Annual Foodservice Spending in Canadian Healthcare: Updating the 2012 Sector Estimate to 2026

This methodology memo clarifies the present day value of health care foodservice spending, which has been cited as approximately $4B by Nourish, the McConnell Foundation, and partners for over a decade. The memo refers to the original known source, calculates for inflation, and provides recommended wording.

The estimate begins with 2010 national institutional foodservice data from fsSTRATEGY, reproduced by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Health care represented 52% of a $6.6-billion institutional foodservice market, or $3.432 billion. Adjusting that amount for inflation produces a current planning estimate of approximately $5 billion.

Canadian healthcare institutions, including hospitals, long-term care, and retirement facilities, command approximately $5 billion in annual foodservice purchasing power.