The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Changes in Food Choice, Purchase, and Consumption Patterns in the World:  A Review Study

Sepideh  Dolati; Alemeh  Hariri Far; Zahra  Mollarasouli; Ali  Imani

doi:10.18502/jnfs.v7i3.10205

Sepideh Dolati Department of Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Tehran, Iran.
Alemeh Hariri Far Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Zahra Mollarasouli Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Ali Imani Department of Health Economics, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jnfs.v7i3.10205

Keywords: COVID-19; Food; Purchase; Nutrition

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious disruption to food security in the world. Declining incomes, purchasing power, and food production and rising prices in the food supply and consumption chain have affected and increased the risk of food insecurity, the most important consequence of which is the worsening of world hunger and malnutrition. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic since December 2019 in Wuhan, and its spread around the world has caused major changes in people's lives; one of the most important affected areas is the food and nutrition sector. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in food choice, purchase, and consumption.

Methods: Keywords "food", "nutrition", "choice or select", "buy or purchase", "consumption" and "behavior" in combination with the word "COVID-19" were used to search for English articles in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. All articles from the beginning of the pandemic to the end of May 2021 were included in this study. After deleting some studies due to non-English language, duplication, inconsistency with the intended purpose, and being reviewed, 25 articles entered the final phase.

Results: The results indicate that forced quarantine and travel restrictions with the formation of new nutritional behaviors have affected the quality of nutrition of different populations. It has positive consequences, such as reducing ready meals and fast foods, increasing attention to nutrients to promote and maintain health and reduce food waste. The negative consequences include increased intake of snacks, high-calorie foods, canned foods, and processed meats in some countries.

Conclusion: Decreased nutritional quality from this pandemic can have adverse effects on public health. More detailed studies are needed to examine the impact of quarantine on food choice, purchase, and consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.