Geographic reach and nutritional quality of foods available from mobile online food delivery service applications: novel opportunities for retail food environment surveillance

Abstract

Background Online Food Delivery Services (OFDS) have rapidly expanded in North America, but their implications for geographic access to food and potential dietary outcomes of their use are poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which OFDS may geographically expand retail food environments. A secondary objective is to evaluate the healthfulness of foods available on mobile OFDS in a large Canadian city using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). Methods Retailers’ distance from delivery location was assessed on a large ODFS platform using 24 randomly selected urban postal codes in Ontario, Canada (n = 480 retailers). Distance to the first 10 and the last 10 listed retailers in each postal code was examined in relation to a) city population, b) city population density, and c) whether retailers appeared first or last. Second, to determine the healthfulness of food items available, menus of twelve retailers (n = 759 menu items) from four popular OFDS platforms available in Mississauga, Ontario, were coded using the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies-2015, and Food Patterns Equivalents Database-2015. Coded items were used to derive HEI-2015 scores. Results Delivery distances from the sample of postal codes in Ontario ranged from 0.3 km to 9.4 km (mean 3.7 km), and the total number of retailers available to each postal code ranged from 33 to 472. Substantial, positive correlations existed between total number of retailers available and both city population (r = 0.71), and population density (r = 0.51). HEI-2015 scores for retailers’ full menus were typically low, and ranged from 19.95 to 50.78 out of 100. Conclusions OFDS substantially increases geographic access to foods prepared away from home (by up to 9 km and 472 restaurants). Food offerings on OFDS applications do not meet healthy eating recommendations. Given the projected continued rapid expansion of OFDS, particularly in the midst of a global pandemic, surveillance and future research on OFDS and population dietary health is warranted.

Perspective: Are Online Food Delivery Services Emerging as Another Obstacle to Achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

“…A Canadian study analyzed the full menus of retailers partnering with a large OFDS and similarly found low Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores—ranging from 19.95 to 50.78 out of 100 (with a score of 100 being the healthiest) ( 13 ). This study also found a mean delivery distance of 3.7 km or 2.3 miles measuring from postal codes in Ontario to online food retailers ( 13 ).…”

“…A Canadian study analyzed the full menus of retailers partnering with a large OFDS and similarly found low Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores—ranging from 19.95 to 50.78 out of 100 (with a score of 100 being the healthiest) ( 13 ). This study also found a mean delivery distance of 3.7 km or 2.3 miles measuring from postal codes in Ontario to online food retailers ( 13 ). Australian research has likewise, demonstrated that the mean delivery distance from food outlet to suburbs was 3 km, and around 90% of delivery distances were greater than 1 km ( 7 )—a distance that typically defines the neighborhood food environment.…”

Food promoted on an online food delivery platform in a Brazilian metropolis during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: a longitudinal analysis

“…Internationally, other studies have found similar results, suggesting that the OFD platform environment does not promote healthiness. In Canada, the quality of food on offer in the menus of 12 restaurants on four popular OFD platforms was considered poor (HEI-2015 score ranged from 19.95 to 50.78 out of 100) (9) . In Australia and New Zealand, the most popular food outlets registered on one OFD platform have been classified as 'unhealthy', with 85.9% of all popular menu items being discretionary (10) .…”

“…Studies from many parts of the world have highlighted the wide range of unhealthy food items on offer on these platforms and their frequent use of strategies that promote unhealthy eating practices (8)(9)(10)(11) . For example, many platforms use a combination of marketing strategies such as special offers, recommendations and 'combo' deals to maximise consumers' purchases.…”

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

“…The national trend for increased availability of online food ordering [17,18] was reflected in this rural Appalachian community. Although food delivery applications may offer expansion of retail food environments to individuals living further distances, dietary quality scores of these food delivery restaurants have fallen short [48], leaving delivery as a counterintuitive new resource to supply nutritionally adequate foods (i.e., balanced, diverse, dietary pattern meeting sufficient personal energy and nutrient requirements to maintain good health) to those with limited access. Likewise, utilization of these resources can be determined by income level, access to smartphone or internet services, and delivery distance [49].…”