FEAT-S was designed to overcome the shortcomings of earlier tools like Health Canada’s National Nutritious Food Basket, which only measured grocery shopping through availability and price. This approach was insufficient, especially for First Nations facing significant food insecurity and related health issues such as obesity and diabetes.
To create a more comprehensive tool, the research team expanded the National Nutritious Food Basket from 57 nutritious foods to include 13 ultra-processed foods, totaling 70 items. These ultra-processed foods, while not recommended by Canada’s Food Guide, are commonly consumed.
FEAT-S evaluates six dimensions of the food retail environment—availability, price, quality, variety, shelf space, and promotion of items—rather than just two. The tool underwent a rigorous four-step validation process, including trials in Montreal and Kanesatake, a local Mohawk community. An evaluation by experts resulted in a substantial content validity index of 0.92, and subsequent user testing assessed its reliability and usability.
