The effect of COVID-19 on food sales.

Both COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions and recessionary employment loss severely impacted US food sales during 2020. This article estimates the historical relationship between food expenditures and employment at the county level. Using these estimates, we simulate the impact of the loss of employment on food sales and find that, on average, employment loss increased food-at-home (FAH) sales by 1.3% and decreased food-away-from-home (FAFH) sales by 0.5% in 2020. We argue differences to the actual 4.8% increase in FAH sales and 19.5% decrease in FAFH sales in 2020 likely stem from the more drastic COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions and behavioral changes.

Factors affecting household carbohydrate food consumption in Central Java: Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a change in food demand. In Central Java, during the pandemic (2021), the proportion of expenditure on the grain food group was higher than in 2020;meanwhile, the proportion of the ready-to-eat food group decreased. This study aims to analyze the pattern of food consumption of carbohydrate sources, the influencing factors, and the elasticity of consumption in households in Central Java before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses data from the National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) for 12 districts/cities in Central Java consisting of 9,812 in 2019 and 10,636 households samples in 2021. Data analysis used the Linear Approximation Almost Ideal Demand System (LA-AIDS) method. Results of the study show that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the household consumption pattern of carbohydrate-source food in Central Java. The proportion of expenditure on rice, wheat flour, shelled corn, cassava, and potatoes has increased. On the other hand, wet corn, instant noodles, and white rice decreased. The price of food sources of carbohydrates and the number of household members positively affect the consumption of food sources of carbohydrates. At the same time, income has a negative effect. There are differences in the effect of the location of the residence on the consumption of food sources of carbohydrates before and during the pandemic. The value of own-price elasticity and income elasticity shows that before the pandemic, rice was a staple good whose consumption was inelastic. Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, wheat flour, wet-skinned corn, shelled corn, potatoes, white rice, and cassava in the pre-pandemic period was Giffen because the price elasticity was positive, and the income elasticity was negative. Meanwhile, rice during the pandemic, instant noodles before and during the pandemic, and cassava were Veblen goods because their price and income elasticity were positive. Cross elasticity shows that before the pandemic, most of the relationships between food sources of carbohydrates were substitutes, while during the pandemic, most of the relationships between food sources of carbohydrates were complementary. © 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.

Household Food Insecurity and Demographic Factors, Low Birth Weight and Stunting in Early Childhood: Findings from a Longitudinal Study in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Low birthweight (LBW) as well as early childhood stunting are risk factors for increased childhood morbidity in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). The Covid 19 pandemic has exacerbated food insecurity and unemployment globally, prompting concerns for maternal and child health. OBJECTIVES: We used data from the great recession of 2008 to examine the relationship between household food security and other risk factors with LBW and stunting using a longitudinal sample of South African women and their offspring. METHODS: Food security indicators, alcohol use, blood pressure and other characteristics were examined in relation to LBW (≤ 2500 g), stunting (height for age ≤ 2SD) and severe stunting (height for age ≤ 3SD). Regression modelling with clustering at maternal ID level were employed to adjust for maternal characteristics and women who gave birth more than once during the reference period. RESULTS: Birthweight data were available for 1173 children and height for age 1216 children. The prevalence of LBW was 14.7% while stunting and severe stunting was 17.8% and 14.5%. Child hunger in the household, maternal hypertension and alcohol use were associated with low birthweight. Food expenditure below the Stats SA poverty line and low dietary diversity was associated with stunting and severe stunting respectively. Maternal height and low birthweight were associated with both stunting and severe stunting. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Interventions that can improve household food security and nutritional status during the periconceptional and antenatal period may reduce the prevalence of low birthweight and subsequent stunting in low- and middle-income countries.

Covid-19 pandemic and food security in India: Can authorities alleviate the disproportionate burden on the disadvantaged?

The present study examines covariates of food security and the impact of Covid-19 induced shocks, among households in India using a nationally representative survey. Using a 2SLS panel regression model, we find an important role of incomes, relative food prices, household characteristics, as well as mobility restrictions in response to the rising number of infections in a given region in explaining varying food expenditure shares prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The disproportionate burden of the pandemic induced lockdowns on the disadvantaged and minorities calls for effective action on the part of policymakers to boost aggregate demand, fix supply chains and reduce food price volatility.

Positive effects of COVID-19 on food preparation and expenditure habits: a comparative study across three countries.

OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to empirically investigate how the changing eating habits affect health habits within three countries with entirely different cultures and diets to understand to what extent the pandemic may be responsible for these changes. DESIGN: Specifically, a questionnaire was conducted in China, Portugal and Turkey in early 2021. A series of statistical analyses were performed to identify how changes in individuals' eating habits have influenced their diets, considering the pandemic context and the varying cultural contexts where this research was performed. SETTING: A structured questionnaire form was developed and uploaded to an online platform with unique links for automatic distribution to respondents in each country. Data for the main survey were gathered between 3 January and 1 February 2021. PARTICIPANTS: Using snowball sampling, the authors leveraged their social networks by asking friends and colleagues to distribute the survey to potentially interested individuals. This distribution was stratified accordingly to the distribution of the population. The authors ultimately collected 319 useable surveys from China, 351 from Portugal and 449 from Turkey. RESULTS: The pandemic inspired healthier food habits, mostly because people have additional time to cook, shop differently for food and spend more money on groceries. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that aside from cultural values and dietary habits, the available time and the fear of the pandemic most explained the new eating habits. Several implications are provided for researchers and overall society in these three countries.

Risk perception and resource scarcity in food procurement during the early outbreak of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: The retail food industry, a major essential business, is among the very few thriving sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, such prosperity on the store side does not guarantee a sufficient food supply for all populations. This study aims to understand if people's risk perception and food security status shaped their food procurement behaviors during the early outbreak of the pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: Extended from the theory of risk perception, food consumers may behave differently during a disastrous event in terms of store patronization. The study evaluates how food procurement behaviors are affected by perceived risk aversion, resource scarcity, and consumers' food security status. METHODS: The study examines how people with different food security statuses made grocery shopping decisions at the risk of epidemic exposure based on a nationwide survey of 2590 participants in the U.S. during the early break of the pandemic in April 2020. The study uses a moderated mediation analysis on in-store shopping frequency and food expenditure. RESULTS: People having a food-secure status before the pandemic spent significantly more as a result of the reduced shopping frequency (i.e., the secure-insecure subgroup ß = -0.18, P < .01; the secure-secure subgroup ß = -0.35, P < .01). The increase in food expenditure was insignificant for people who were food-insecure before the pandemic (i.e., the insecure-insecure subgroup, ß = -0.01, P > .05; the insecure-secure subgroup, ß = -0.11, P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The study reports that in general people reduced the frequency of grocery shopping trips to avoid epidemic exposure while increasing the food expenditure per trip. The increase in food expenditure was not statistically significant among the food-insecure populations likely due to their budget constraints.