IFIC Spotlight Survey: COVID-19’s Impact On Food Purchasing, Eating Behaviors & Perceptions Of Food Safety
April 14, 2020
Research Type
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It’s been just over one month since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, a global pandemic. And we continue to feel its impact in nearly every aspect of our lives. For many of us, our normal shopping routines – and certainly eating out – have been entirely upended. To capture what we know to be widespread changes in how we buy food, how we feel about food safety and ultimately what we eat, the International Food Information Council conducted a consumer research survey.
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) commissioned an online research survey with consumers based in the US to measure knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about food and health in a pandemic. One thousand adults aged 18+ years completed the survey from April 6-7, 2020, and responses were weighted to ensure proportional results.
Key findings include:
- People are doing less shopping in-person and cooking more.
- Online grocery shopping sees the spotlight.
- There is room for improvement when it comes to recommended health habits and grocery shopping.
- Frequent cleaning, offering sanitizers or wipes and wearing protective equipment are perceived as most important actions grocery store employees can take regarding food safety.
- The health of other shoppers and grocery store employees, as well as running out of staple foods, are the most concerning parts of food shopping.
- Four in 10 people are buying more packaged foods, but most haven’t changed their opinion on the healthfulness of these products.
- Eating habits have changed, too. Over one quarter (27%) said that they’ve been snacking more, and 15% say they’re eating more or more often than usual.
- Most people are confident in the safety of the food supply and the ability for food producers to meet their needs.