Almost half of Canadians say they are going without fresh, healthy food because it is too expensive, according to the results of a national study released Monday by the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The survey found 47 per cent of Canadians don’t buy fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and whole grain products, lean meat or fish because of the cost.

But the foundation’s annual report on Canadians’ health also revealed what it called “startling discrepancies” in the cost and availability of basic healthy food not only from province to province, but from city to city within the same province.

“In St. Catharines, peanut butter was $7, but just down the road in Kitchener it was $4, so practically half the price and it’s the same brand of peanut brand, same grocery chain, same size. It’s an inexplicable almost doubling of the price,” foundation spokesman Marco di Buono, said of the results from the two Ontario cities.

The report, based on information compiled by volunteer shoppers, found the cost of six apples ranged from $1.71 in Edmonton to $5.02 in Calgary.

While transportation costs could account for some of the price differences in some parts of the country, “the reality is it’s unlikely that Calgary has higher transportation costs and demands than a place like Edmonton,” di Buono said.

“But before we pass any judgment, we would invite the manufacturers and retailers to help explain to Canadians why they see these price variations in such basic healthy foods,” di Buono said.

An Alberta retailer said a number of variables could account for the price differences.

“Different kinds of apples, different promotions,” could account for the varying prices, said Connie Guo, the assistant manager at a Safeway store in Calgary.

“February is apple month, so this week we are selling a 10-pound bag of Red Delicious apples for $4.99, which is a very good deal.” She said those specials should be consistent throughout southern Alberta.

“We never want to see people making choices of less nutritious over nutritious because they have no choice based on cost,” said the executive director of the Ottawa Food Bank, Peter Tilley.

He said a comparison of the most recent consumer price index over last year showed “startling” price increases in food basics.

“Clearly we can see an increase in the price of quality items, especially what struck us, was fresh fruits and vegetables . . . I imagine people are having a tougher time making healthy choices.”

“To be perfectly honest, I’m stunned to think that price differentials like that exist,” said the president of the Consumers Association of Canada, Bruce Cran. “When you’re talking about cities like Edmonton and Calgary with huge differences in price like that, it doesn’t make sense at all.”

Last October, the Heart and Stroke Foundation had volunteer shoppers in 66 communities across Canada purchase a list of healthy foods for a family of four for one week.

Di Buono said the volunteers for this first-ever “national shop” were asked to follow specific instructions “so that we could minimize as many confounding factors as possible. They were given a list of leading national brands, they were told exactly what sizes and what formats to purchase, and to shop only in leading national retailers,” that were not considered discount stores.