price, with the Thanksgiving staple costing an average 22 per cent more compared to a year ago.

Here are some other foods that are more expensive than they were a year ago:

  • Turkey increased in per-kilogram price by an average of 15 to 16 per cent
  • Butter is up 13 per cent
  • Bread has increased by 13 per cent
  • Cranberries are 12 per cent more expensive
  • Bacon, ham and chicken are up about 10 per cent

Higher Thanksgiving food costs are causing many Canadians to rethink their menu, with almost a quarter (22 per cent) saying they will be making some changes to what they serve.

“Higher food prices are clearly changing plans for many people this year,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.

“This is our first-time measuring intent of Canadians for Thanksgiving, but you can sense that food inflation is putting some pressure on dinner tables these days.”

 

CROSS-BORDER DEALS COULD COST YOU

While it might be tempting to head south of the border for a deal on a Thanksgiving turkey, it could end up costing Canadians more than they expected.

Due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has restricted the importation of raw poultry and poultry products from eight states.

The border state restrictions include:

  • Maine
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • North Dakota
  • Idaho
  • Washington

Canadians will only be able to bring raw poultry into the country if they have a receipt showing it has not been purchased in one of the restricted states.

Methodology for survey:

“Angus Reid is one of the most credible active panels in the Canadian market. A representative survey of Canadians was conducted in September 2022. A total of 1,244 Canadians participated in this survey. Margin of Error: +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. Any discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.”