COVID-19 Changes Public Awareness about Food Sustainability and Dietary Patterns: A Google Trends Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected healthcare systems and global economies but also directly impacted food security and purchasing behaviors. The aim of this study is to investigate if COVID-19 has induced changes in public interest regarding Food Sustainability and healthy-sustainable dietary patterns across Europe and in European regions. A Google Trends search was performed using the search terms “Food Sustainability + Sustainable Diet + Sustainable Food” (grouped as “Food Sustainability”) and the topics “Sustainability”, “Healthy Diet”, “Mediterranean Diet”, and “Flexitarianism” for the years 2010 to 2022. Data were obtained for 12 countries in Europe. The trends in interest after the COVID-19 outbreak were forecast based on previous data. After the COVID-19 outbreak, an increase in Food Sustainability interest was observed and was higher than forecast based on the previous data. A significant interest increase in Sustainability was observed; nevertheless, this increase was smaller than the forecast increase. Mixed results were obtained for dietary patterns across European regions, yet, considering the mean interest for Europe, it seems that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak dampened the interest in dietary patterns such as the Healthy Diet and Flexitarianism and promoted an interest in the Mediterranean Diet. Understanding consumers’ beliefs and behaviors toward food choices is crucial for the transition towards sustainable diets, and definitions of educational and behavioral interventions are essential to this transition.     

Losses,Gains, and Changes to the Food Environment in a Rural Kentucky County during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused alterations to be made in the way many people access, prepare, and consume food. Rural communities are particularly impacted due to pre-existing structural vulnerabilities, i.e., poverty, lack of infrastructure, and limited fresh food options. This study aimed to characterize experiences of one rural Appalachian community’s changes to the food environment during the pandemic. In April 2021, six focus groups were conducted with residents of Laurel County, Kentucky. Using grounded theory, we identified losses, gains, and overall changes to the community food environment since the onset of COVID-19. Seventeen Laurel Countians (17 female; ages 30–74) participated in the six focus groups. Three main themes emerged regarding food environment changes—(1) modifications of community food and nutrition resources, (2) expansion and utilization of online food ordering, and (3) implications of the home food environment. Rural communities faced considerable challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part, due to gaps in existing infrastructure and loss of pre-existing resources. This study illustrates the complexity of changes occurring during COVID-19. Using the preliminary data obtained, we can better understand pre-existing issues in Laurel County and suggestions for future programming to address the inequitable access and response during public health emergencies and beyond.     

The Nature and Extent of Online Marketing by Big Food and Big Alcohol During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: Content Analysis Study

BackgroundEmerging evidence demonstrates that obesity is associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Excessive alcohol consumption and “comfort eating” as coping mechanisms during times of high stress have been shown to further exacerbate mental and physical ill-health. Global examples suggest that unhealthy food and alcohol brands and companies are using the COVID-19 pandemic to further market their products. However, there has been no systematic, in-depth analysis of how “Big Food” and “Big Alcohol” are capitalizing on the COVID-19 pandemic to market their products and brands.ObjectiveWe aimed to quantify the extent and nature of online marketing by alcohol and unhealthy food and beverage companies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.MethodsWe conducted a content analysis of all COVID-19-related social media posts made by leading alcohol and unhealthy food and beverage brands (n=42) and their parent companies (n=12) over a 4-month period (February to May 2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.ResultsNearly 80% of included brands and all parent companies posted content related to COVID-19 during the 4-month period. Quick service restaurants (QSRs), food and alcohol delivery companies, alcohol brands, and bottle shops were the most active in posting COVID-19-related content. The most common themes for COVID-19-related marketing were isolation activities and community support. Promotion of hygiene and home delivery was also common, particularly for QSRs and alcohol and food delivery companies. Parent companies were more likely to post about corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as donations of money and products, and to offer health advice.ConclusionsThis is the first study to show that Big Food and Big Alcohol are incessantly marketing their products and brands on social media platforms using themes related to COVID-19, such as isolation activities and community support. Parent companies are frequently posting about CSR initiatives, such as donations of money and products, thereby creating a fertile environment to loosen current regulation or resist further industry regulation. “COVID-washing” by large alcohol brands, food and beverage brands, and their parent companies is both common and concerning. The need for comprehensive regulations to restrict unhealthy food and alcohol marketing, as recommended by the World Health Organization, is particularly acute in the COVID-19 context and is urgently required to “build back better” in a post-COVID-19 world.     

Convenience Food Options and Adequacy of Nutrient Intake among School Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the family food environment, resulting in more families relying on convenience food options. This study aimed to investigate diet quality by convenience food options (namely instant, frozen, and take-out foods) among Japanese school children during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the relationship between the frequency of consumption of convenience food options and nutritional status of the school children. The participants (671 children, 10–14 years old) were chosen to form a nationally representative sample of the Japanese population. Using questionnaires completed by the participants’ guardians, information was collected on the frequency of instant, frozen, and take-out food consumption. Habitual food and nutrient intake were collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire, completed by the children with help from their guardian(s). “Frequent” consumption was defined as consumption of instant, frozen, and/or take-out foods on more than 5 days per week. Using 19 nutrients and their respective dietary reference intake (DRI) values, an index was created to label each child’s nutrient intake as “Adequate”, “Inadequate”, “Excess”, or “Deficient.” Compared to children with non-frequent consumption, school children with frequent instant food consumption had significantly higher rates of inadequate nutrient intake (risk ratio (RR) = 3.0 [95% CI: 1.6–5.6]) and excess nutrient intake (RR = 2.3 [95% CI: 1.3–4.2]), while school children with frequent take-out food consumption had significantly higher rates of inadequate nutrient intake (RR = 2.1 [95% CI: 1.3–3.3]). There were no significant differences for children with frequent frozen-food intake. These associations did not change when adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Our results suggest that the frequent consumption of instant or take-out foods among school children results in non-adequate nutritional intake.     

Impacts of COVID-19 on Nutritional Intake in Rural China: Panel Data Evidence

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced risks and challenges to global food and nutrition security. In this paper, we examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nutritional intake of China’s rural residents using panel data and a fixed effects model. The data were collected in 2019 and 2020 and covered nine provinces and 2631 households in rural China. The results reveal that an increase of 100 confirmed cases in a county resulted in a 1.30% (p < 0.01), 1.42% (p < 0.01), 1.65% (p < 0.01), and 1.15% (p < 0.01) decrease in per capita intake of dietary energy, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, respectively. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and negative effect on dietary macronutrient intake in the low-income group at the 5% level of significance. Our study indicates that the potential insufficient nutrition situation, nutritional imbalance, and dietary imbalance of low-income rural residents should be addressed appropriately.     

Children’s Community Nutrition Environment,Food and Drink Purchases and Consumption on Journeys between Home and School: A Wearable Camera Study

Children’s community nutrition environments are an important contributor to childhood obesity rates worldwide. This study aimed to measure the type of food outlets on children’s journeys to or from school, children’s food purchasing and consumption, and to determine differences by ethnicity and socioeconomic status. In this New Zealand study, we analysed photographic images of the journey to or from school from a sample of 147 children aged 11–13 years who wore an Autographer camera which recorded images every 7 s. A total of 444 journeys to or from school were included in the analysis. Camera images captured food outlets in 48% of journeys that had a component of active travel and 20% of journeys by vehicle. Children who used active travel modes had greater odds of exposure to unhealthy food outlets than children who used motorised modes; odds ratio 4.2 (95% CI 1.2–14.4). There were 82 instances of food purchases recorded, 84.1% of which were for discretionary foods. Of the 73 food and drink consumption occasions, 94.5% were for discretionary food or drink. Children on their journeys to or from school are frequently exposed to unhealthy food outlets. Policy interventions are recommended to limit the availability of unhealthy food outlets on school routes.     

Change in Employment Status Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic,SNAP Participation,and Household Food Insecurity among Black and Latino Adults in Illinois

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in record-high unemployment rates. Black and Latino adults experienced disproportionately higher rates of unemployment. We aimed to examine associations between pandemic-related employment status change and household food insecurity among an economically diverse sample of Black and Latino adults in Illinois during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we evaluated the significance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation to determine if it modified associations. We analyzed cross-sectional data collected from 1,809 Black and Latino adults in two waves: May 2020 and June/July 2020. Participants listed their change in employment status as “lost job entirely”, “employed, but paid hours reduced”, “employed, but anticipate job lost”, or “no change”. Participants self-reported their SNAP status and completed the USDA’s six item U.S. Food Security Module to report household food security status. We used logistic regression to assess the significance of associations after controlling for socio-demographics. Approximately 15.5% of participants lost their job entirely, 25.2% were SNAP participants, and 51.8% reported low food security (LFS). All changes in employment were significantly associated with increased odds of LFS after adjusting for socio-demographics. SNAP participants who lost their job had higher odds of LFS (OR: 4.69; 95% CI: 2.69–8.17) compared to non-participants who lost their job (OR: 2.97; 95%: 1.95–4.52). In summary, we observed strong associations between changes in employment and household food insecurity, particularly among SNAP participants, which underscores the pandemic’s impact on low-income and minority populations.     

Food Preferences and Food Choice Determinants in a Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study

Food preferences are within the most important determinants of food choices; however, little is known about their complex associations, and no studies were conducted in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to analyze the association between food preferences and food choice determinants in adolescents aged 15–20 years within the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study. The PLACE-19 Study included a random quota sampling conducted in the whole of Poland and covered a population-based sample of 2448 secondary school students. The food preferences were assessed using a validated Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ), and the food choices were assessed using a validated Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ). The statistical analysis comprised k-means clustering and linear regression adjusted for sex and age. Four homogenous clusters of respondents were defined based on the food choice motives—“healthy eaters” (health as the most important determinant of food choices), “hedonists” (convenience, sensory appeal, and price as the most important determinants), “indifferent consumers” (low significance for all determinants), and “demanding consumers” (high significance for all determinants). The preferences for all food categories differed when comparing between clusters presenting various food choice determinants (p < 0.001). The “healthy eaters” were characterized by the highest preference for vegetables; the “hedonists” preferred meat/fish, dairy, and snacks; the “demanding consumers” had a high preference for all food categories, while “indifferent consumers” had a low preference for all food categories. All preference scores were positively associated with mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, and price (p < 0.05). The results confirmed the association between food preferences and food choice determinants in adolescents, as well as allowed adolescents to be clustered into segments to define various needs and motives among the identified segments. For public health purposes, it may be crucial to educate “hedonists,” with a high preference for meat/fish, dairy and snacks, accompanied by convenience, sensory appeal, and price as the most important determinants of their food choices.     

Feeding Behaviour and Lifestyle of Children and Adolescents One Year after Lockdown by the COVID-19 Pandemic in Chile

Lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced feeding behaviour and lifestyle in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to analyse feeding behaviour and lifestyle in children and adolescents one year after lockdown by the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile. In this cross-sectional study an online survey was implemented in 1083 parents and caregivers regarding their children’s feeding behaviour and lifestyle and sociodemographic background. The results showed that “eat breakfast daily” (89.2%), “not overnight food intake” (69.9%) and “not fast-food intake” (66.0%) were the most frequent reported feeding behaviours, particularly in pre-school children. Respondents declaring healthy feeding behaviours and lifestyle were 23.4 and 23.7%, respectively, with no significant differences by sex. In pre-school children, families with three or fewer members and parents or caregivers with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree reported a significantly better feeding behaviour and lifestyle compared to families with more than three members and parents or caregivers without an undergraduate or postgraduate degree. In conclusion, the pandemic lockdown had a negative impact in lifestyle in children and particularly in adolescents. Healthier feeding behaviour was associated with fewer family members and parents or caregivers with at least an undergraduate degree.     

The Impact of the National Nutrition Program 2017–2030 on People’s Food Purchases: A Revenue-Based Perspective

The General Office of the State Council of China promulgated the National Nutrition Program 2017–2030 in 2017 to guide the people to improve their food supply and nutritional intake. This study uses qualitative and quantitative information which are analyzed to estimate the change in people’s food purchases following the implementation of the National Nutrition Program 2017–2030, and puts forward measures that should be taken by the competent authorities and stakeholders. We use the translog revenue function of the food industry, and based on the data of listed companies of Chinese food enterprises from 2015 to 2020, and this study find that the National Nutrition Program 2017–2030 has had a positive impact on people’s food purchases, and the impact is more obvious in people’s food purchases from large food manufacturers. Finally, we also provide regulators with public policy implications, and provide food manufacturers with development suggestions.     

With Great Hopes Come Great Expectations: Access and Adoption Issues Associated With COVID-19 Vaccines

Although COVID-19 vaccines are becoming increasingly available, their ability to effectively control and contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly contingent on an array of factors. This paper discusses how limitations to vaccine accessibility, issues associated with vaccine side effects, concerns regarding vaccine efficacy, along with the persistent prevalence of vaccine hesitancy among the public, including health care professionals, might impact the potential of COVID-19 vaccines to curb the pandemic. We draw insights from the literature to identify practical solutions that could boost people’s adoption of COVID-19 vaccines and their accessibility. We conclude with a discussion on health experts’ and government officials’ moral and ethical responsibilities to the public, even in light of the urgency to adopt and endorse “the greatest amount of good for the greatest number” utilitarian philosophy in controlling and managing the spread of COVID-19.     

Factors Associated with Dietary Change since the Outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan

In Japan, dietary habits have greatly changed since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak; we examined factors related to dietary changes. An online cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in November 2020 among 6000 Japanese adults (aged 20–64 years) registered with a research company and gathered data on demographics, socioeconomic factors, medical history, COVID-19 status of the respondent’s family and neighbors, fear of COVID-19, and changes in lifestyle and dietary habits since the COVID-19 outbreak. To the question “Have you made healthier changes to your dietary habits compared with the dietary habits before the spread of COVID-19 (1 year ago, November 2019)?”, 1215 (20.3%), 491 (8.2%), and 4294 (71.6%) participants answered that their dietary habits were healthier, unhealthier, and unchanged, respectively. Healthier and unhealthier dietary habits were associated with greater fear of COVID-19, altered exercise and sleep times, and smoking. Unhealthy habits were positively associated with living alone, decreasing household income, colleagues with COVID-19, stress, and weight loss/gain. Annual household income, changing household income, COVID-19 in friends, health literacy, exercise frequency, weight loss, and starting smoking were positively associated with healthier dietary changes. The generalizability of these results and strategies to inculcate healthy diets in this “new normal” should be investigated.     

Rural Household Food Insecurity among Latino Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic

U.S. food insecurity rates rapidly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with disproportionate impacts on Latino immigrant households. We conducted a qualitative study to investigate how household food environments of rural Latino immigrants were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-one respondents (42% from low food security households) completed interviews (July 2020–April 2021) across four rural counties in California. A rural household food security conceptual framework was used to analyze the data. Early in the pandemic, food availability was impacted by school closures and the increased consumption of meals/snacks at home; food access was impacted by reduced incomes. Barriers to access included limited transportation, excess distance, and lack of convenience. Key resources for mitigating food insecurity were the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT), school meals, charitable food programs, and social capital, although the adequacy and acceptability of charitable food distributions were noted issues. Respondents expressed concern about legal status, stigma, and the public charge rule when discussing barriers to government nutrition assistance programs. They reported that food pantries and P-EBT had fewer access barriers. Positive coping strategies included health-promoting food substitutions and the reduced consumption of meals outside the home. Results can inform the development of policy and systems interventions to decrease food insecurity and nutrition-related health disparities among rural Latino immigrants.     

Factors Influencing Changes in Food Preparation during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associations with Food Intake among Japanese Adults

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate factors associated with changes in food-preparation practices during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan and its associations to food-group intake. To examine this, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in July 2020. Participants were 2285 adults aged 20–69 years who resided in any of 13 prefectures in Japan where specific COVID-19 regulations had been implemented. Self-reported changes in food-preparation practices when compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period were measured as “increased” (24.6%), “decreased” (7.3%), and “no change” (68.1%), respectively. Stepwise logistic regression analyses indicated that participants who increased the time and effort for food preparation were younger in age, partially working remotely, experiencing reduced household income due to COVID-19, but highly concerned the importance of diet. On the other hand, participants whose household income decreased, and household economic status worsened, as well as those whose importance of diet deteriorated due to COVID-19 were more likely to decrease time and effort for cooking. Although the increased group were more likely to prepare meals with raw ingredients, the decreased group showed higher frequency of using takeout. These results indicated major determinants of changes in time spending on food preparation in consequence of COVID-19, and highlighted essential targets for future nutrition education.     

Exploring the Geographic Variation in Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Behaviour Using Supermarket Transaction Data

The existence of dietary inequalities is well-known. Dietary behaviours are impacted by the food environment and are thus likely to follow a spatial pattern. Using 12 months of transaction records for around 50,000 ‘primary’ supermarket loyalty card holders, this study explores fruit and vegetable purchasing at the neighbourhood level across the city of Leeds, England. Determinants of small-area-level fruit and vegetable purchasing were identified using multiple linear regression. Results show that fruit and vegetable purchasing is spatially clustered. Areas purchasing fewer fruit and vegetable portions typically had younger residents, were less affluent, and spent less per month with the retailer.     

The Effect of a Product Placement Intervention on Pupil’s Food and Drink Purchases in Two Secondary Schools: An Exploratory Study

Limited research exists on the effectiveness of product placement in secondary schools. We explored the impact of re-positioning sweet-baked goods, fruit, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and water on pupil’s lunchtime purchases in two secondary schools in North-East England. We employed a stepped-wedge design with two clusters and four time periods. The intervention(s) involved re-positioning selected food and drinks to increase and decrease accessibility of ‘healthier’ and ‘less healthy’ items, respectively. Unidentifiable smartcard data measured the change in number of pupil’s purchasing the above items. McNemar tests were undertaken on paired nominal data in Stata(v15). In School A, pupils purchasing fruit pots from control to intervention increased (n = 0 cf. n = 81; OR 0, 95% CI 0 to 0.04); post-intervention, this was not maintained. In School B, from control to intervention pupil’s purchasing sweet-baked goods decreased (n = 183 cf. n = 147; OR 1.2, 95% CI 1 to 1.6). This continued post-intervention (n = 161 cf. n = 122; OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.7) and was similar for SSBs (n = 180 cf. n = 79; OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.7 to 3.0). We found no evidence of other changes. There is some evidence that product placement may positively affect pupil’s food and drink purchases. However, there are additional aspects to consider, such as, product availability, engaging canteen staff and the individual school context.     

Perceived Stress and Increased Food Consumption during the ‘Third Wave’ of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of people worldwide. An increase in perceived stress can lead to unhealthy behaviors such as increased food consumption. The aim of this study was to find the level of perceived stress and its relationship with increased food consumption during the “third wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. This was a cross-sectional study that employed anonline self-reported frequency of consumption questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale-10. A total of 637 subjects participated and 83.6% of respondents had moderate or high stress—more prevalent in the female and young respondents. Moreover, 36.1% of respondents reported that they had increased the frequency of consumption of some foods, mainly nuts, snacks, and jellybeans, along with coffee, tea, cocoa, and soft drinks. Eating between meals was more pronounced in those with high stress (65.1%) than in those with moderate stress (40.4%) and low stress (20.2%). Furthermore, the respondents with high stress reported greater weight gain. Thus, the results show that the level of perceived stress during the ‘third wave’ of this pandemic increased food consumption.     

Consumers’ Exposure to Nutrition and Health Claims on Pre-Packed Foods: Use of Sales Weighting for Assessing the Food Supply in Slovenia

Insights into the use of health-related information on foods are important for planning studies about the effects of such information on the consumer’s understanding, purchasing, and consumption of foods, and also support further food policy decisions. We tested the use of sales data for weighting consumers’ exposure to health-related labeling information in the Slovenian food supply. Food labeling data were collected from 6342 pre-packed foods available in four different food stores in Slovenia. Consumers’ exposure was calculated as the percentage of available food products with particular food information in the food category. In addition, 12-month sales data were used to calculate sales weighted exposure as a percentage of sold food products with certain food information in the food category. The consumer’s in-store and sales-weighted exposure to nutrition claims was 37% and 45%, respectively. Exposure to health claims was much lower (13%, 11% when sales-weighted). Health claims were mainly found in the form of general non-specific claims or function claims, while children’s development and reduction of disease risk claims were present on only 0.1% and 0.2% of the investigated foods, respectively. Sales data were found very useful for establishing a reliable estimation of consumers’ exposure to information provided on food labels. The high penetration of health-related information on food labels indicates that careful regulation of this area is appropriate. Further studies should focus on assessing the nutritional quality of foods labeled with nutrition and health claims, and understanding the importance of such labeling techniques for consumers’ food preferences and choices.     

Qualitative Accounts of School-Aged Children’s Diets during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural,Central, Kenya

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to food security in many countries, including Kenya. However, the impact of this on food provision to children at an individual level is unknown. This small study aimed to provide a qualitative snapshot of the diets of children during the COVID-19 pandemic. During completion of 24-h food recalls, with 15 families with children aged 5–8 years, caregivers were asked about changes they had made to foods given to their children due to the pandemic. Food recalls were analysed to assess nutrient intakes. Qualitative comments were thematically analysed. Most of the families reported making some changes to foods they provided to their children due to COVID-19. Reasons for these changes fell into three themes, inability to access foods (both due to formal restriction of movements and fear of leaving the house), poorer availability of foods, and financial constraints (both decreases in income and increases in food prices). The COVID-19 pandemic has affected some foods parents in rural Kenya can provide to their children.     

Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Eating and Purchasing Behaviours of People Living in England

Consumers’ eating habits have changed significantly due to the anxiety and boredom from the reported cases and deaths of COVID-19, the change in work patterns, controlled food shopping, and the inability to meet loved ones during the lockdown. The magnitude of these changes in the eating behaviours and purchasing habits of consumers varies across different groups of people. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on the eating and purchasing behaviours of people living in England, which was assessed based on sociodemographic variables. A total of 911 participants were recruited by a market research company, while only 792 useable responses were included in this study. The participants, aged between 18 and 91 years, completed an online questionnaire, and the data were analysed using ordinal regression. Data were collected between October and December 2020. Male participants constituted 34.60%, females 63.89%, and others (other gender and those who prefer not to declare their gender) were 0.63%. The majority of participants’ ages fell into the ranges of 23–38 and 39–54. Participants aged 23 to 38 years had the greatest effect of COVID-19 on their purchasing decision of healthier foods, while participants in the age groups 55–73 and 74–91 were least affected. The amount of foods purchased during the pandemic decreased with increasing age. The amount of foods purchased by students, people in employment, and people from minority ethnic groups were greatly affected by the pandemic. All participants who stated that taking food supplements is not important during the pandemic were from the White ethnic group. The effects of the pandemic on purchasing healthier foods were greater in younger generations and participants in full- or part-time employment than participants who were retired and who were aged above 55. The participants with higher educational qualifications and those from minority ethnic groups were also more affected by the pandemic. We suggest further studies to monitor any changes in the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the eating and purchasing behaviours of consumers.