Online food for thought
ONLINE food delivery has surged during Covid-19 – but what are the implications for our health?
The global coronavirus pandemic has changed the face of daily life for much of the world’s population.
While shopping for groceries was deemed essential under most lockdown orders, many consumers opted to have their groceries delivered to reduce potential exposure to the virus.
But what are the health implications of online food delivery, and what role does it play in a post-Covid world?
At the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, online traffic for Coles and Woolworths supermarkets was up 189 per cent, and Neilson Homescan reported an increase in Australian online grocery sales of 45 per cent.
Online procurement of individual items also grew, with demand for pasta, eggs and canned meals increasing through March. In June 2021, as Melbourne and Sydney returned to lockdown, online food sales rose 10.8 per cent.
The impact of online grocery shopping on our waistlines and health is unclear, but there are signs for optimism.
Supermarkets are cleverly designed to lure us to buy more.
And most of the time, the additional items in our trolley are found at the end of the aisle, at checkouts or above a bright sign that reads something like, “20 per cent off!” – marketing techniques often associated with unhealthy foods and drinks.
Shopping online removes the in-store marketing that encourages excess unhealthy food purchases.
And having a running tally of how much they’re spending may also allow shoppers to stick more closely to a budget, by allowing them to move items in and out of their online cart.
Once they are familiar with the process, consumers also save time, which potentially allows for more time preparing food at home.
More time spent at home is also increasing demand for delivered meal kits, such as Hello Fresh and Marley Spoon, with 60 per cent increases in sales reported in 2020.
These meal kit services are touted as a healthy alternative to takeaway, encouraging customers to prepare meals themselves at home.
A recent Australian study found meals made using recipes from these meal kits provided adequate servings of all major food groups, including vegetables, and contained less sodium than equivalent “ready meals” from supermarkets.
Online food delivery platforms such as Uber Eats, Menulog and Deliveroo have also experienced increasing demand during Covid.
In March last year, online mentions of Uber Eats on social media platforms were up 770 per cent in Australia.
Similarly, Australian food delivery start-up HungryHungry saw deliveries increase from 10,000 to 50,000 a week in the wake of lockdowns and restrictions during the first wave of coronavirus infections.
In 2021, online food delivery app sales are expected to grow by 12.8 per cent.
However, we know takeaway and ready-to-eat foods are higher in calories than foods prepared at home and contain higher levels of fats and sodium.
Regularly eating these unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain and increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
The interruption to daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic has changed behaviours of consumers across the world, particularly when it comes to how they buy their food.
Time will tell if online demand for grocery delivery and takeaway will remain high in a post-Covid world.
Given the known link between excess weight and Covid complications, it seems more important than ever to ensure our digital food environments promote health over profits.