#SupportLocal: how online food delivery services leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic to promote food and beverages on Instagram

'Acceleration' of the food delivery marketplace: Perspectives of local authority professionals in the North-East of England on temporary COVID regulations

In January 2021, we assessed the implications of temporary regulations in the United Kingdom allowing pubs and restaurants to operate on a takeaway basis without instigating a change of use. Local authorities (LAs) across the North-East of England were unaware of any data regarding the take-up of these regulations, partially due to ongoing capacity issues; participants also raised health concerns around takeaway use increasing significantly. One year on, we repeated the study aiming to understand the impact of these regulations on the policy and practice of key professional groups. Specifically, we wanted to understand if LAs were still struggling with staff capacity to address the regulations, whether professionals still had public health trepidations, and if any unexpected changes had occurred across the local food environment because of the pandemic. We conversed with 16 public health professionals, planners and environmental health officers across seven LAs throughout the North-East of England via focus groups and interviews. Data collated were analysed via an inductive and semantic, reflexive-thematic approach. Through analysis of the data, three themes were generated and are discussed throughout: popular online delivery services as a mediator to increased takeaway usage; potential long-term health implications and challenges; continued uncertainty regarding the temporary regulations. This paper highlights important changes to local food environments, which public health professionals should be aware of, so they are better equipped to tackle health inequalities across urban and sub-urban areas.

Use of online food retail platforms throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and associated diet-related chronic disease risk factors: A systematic review of emerging evidence

Food accessibility was considerably impacted by restrictions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, leading to growth in the online food retail sector, which offered contact-free delivery. This systematic review aimed to assess the change in use of online food retail platforms during COVID-19. The secondary aim was to identify diet-related chronic disease risk factors including dietary intake, eating behaviors, and/or weight status associated with the use of online food retail platforms during the pandemic. The review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (CRD42022320498) and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Nine electronic databases were searched between January 2020 and October 2023. Studies that reported the frequency or change in use of online groceries, meal delivery applications, and/or meal-kit delivery services before and during the pandemic were included. A total of 53 studies were identified, including 46 cross-sectional studies, 4 qualitative studies, 2 longitudinal cohort studies, and 1 mixed-methods study. Overall, 96% (43/45) of outcomes showed an increase in the use of online groceries during COVID-19, while 55% (22/40) of outcomes showed a decrease in meal delivery applications. Eight of nine outcomes associated the use of online food retail with weight gain and emotional eating. Further research is needed to investigate the links between online food retail and obesity.

Characteristics of commercial determinants of health research on corporate activities: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Business practices have influenced human health for centuries, yet an overarching concept to study these activities across nations, time periods, and industries (called 'the commercial determinants of health' (CDH)) has emerged only recently. The purpose of this review was to assess the descriptive characteristics of CDH research and to identify remaining research gaps.

METHODS

We systematically searched four databases (Scopus, OVID Medline, Ovid Embase, and Ovid Global Health) on Sept 13, 2022 for literature using CDH terms that described corporate activities that have the potential to influence population health and/or health equity (n = 116). We evaluated the following characteristics of the literature: methods employed, industries studied, regions investigated, funders, reported conflicts of interest, and publication in open-access formats.

RESULTS

The characteristics of the articles included that many were conceptual (50/116 articles; 43%) or used qualitative methods (37; 32%). Only eight articles (7%) used quantitative or mixed methods. The articles most often discussed corporate activities in relation to the food and beverage (51/116; 44%), tobacco (20; 17%), and alcohol industries (19; 16%), with limited research on activities occurring in other industries. Most articles (42/58 articles reporting a regional focus; 72%) focused on corporate activities occurring in high-income regions of the world.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that literature that has used CDH terms and described corporate practices that influence human health has primarily focused on three major industries in higher-income regions of the world. Qualitative methods were the most common empirical method for investigating these activities. CDH-focused investigations of corporate practices conducted by less-studied industries (e.g., social media) and in lower-income regions are recommended. Longitudinal quantitative studies assessing the associations between corporate practices and a range of health outcomes is also a necessary next step for this field.

Characteristics of food establishments registered with a meal delivery app in Latin America

Numerous studies have characterised the establishments registered with meal delivery apps (MDA) in several countries. However, little evidence is available regarding these platforms in Latin America (LA). The purpose of this study is to characterise food establishments registered with an MDA in nine LA cities. The establishments (n 3339) were characterised by the following keyword groups: 'Typical cuisine', 'Meat and fish', 'Snacks', 'Breakfast', 'Desserts' and 'Healthy'. In addition, we identified the marketing strategies present in the establishments' advertisements: photos, discounts and free delivery. Mexico City had the highest number of establishments registered with MDA (773), followed by Bogotá (655), Buenos Aires (567) and São Paulo (454). There is a direct relationship between the number of inhabitants of the cities and the number of the registered establishments. 'Snacks' was the keyword group most used by establishments in five of the nine cities. Establishments in two cities were most often characterised by the terms 'Typical cuisine' (Mexico City and Santiago de Chile) and 'Meats and fish' (Quito and San Jose). Photos were present in the advertisements of at least 84·0 % of the establishments. In addition, at least 40 % of establishments in Montevideo, Bogotá, São Paulo, Lima and Santiago de Chile offered discounts. Free delivery was present in at least 50 % of establishments in Quito, San Jose, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile and Lima. Photos were also the most common marketing strategy used by the establishments classified in all groups of keywords, while free delivery and discounts differed among them.

Restaurants' compliance with calorie labeling policies in food delivery applications

Background

To encourage consumers to make healthier choices, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) released the Saudi Arabia Nutrition Labeling Policy, which requires restaurants to present caloric information clearly on their menus. Food delivery applications are also mandated to present caloric information on their platforms. The aim of this study is to explore how restaurants on food delivery applications comply with the calorie labeling policy.

Methods

Data were extracted from a widely used food delivery application in Saudi Arabia to include a sample of 120 "healthy food" restaurants. The restaurants were checked for compliance on both the application and the website. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the distribution and association of relevant factors.

Results

A substantial proportion (43.3%) of healthy foods on delivery applications (n = 120) do not comply with the SFDA calorie labeling policies. Among these restaurants, 56.5% presented the calorie labeling on their menu item. Of those who provided calorie information on their websites (n = 62), 54.8% provided appropriate calorie labeling based on the SFDA policy. There was an association between compliance and the number of restaurant categories but no associations for website calorie labeling, rating, and appropriateness.

Conclusion

This study provides important findings for policymakers that will enable them to reinforce food calorie policies on food delivery platforms, restaurant websites, social media, and marketing campaigns. Not all restaurants comply with the SFDA calorie labeling policies. Suggestions to present the calorie-related words in Arabic and offer more information to help the consumer make the appropriate food selection decision. Further studies are needed to explore the reasons for and barriers to posting nutritional information on menu items.

The nature and extent of food marketing on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube posts in Mexico

Food and beverage marketing appealing to children and adolescents has an impact on their food preferences, purchases requests, consumption patterns, health outcomes, and obesity. The objective of this study was to assess the nature and extent of food and beverage marketing on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube posts in Mexico. This was a content analysis that followed the World Health Organization CLICK methodology to comprehend the landscape of digital food marketing campaigns of the top-selling food products and brands and the most popular accounts carried out between September and October 2020. A total of 926 posts from 12 food and beverage products and 8 brands were included. Facebook was the social media platform with the most posts and greatest engagement. The most prevalent marketing techniques were brand logo, image of packaging, image of the product itself, hashtags, and engagement to consume. Fifty percent of the posts were assessed as appealing to children, 66% to adolescents, and 80% to either children or adolescents. Ninety-one percent of products (n = 1250) were classified as unhealthy according to the Mexican warning labels nutrient profile; 93% of the food promoted on posts appealing to either children or adolescents were unhealthy. Hashtags commonly referred to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the unhealthy food digital marketing features marketing techniques that appeal to children or adolescents; moreover, the use of the pandemic hashtag reflected brands' responsiveness to the environment at the time of the study. The present data contribute to evidence supporting the strengthening of food marketing regulations in Mexico.

Online on-demand delivery services of food and alcohol: A scoping review of public health impacts

The increase in availability of online on-demand food and alcohol delivery services has changed the way unhealthy commodities are accessed and understood. We conducted a systematic scoping review of academic and grey literature to map the current knowledge of public health and regulatory/policy outcomes arising from on-demand food and alcohol delivery (defined as delivery within 2 h). We systematically searched three electronic databases and completed supplementary forward citation searches and Google Scholar searches. In total, we screened 761 records (de-duplicated) and synthesised findings from 40 studies by commodity types (on-demand food or alcohol) and outcome focus (outlet, consumer, environmental, labour). Outlet-focused outcomes were most common (n = 16 studies), followed by consumer (n = 11), environmental (n = 7), and labour-focused (n = 6) outcomes. Despite geographical and methodological diversity of studies, results indicate that on-demand delivery services market unhealthy and discretionary foods, with disadvantaged communities having reduced access to healthy commodities. Services that deliver alcohol on-demand can also subvert current alcohol access restrictions, particularly through poor age verification processes. Underpinning these public health impacts is the multi-layered nature of on-demand services and context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which creates ongoing complications as to how populations access food and alcohol. Changing access to unhealthy commodities is an emerging issue in public health. Our scoping review considers priority areas for future research to better inform policy decisions. Current regulation of food and alcohol may not appropriately cover emerging on-demand technologies, necessitating a review of policy.

Digital marketing of online food delivery services in a social media platform before and during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To describe the promotion of food and beverage and marketing strategies used by online food delivery services (OFDS) in a social media platform before and during the pandemic in Brazil.

DESIGN

Publicly available data were extracted from OFDS Instagram accounts. Posts published 6 months immediately before and after the first case of COVID-19 in Brazil were randomly sampled. Two independent authors coded the posts' content. Food and beverage items featured in posts were classified according to the NOVA food system classification. Marketing strategies were coded according to protocols from previous studies.

SETTING

Top three OFDS Instagram accounts in Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

Posts published in the period studied (n 304).

RESULTS

During the pandemic, the proportion of posts featuring at least one food item decreased from 71·6 % to 40·2 %, and the proportion of ultra-processed foods decreased from 57·6 % to 27·9 %. Before the pandemic, the most widely used marketing strategies were branding elements (80·7 %), product imagery (unbranded) (48·9 %) and partnerships/sponsorship (35·2 %). While during the pandemic, branding elements (62·2 %) continued to be the most applied, but were followed by the use of videos/graphics interchange format/boomerangs (34·1 %) and corporate social responsibility (31·7 %). The most frequent COVID-19 marketing strategies were 'social responsibility in the pandemic' (30·5 %), 'combatting the pandemic' (28·0 %) and 'accelerating digitalisation' (20·7 %).

CONCLUSIONS

OFDS advertisements on a social media platform placed less emphasis on food items, but improved the nutritional quality of foods and beverages featured in posts. A COVID-washing approach was highlighted, especially through the use of social responsibility marketing during the pandemic.

Online food delivery companies' performance and consumers expectations during Covid-19: An investigation using machine learning approach

Online food delivery (OFD) businesses flourished during COVID-19; however, OFD companies experienced different challenges and customers' expectations. This paper uses social media data to explore OFD companies' performance and customers' expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most important topics in developed and developing countries are identified using machine learning. Results show that customers in India are more concerned about social responsibility, while financial aspects are more important in the US. Overall, customers in India are more satisfied with OFD companies during the COVID-19 pandemic than the US customers. We further find that factors such as OFD companies' brand, market size, country, and COVID-19 waves play a crucial role in moderating customer sentiment. The results of the study offer several managerial insights.

Understanding the Online Environment for the Delivery of Food, Alcohol and Tobacco: An Exploratory Analysis of 'Dark Kitchens' and Rapid Grocery Delivery Services

Online spaces are increasingly important in the sale of food, alcohol and tobacco. This analysis focuses on two developments in online food delivery: delivery-only 'dark kitchens' and rapid grocery delivery services (RGDS), with the aim to understand and assess the availability of health harming and health promoting products through these services. Data was collected for one metropolitan local authority in London, UK, using publicly available online sources. Being explorative in nature, the analysis includes descriptive statistics and qualitative assessment. Three dark kitchens (renting kitchens to 116 food businesses), three grocery delivery apps, and 76 grocery businesses available through online delivery platforms were identified. Most businesses renting dark kitchen space were 'virtual restaurants' (52%) selling fast food (47%) or dessert (21%) through online delivery platforms. RGDS sold a variety of items, with a focus on pre-packaged foods high in fat, salt and sugar, alcoholic beverages and tobacco. These items were also most likely to be promoted through offers and promotional language. Fruits and vegetables were less commonly available and mainly on grocery delivery apps. Online delivery services increase the temporal and geographic availability and promotion of many unhealthy products. Research expanding on the geographic area of interest is needed.

Perspective: Are Online Food Delivery Services Emerging as Another Obstacle to Achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

Online food delivery usage has soared during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which has seen increased demand for home-delivery during government mandated stay-at-home periods. Resulting implications from COVID-19 may threaten decades of development gains. It is becoming increasingly more important for the global community to progress toward sustainable development and improve the wellbeing of people, economies, societies, and the planet. In this perspective article, we discuss how the rising use of these platform-to-consumer delivery operations may impede advances toward the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, online food delivery services may disrupt SDGs that address good health and wellbeing, responsible consumption and production, climate action and decent work and economic growth. To mitigate potential negative impacts of these meal delivery apps, we have proposed a research and policy agenda that is aligned with entry points within a systems approach identified by the World Health Organization. Food industry reforms, synergised public health messaging and continuous monitoring of the growing impact of online food delivery should be considered for further investigation by researchers, food industry, governments, and policy makers.

Associations between online food outlet access and online food delivery service use amongst adults in the UK: a cross-sectional analysis of linked data

BACKGROUND

Online food delivery services facilitate 'online' access to food outlets that typically sell lenergy-dense nutrient-poor food. Greater online food outlet access might be related to the use of this purchasing format and living with excess bodyweight, however, this is not known. We aimed to investigate the association between aspects of online food outlet access and online food delivery service use, and differences according to customer sociodemographic characteristics, as well as the association between the number of food outlets accessible online and bodyweight.

METHODS

In 2019, we used an automated data collection method to collect data on all food outlets in the UK registered with the leading online food delivery service Just Eat (n = 33,204). We linked this with contemporaneous data on food purchasing, bodyweight, and sociodemographic information collected through the International Food Policy Study (analytic sample n = 3067). We used adjusted binomial logistic, linear, and multinomial logistic regression models to examine associations.

RESULTS

Adults in the UK had online access to a median of 85 food outlets (IQR: 34-181) and 85 unique types of cuisine (IQR: 64-108), and 15.1% reported online food delivery service use in the previous week. Those with the greatest number of accessible food outlets (quarter four, 182-879) had 71% greater odds of online food delivery service use (OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.68) compared to those with the least (quarter one, 0-34). This pattern was evident amongst adults with a university degree (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.15, 3.85), adults aged between 18 and 29 years (OR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.59, 6.72), those living with children (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.01; 3.75), and females at each level of increased exposure. We found no association between the number of unique types of cuisine accessible online and online food delivery service use, or between the number of food outlets accessible online and bodyweight.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of food outlets accessible online is positively associated with online food delivery service use. Adults with the highest education, younger adults, those living with children, and females, were particularly susceptible to the greatest online food outlet access. Further research is required to investigate the possible health implications of online food delivery service use.

Enhancing Consumer Experience through Development of Implicit Attitudes Using Food Delivery Applications

In the context created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the aim of the research in this article is to highlight how the consumer experience is constructed, starting from the consumer’s attitudes—which we consider to be implicitly positive—and from the formation of habits of using mobile applications for food supply. Data were collected from 610 people—users of applications for food delivery in urban areas—in the spring of 2021, using a quantitative type of research in the form of a field survey based on questionnaire completion; for the model validation, we used confirmatory factor analysis. The online questionnaire link was sent out in April 2021, followed by the consumers’ completion of the questionnaire in the same month. The proposed theoretical model highlights the influence of variables that are specific for technology acceptance models on the perceived utility and development of implicit attitudes based on it, as well as the habits of using the application. The results of the research validate the proposed model, showing that attitudes in the form of an implicit-type attitudes developed in time are influencing habits and aid the development of a certain usage behavior depicted by a consumption experience that has specific content. Our paper contributes to a better understanding of the consumer experience development process within the context of technology acceptance in the field of food delivery services, emphasizing the importance of satisfying hedonic motivations as an integral part of the compensatory mechanisms determined by the effects of the pandemic.