Are food and drink available in online and physical supermarkets the same? A comparison of product availability, price, price promotions and nutritional information

Bhatnagar, Prachi; Scarborough, Peter; Kaur, Asha; Dikmen, Derya; Adhikari, Vyas; Harrington, Richard

doi:10.1017/s1368980020004346

Cited by 18 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Lastly, we did not examine the accuracy of product information. A recent study has shown that nutrition information on the UK grocery websites was almost identical to information available in brick-and-mortar stores [ 41 ]. In accordance with the Foods and Drugs Act [ 42 ], all available product information in Canada should not have any false, misleading, or deceptive information; however, human and technical errors may still result in some mismatch of product information available on websites.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Availability and Quality of Food Labelling Components in the Canadian E-Grocery Retail Environment

et al. 2021

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Background: Although packaged foods sold in retail stores must follow food labelling regulations, there are no e-grocery food labelling regulations to mandate and standardize the availability and presentation of product information. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the availability and quality of food labelling components in the Canadian e-grocery retail environment. Methods: A sample of fresh and pre-packaged products was identified on eight leading grocery retail websites in Canada, to assess the availability and quality of food labelling components. Results: Out of 555 product searches, all products were accompanied by product images with front-of-pack images more readily available (96.0%) than back-of-pack (12.4%) and other side panel images (3.1%). The following mandatory nutrition information was available for 61.1% of the products: nutrition facts table (68.8%), ingredient (73.9%), and allergen (53.8%) information. The majority of the nutrition information was available after scrolling down, clicking additionally on the description page, or viewing only as an image. Date markings were not available; packaging material information was available for 2.0% of the products. Conclusions: There was wide variability and inconsistencies in the presentation of food labelling components in the e-grocery retail environment, which can be barriers in enabling Canadians to make informed purchasing decisions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Availability and Quality of Food Labelling Components in the Canadian E-Grocery Retail Environment

et al. 2021

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“…However, it has been estimated that 85% of products found in-store in supermarkets are available online, indicating that online information is a good proxy for packaged products in physical stores. 39 Further validation work is needed to investigate similarities between online and in-store restaurant menus. Second, online nutritional information can be inaccurate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in energy and nutrient content of menu items served by large UK chain restaurants from 2018 to 2020: an observational study

et al. 2021

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ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the change in energy and nutrient content of menu items sold in large UK chain restaurants (eg, fast food, full service) from 2018 to 2020.DesignObservational study.SettingEnergy and nutritional information of menu items served by 29 large UK chain restaurants that consistently provided this information online in all three years. Data were collected in 2018 (March–April), 2019 (April) and 2020 (October–November) from restaurant websites.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe per-item energy and nutrient (saturated fat, sugar and salt) changes in all items available on menus (‘all menu items’) and recurring items that were consistently available on menus in all three years (‘core menu items’), overall and in 12 different food categories.ResultsOur study included 7770, 9213 and 6928 menu items served by 29 large UK chain restaurants in 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively. Our results showed that sugar content declined from 2018 to 2020 among all menu items (per-item: −0.43 g/year, 95% CI −0.66 to –0.21). This reduction in sugar was evident in beverages, sandwiches and desserts. Among core menu items (N=1855), sugar content reduced significantly from 2018 to 2020 (per-item: −0.31 g/year, 95% CI −0.45 to –0.17), especially in beverages. Energy, salt and saturated fat content in menu items remained constant overall, in both all menu items and core menu items. Fewer food categories had significant changes in energy, sugar, salt and saturated fat content among core menu items than among all menu items.ConclusionsFrom 2018 to 2020, sugar content declined in restaurant menu items, which may reflect a response to the sugar reduction strategy and the effects of the soft drinks industry levy. In contrast, there was little change in other nutrients. Future policies addressing the overall nutritional quality of restaurant foods, rather than single nutrients, may help the restaurant sector move towards offering healthier foods.

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“…Limitations include the lack of nutritional composition data to analyse whether promotions are permitted or not according to the WHO Europe nutrient profile model and the lack of data on promotions in-store. Previous research from the UK has shown that, while online nutritional information and prices of products are good proxies of those found in physical stores, this was not necessarily the case for price promotions [ 1 ]. In addition, we did not collect information on the size of price promotions in the circulars, while previous research in Australia showed that price promotions on discretionary foods are larger than those on core foods [ 20 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The nature of food promotions over one year in circulars from leading Belgian supermarket chains

Vandevijvere

Dam

2021

Arch Public Health

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Background To examine the proportion of healthier and less healthy food promotions in circulars of major Belgian supermarket chains. Methods Food promotions were collected from all circulars over 1 year from the five largest Belgian supermarket chains. Foods promoted were classified according to the World Health Organization Europe nutrient profile model categories and the level and purpose of processing as per the NOVA classification. In addition, promotional characters (i.e. cartoons, licensed characters, celebrities) and premium offers within the promotions were analysed. Results In total, 15,271 food promotions were analyzed. The most frequently promoted foods in circulars were processed meat, poultry and fish (11.8%); fresh and frozen fruit, vegetables and legumes (9.5%); soft drinks and sweetened beverages (9.0%); fresh and frozen meat, poultry, fish and eggs (8.6%); cakes, sweet biscuits and pastries (8.1%); ready-made and convenience foods (8.0%); chocolate and sugar confectionery; energy bars and sweet toppings (7.7%) and cheeses (5.7%). About 52.2% of food promotions across all circulars were for ultra-processed foods, with considerable variation across chains (42.9–61.6%). Promotional characters and premium offers were found within 5.3 and 19.5% of promotions respectively. For all chains, circular covers were healthier compared to entire circulars, with a lower proportion of ultra-processed foods and a higher proportion of fresh fruit and vegetables promoted. Conclusions Food promotions in circulars were most frequently for ultra-processed foods, with considerable variation across chains. Circular covers were healthier than entire circulars. Policies to reduce less healthy food promotions could contribute to improving the healthiness of supermarket food purchases.

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Are food and drink available in online and physical supermarkets the same? A comparison of product availability, price, price promotions and nutritional information

Cited by 18 publications

References 17 publications

The Availability and Quality of Food Labelling Components in the Canadian E-Grocery Retail Environment

The Availability and Quality of Food Labelling Components in the Canadian E-Grocery Retail Environment

Trends in energy and nutrient content of menu items served by large UK chain restaurants from 2018 to 2020: an observational study

The nature of food promotions over one year in circulars from leading Belgian supermarket chains

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