Emergency Food Research Articles

CEREAL FLAKES FROM Ipomoea batatas AND Setaria italica AS EMERGENCY FOOD: CHEMICAL, MICROBIOLOGICAL, AND SENSORY PROPERTIES DURING STORAGE

Emergency food supplies the daily human energy needs during emergencies. This research aimed to determine the effects of storage periode of cereal flakes made from sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) on the chemical, microbiological, and sensory properties. The composition of cereal flakes used was 75% of sweet potato flour and 25% of jewawut flour. Cereal flakes were tested for proximate levels (moisture, ash, protein, fat, and carbohydrate), crude fiber content, TPC, and sensory. The change observed after 40 days storage at 40⁰C and RH 70% were 0.61-2.51% in moisture content, 2.29 - 1.91% in ash content, 7.44-7.19% in protein content, 18.79-18.09% in fat content, 70.88 - 70.40% in carbohydrate content, 5.28 - 4.98% in crude fiber content, and TPC 5.5x101 - 3.1x103 cfu/g. Forty days observation showed that cereal flakes remained in good quality for consumption based on SNI 01-4270-1996. The product is adequate as an alternative of emergency food.

Stemming rural-urban migration through agricultural development: Can Nigeria apply the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic?

Nigeria has one of the highest population growth rates in the world resulting to rapid urbanization and an enormous increase in the population leaving rural areas and now living in urban centres. In spite of the increased emphasis on rural development, rural-urban migration has persisted mainly due to the farmerherder conflict situation, poverty, lack of job opportunities, insecurity and gross inadequacy of social infrastructures in the rural areas. This mass migration and other factors have put Nigeria in an emergency food and nutrition insecure situation. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was already an existing gap in the Nigerian food system, which led to the importation of food items to augment local production in order to meet local demand. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic undermined efforts to achieve SDG 2 as the country witnessed not only a major disruption to food supply chains in the wake of lockdowns and movement restrictions triggered by the global health crisis, but also a major economic slowdown. The commerce, service, and agricultural sectors were the hardest hit by the spread of the virus and the effects are different along the rural-urban continuum. The vacuum created by the migration of people from the rural to urban areas led to reduction of farm yields, while the urban areas were particularly affected in terms of food supply from rural areas as a result of movement restrictions made during the height of the pandemic. More urbanised areas may be harder hit than remote rural areas if connectivity remains broken down, as most food crops are produced in the rural and semi-rural areas. This paper recommends strategies and policies aimed at reducing poverty, food insecurity and inequality across the urban-rural continuum through agricultural development. This will assist in addressing the adverse drivers of migration with particular focus on improving the social and economic conditions of rural areas.
 Key words: agricultural development, COVID-19, food security, rural-urban migration

Food Insecurity on College and University Campuses: A Context and Rationale for Solutions

Food Insecurity on College and University Campuses: A Context and Rationale for Solutions

Emergency food supplies and food security in Wuhan and Nanjing, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a field survey.

MotivationDetailed empirical work on the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on food security is scant. Local management of food security has received little attention.PurposeThis article describes emergency food policies in Wuhan and Nanjing, China during lockdown in 2020 and their implications for household food security in the two cities.Methods and approachPolicy documents and background data describe the emergency measures. Online surveys of residents of two Chinese cities were used to gauge household food security.FindingsDespite the determined efforts of provincial and city governments to ensure that food reached people who were locked down in Wuhan, or subject to restrictions on movement in Nanjing, households experienced some decline in food security. Most households found they could not access their preferred foods. But a minority of households did not get enough to eat.Government had contingency plans for the pandemic that ensured that most people had sufficient, if not preferred, food. But not all households were fully covered.Policy implicationsA more resilient system of food distribution is needed, including a relatively closed and independent home delivery system. Grassroots organizations such as residential community committees, property management organizations, and spontaneous volunteer groups need to be brought into the management of emergency food provision.

Exploring Perceived Importance of a Novel Emergency Food Program during COVID-19 and Program Recipient Characteristics.

Following rising unemployment rates and consequent loss of income due to COVID-19, many people have been seeking meal assistance. This study examines the impact of a community-based free meal distribution program during the pandemic in Kentucky, reviewing characteristics of recipients of the program. Demographics, health behaviors, food insecure classification, and rating of importance of the meal program were collected. Qualitative feedback on the impact of the program was collected via open response. Of the 92 participants using the meal service, the cohort was female, Black, 43 years of age (43.5 ± 15.0 years), with a household income under 30,000 USD before COVID, decreased income since COVID, and were food insecure. Recipients rated the importance of the service as 8.7 ± 1.8 (of 10), and those with children indicated the importance as 4.2 ± 1.1 (of 5). Qualitative data on program importance highlighted four response categories including “changed habits”, “mental wellbeing”, “provided resources”, and “other”. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have struggled. Meal assistance programs are a fundamental asset in the community that have seen marketed demand since COVID-19. Collaboration with, and evaluation of, meal assistance programs can be valuable for continued programmatic funding support.

Changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services during COVID-19 and implications for low income populations in Hamilton, Ontario

In this paper we analyze the changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. Many of these food services are the last line of support for households facing food insecurity; as such, their relevance cannot be ignored in the midst of the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic. Our analysis is based on the application of balanced floating catchment areas and concentrates on households with lower incomes (<CAD40,000, approximately the Low Income Cutoff Value for a city of Hamilton's size). We find that accessibility was low to begin with in suburban and exurban parts of the city; furthermore, about 14% of locations originally available in Hamilton closed during the pandemic, further reducing accessibility. The impact of closures on the level of service of the remaining facilities, and on accessibility, was disproportionate, with system-wide losses exceeding 39%. Those losses were geographically and demographically uneven. While every part of the city faced a reduction in accessibility, inner suburbs fared worse in terms of loss of accessibility. As well, children (age ≤18) appear to have been impacted the most.

Arrhythmia patterns in patients with COVID-19 infection during and post hospitalization detected via a patch-based mobile cardiac telemetry system

BackgroundCoronavirus infection (COVID-19) is the cause of the current world-wide pandemic. Cardiovascular complications occur in 20–30% of patients with COVID-19 infection including myocardial injury and arrhythmias. Current understanding of specific arrhythmia type and frequency is limited. In response to COVID-19 pandemic and overwhelmed hospital critical care and telemetry recourses, patch-based cardiac monitoring system received emergency Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for inpatient monitoring. A patch-based cardiac telemetry system has been shown to be useful for patient management during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides detailed analysis of cardiac rhythms.PurposeTo analyze arrhythmia type and frequency in patients with COVID-19 infection, identifying arrhythmia patterns over time during hospitalization and after discharge.MethodsA prospective cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic was performed. We included patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection who had a patch-based mobile telemetry device placed for cardiac monitoring. A quantitative analysis including type, frequency and duration of detected arrhythmias was performed at the end of the monitoring period.ResultsA total of 103 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 diagnosis underwent monitoring. Quantitative reports for 59 patients were available for analysis, among those 59% were males, median age 65 (IQR 56–76) yrs. Mean wear time was 6.8±5.0 days. Arrhythmias were detected in 72.9% of patients. Majority of arrhythmias were SVT (59.3% of patients) and AF (22.0%). Episodes of AF duration >30 min were detected in 12 patients. New onset AF was noted in 15.0% of patients and was significantly associated with age (OR 1.4 for 5 yrs difference; 95% CI 1.01–2.05). Brady arrhythmias (2nd degree, 3rd degree AV bock, pause≥3 seconds) were seen in 18.7% of patients. Arrhythmias were consistently detected throughout the monitoring period in 52.9%-89.5% of patients daily (Figure 1). In 9 patients who were discharged with continued patch monitoring, 3 patients (33.3%) had arrhythmic events during their outpatient monitoring period.ConclusionA majority of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection had arrhythmias detected by patch cardiac monitor. Arrhythmias were observed throughout hospitalization with a consistent daily frequency. Patients continued to exhibit cardiac arrhythmias after hospital discharge of a type similar to that seen during hospitalization. New onset AF often occurred and was associated with older age. Inpatient application of a patch cardiac telemetry with continued monitoring as outpatient is feasible and effective in detecting occult arrhythmias in patients with COVID-19 infection.Funding AcknowledgementType of funding sources: None. Daily frequency of arrhythmias detected

Digital Strategies to Improve Food Assistance in Disasters: A Scoping Review.

Modern digital strategies, including Internet of Things, machine learning, and mobile applications, have revolutionized situational awareness during disaster management. Despite their importance, no review of digital strategies to support emergency food security efforts has been conducted. This scoping review fills that gap. Keywords were defined within the concepts of food assistance, digital technology, and disasters. After the database searches, PRISMA guidelines were followed to perform a partnered, 2-round scoping literature review. The search identified 3201 articles, and 26 articles met criteria and were included in the analysis. The data types used to describe the tools were text/opinion (42.3%), qualitative (23.1%), system architecture (19.2%), quantitative and qualitative (11.5 %), and quantitative (3.8%). The tools' main functions were Resource Allocation (41.7%), Data Collection and Management (33%), Interagency Communications (15.4 %), Beneficiary Communications (11.5%), and Fundraising (7.7%). The platforms used to achieve these goals were Mobile Application (36%), Internet of Things (20%), Website (20%), and Mobile Survey (8%); 92% covered the disaster response phase. Digital tools for planning, situational awareness, client choice, and recovery are needed to support emergency food assistance, but there is a lack of these tools and research on their effectiveness across all disaster phases.

Between colonial medicine and global health: protein malnutrition and UNICEF milk in the Belgian Congo

AbstractDuring the last decades of colonial rule, Belgian colonial authorities, health agencies and researchers intensely engaged with kwashiorkor, a severe syndrome that was deemed widespread among young children in some parts of the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi and chiefly attributed to protein malnutrition. To fight kwashiorkor, the Belgian government, in the early 1950s, set up a joint milk distribution campaign with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, the first of its kind in colonial Africa. Placing this campaign in the context of mounting international and inter-imperial concern about kwashiorkor and other nutritional problems in Africa and across the globe, this article explores its rationales, mechanisms and consequences, and in particular, how the campaign was shaped and publicised by FORÉAMI, one of the main health providers on the ground. It not only contributes to the history of European colonial medicine and nutritional policies, but also opens new perspectives on international health collaboration during late colonialism. It argues that Belgian authorities were wary of international interference in colonial policies, but that especially FORÉAMI also viewed and used the campaign as an opportunity to display its ‘mastery’ in rural and infant healthcare and control the narrative on Belgium’s colonial medicine.

Critical Review on Wild-Edible Fruit Species in Ethiopia

Wild edible fruit species are commonly consumed and utilized in different parts of Ethiopia for staple food, filling seasonal food shortages, emergency food during a famine, and household income generation. There is a pressing need for domestication and improvement of some wild edible fruits for increased production, diversifying income for small-scale farmers, and conservation of the diminishing wild edible fruit resources. A total of 37 widely utilized and marketed wild edible fruit species falling into 23 families were recognized as of used in different parts of the country. Of which, 26 species are identified as available in local markets in different parts of the country. Ziziphus spina-christi, Syzygium guineense, Balanites aegyptiaca, and other nine species were identified as a priority wild edible fruit species from available information based on utilization extent, preference ranking by farmers, product marketability, and conservation needs for the species. There exists a lack of scientifically planned genetic variation evaluation, superior variety selection, genetic improvement, and seedling production initiatives for indigenous wild edible fruit species in Ethiopia. All of the 37 widely utilized and marketed wild fruit species have not developed to their full potential in terms of quality, production scale, and market in the country. Identifying and selecting priority species, strengthening botanical information, germplasm collection and improvement, production and processing technologies, increasing the supply of improved planting materials, and promoting on-farm cultivation of wild edible fruit-based agroforestry systems were identified as key future strategies for domestication and wider cultivation of wild edible fruit species.

The acorn squash problem: a digestible conceptualisation of barriers to emergency food assistance.

In common narratives of emergency food assistance, donors likely believe their efforts directly manifest as people consuming their donated food. For example, a person donating canned lima beans during a canned food drive may visualise someone eventually eating those lima beans. However, cultural and socio-economic barriers often exist that prevent people from accessing and consuming the donated food. These barriers are often complex and otherwise well-intentioned donors, volunteers and organisations may not initially consider them. This commentary article, which draws from existing US emergency food systems literature, uses the imagery of an acorn squash one might find at a US food pantry to conceptualise these barriers in a straightforward way. Examining emergency food assistance through the lens of the acorn squash problem can help donors, volunteers and organisations better connect with food-insecure people. The lens of the acorn squash problem also allows for deeper critiques of some practices of emergency food systems.

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Food Supply in the Emergency Food System: A Case Study at 2 Food Pantries.

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased demand for emergency food assistance and has caused operational shifts in the emergency food system.ObjectiveThis research explored how the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the food supply of 2 food pantries.MethodsA case study approach was applied to collect data during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food supply data were collected weekly at 2 food pantries in southwest Montana for 17 wk in 2020. Surveys and interviews were conducted with food pantry clients and staff, respectively. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to analyze quantitative data. Food supply data were analyzed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, NOVA system, and Unprocessed Pantry Project (UP3) Framework. Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data.ResultsThe food boxes collected between the 2 food pantries (n = 43) had a mean (± SD) total HEI-2015 score of 76.41 ± 7.37 out of a possible score of 100. According to both the NOVA and the UP3 Framework, 23.4% of the total food distributed was ultra-processed food. Of the food distributed, 50.0% and 48.3% was fresh, unprocessed food according to NOVA and UP3 Frameworks, respectively. From staff interviews, 3 themes arose that describe the food pantry operations that experienced change during the COVID-19 pandemic, including food procurement, distribution preparation, and food distribution. Nine supporting subthemes describing the causes and consequences of the operational themes were identified. Staff perceived that the nutrient quality of the food boxes increased from food distributed previously to the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas over one-third (39.4%) of food pantry clients who responded to surveys preferred the food box model.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous operational challenges within food pantries. Food pantries overcame these challenges by swiftly and effectively altering operations so as to continue to distribute nutritious food boxes to pantry clients.

Combat Food Insecurity amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Food insecurity has long been a public health issue in Northwestern Ontario, which adds a substantial burden on social costs and health care. Food insecurity is further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the closure or limited hours of emergency food and transportation services. Low-income seniors (age&gt;65 years old) face additional risks of food insecurity due to their vulnerability to the coronavirus. To help reduce food insecurity in this specific population, an emergency food program named “Senior Food Bags” was established by Roots to Harvest at the City of Thunder Bay, which provides insights on incorporating skill-building into food distribution activities. &#x0D; As a dietetic intern, I participated in the planning and implementation of the project. Considering that a lack of fresh produce, limited cooking skills, and comorbidities are major barriers for local low-income seniors, we aim to impart seniors with basic cooking skills and create recipes to consider health concerns. Hence, a weekly recipe was developed to encourage seniors to use healthy ingredients (e.g. fresh and preserved produces of proteins, grains, fruits, and vegetables) included in the bag for meal preparation. No ID was required, and seniors were respectfully approached for communication during the distribution. The mid-term survey suggested that all senior participants (n=40) thought the project helped reduce food insecurity during COVID-19. 1/3 of participants mentioned being more confident and capable of preparing healthier meals. &#x0D; The project illustrated that skill-building and dignified services in emergency food programs can do more than provide food. To enhance the capacity of food security, the first step is to equip individuals with intentions and skills to combat food challenges. Therefore, in addition to food distribution, food donor projects should also focus on fostering individuals’ food literacy development to empower them and aid public health.

Getting the food out: A content analysis of the online communication of Seattle food banks during the initial response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened food availability, accessibility, and acceptability. Food banks are experiencing increased demand at the same time as operational challenges due to COVID-19. The objective of this study was to assess if and how food banks have utilized web and social media platforms to communicate dynamic information relevant to food security to a growing clientele amid a widespread emergency. We conducted a content analysis of web and social media communications made by 25 Seattle food banks in April and May 2020, which corresponded with the two full months of Washington Governor Inslee’s initial stay-at-home order (March 25–May 31, 2020). We developed and applied a codebook to assess if communications contained information related to food availability, accessibility, and acceptability in the context of COVID-19, as well as other descriptive information, such as changes to food bank operations. Our findings show that food banks in Seattle communicated the most on web and social media platforms about food avail¬ability and accessibility, while they communicated less commonly about food acceptability. Past disasters have exposed the need to include food acceptability in disaster planning to ensure that emergency food can be equitably distributed and consumed by diverse populations. Our results suggest that food banks may wish to periodically assess the main themes of their online communications and the reach of their different platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic as one strategy to facilitate community food security.

Campus Food Pantry Use Addresses a Gap Among California Public University Students

ObjectiveTo identify factors associated with campus food pantry (CFP) visits and evaluate outreach strategies. DesignCross-sectional. SettingTen University of California campuses. ParticipantsUniversity of California CFP student users (n = 1,513) completed a survey in 2019. Variables measuredStudents reported reasons for CFP visits, how they heard about the CFP, monthly CFP visits, and food security status. Sociodemographic information was obtained through institutional records. AnalysisPoisson regression for associations of monthly CFP visits (dependent) with sociodemographic variables (Model 1), reasons for CFP visits (Model 2), and outreach strategies (Model 3). Logistic regression for associations between reasons for CFP visits and food security status (dependent; Model 4). ResultsOn average, students made 3.66 (SD, 4.75) CFP visits in the past month. Factors associated with more CFP visits included being first-generation to attend college, Filipino/Pacific Islanders, homeless, older, and male (Model 1). Not wanting to run out of food and hearing about the CFP through basic needs staff were associated with more CFP visits (Models 2 and 3). Students who visited the CFP because of financial insecurity had higher odds of food insecurity (Model 4). Conclusions and ImplicationsFindings suggest that CFPs provide critical emergency food assistance for students at risk of food insecurity.

Food Insecurity Pre- and Post the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis in Lebanon: Prevalence and Projections.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had serious repercussions on the global economy, work force, and food systems. In Lebanon, the pandemic overlapped with an economic crisis, which threatened to exacerbate food insecurity (FI). The present study aims to evaluate the trends and projections of FI in Lebanon due to overlapping health and economic crises. Data from Gallup World Poll (GWP) 2015–2017 surveys conducted in Lebanon on nationally representative adults (n = 3000) were used to assess FI trends and explore its sociodemographic correlates. Predictive models were performed to forecast trends in FI (2018–2022), using GWP data along with income reduction scenarios to estimate the impact of the pandemic and economic crises. Pre crises, trend analyses showed that FI could reach 27% considering wave year and income. Post crises, FI was estimated to reach on average 36% to 39%, considering 50–70% income reduction scenarios among Lebanese population. FI projections are expected to be higher among females compared to males and among older adults compared to younger ones (p < 0.05). These alarming findings call for emergency food security policies and evidence-based programs to mitigate the burden of multiple crises on the FI of Lebanese households and promote resilience for future shocks.

In the land of the “fair go”: global food policy lessons beyond the charity model

ABSTRACT Food insecurity in Australia is on the rise, yet it remains a serious and underappreciated policy issue. The demand for and expansion of food banks, community agencies, and school breakfast programmes in Australia has led to the emergency food relief system being referred to as an “industry” in itself. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated financial crisis, have only exacerbated the challenge of putting food onto the table. These unprecedented challenges expose the vulnerabilities of addressing the problem of food insecurity solely through a charity-based approach. Through key case studies of innovative local food governance models across the globe, this paper calls attention to the need to break down the disconnected, siloed, and fragmented policies and responses across public and private spheres in order to design more comprehensive interventions that better address the complex reality of food insecurity in Australia.

Leveraging Community Resources to Provide a Box of Fruits and Vegetables to Low-Income Kentucky Appalachians Living in a Food Desert

Describe the results of distributing free fruits and vegetables to low income Appalachian Kentuckians. Low-income Appalachian Kentuckians often lack regular access to fresh food, especially fruits and vegetables (F/V). Compared to 23.4% of Americans, only 21.1% of Kentuckians and 19.0% of Appalachians meet the recommended daily F/V intake recommendations. Past studies have shown that low-income individuals did not tend to increase their F/V intake when they could choose where to spend their money when supermarket discounts and farmer’s market voucher programs were available to them. The current study explored if and how low-income Appalachian Kentuckians living in a food desert utilized a box of free fresh produce. The box included 20 pounds of culturally acceptable F/V that was distributed with a box of non-perishable foods provided by a local emergency food program. In October 2020, a pre-survey collected demographic information from 55 consented participants who received one food box. In November 2020, participants completed a follow-up food use survey. Most participants self-identified as white (92.6%) and female (85.2%). Almost all (98.0%) ate some of the F/V fresh and over half (61%) shared the F/V with others. One third preserved some and less than 10% threw some of the F/V away. The outcomes of this study suggest that distribution of fresh F/V through local food programs in low-income Appalachian Kentucky communities with food deserts may effectively increase F/V consumption. Collaborations between wholesale produce distributors and community outreach programs to provide fresh F/V could support healthier dietary intake in communities with limited accessibility to F/V.

Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions on College Students' Dietary Quality and Experience of the Food Environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions sent college students online and off campus, potentially reducing access to healthy food. The objective of this cross-sectional, internet-based study was to use qualitative and quantitative survey methods to evaluate whether COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Texas, USA affected college students’ ability to buy food, how/what they shopped for, how they prepared food, what they ate, how they felt about eating, and overall dietary quality (assessed using Healthy Eating Index [HEI] scores). Survey responses from 502 students (87.5% female; 59.6% nonwhite, mean age 27.5 ± 0.4 years, >50% graduate students) were analyzed. The qualitative analysis of open-ended questions revealed 110 codes, 17 subthemes, and six themes. Almost all students experienced changes in at least one area, the most common being changes in shopping habits. Participants with low or very low food security had lower HEI scores compared to food secure students (p = 0.047). Black students were more likely to report changes in their ability to buy food (p = 0.035). The COVID-19 restrictions varied in their impact on students’ ability to access sufficient healthy food, with some students severely affected. Thus, universities should establish procedures for responding to emergencies, including identifying at-risk students and mobilizing emergency funds and/or food assistance.

O23 Community Stakeholders Perspectives on Food Security of Families with Children Ages 0 to 3 Years Before and During COVID-19

Children living in food-insecure households have poorer overall health than children in food-secure households. While emergency food and nutrition assistance programs provide supplemental food and education resources to eligible families, they cannot consistently provide adequate age-appropriate food for young children. Since the onset of COVID-19, families have experienced higher food insecurity rates, impacting access to nutritious food items for young children. To explore community stakeholders' perceptions about obtaining nutritious and age-appropriate foods for children ages 0-3 years prior and as a result of COVID-19. Stakeholders (n = 15) with a vested interest or currently working with families with infants or toddlers in Florida participated in a 60-minute interview via Zoom by trained researchers using a semi-structured script. The PRECEDE component of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model was used to inform the interview questions. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded by 2 researchers using an inductive approach. Before COVID-19, stakeholders perceived that families of infants and toddlers were not aware of available resources related to food security in the community. Stakeholders' stated resources such as baby foods and nutrition education were limited. Since COVID-19, resources related to food security have become even more restricted due to the increased demand, lack of transportation, and new safety protocols (ie, limited hours, social distancing, etc.). Moreover, the stigma associated with applying for supplemental assistance was noted as a barrier to food security prior to and as a result of COVID-19. Stakeholders suggested these families have become more aware of supplemental assistance eligibility requirements and other available opportunities through social media and referrals since COVID-19. Age-appropriate foods and additional resources are needed in non-stigmatized ways for food-insecure families with young children, especially as a result of COVID-19. Identifying risk factors associated with food insecurity will help determine future interventions for effective ways to safeguard young children's health and well-being. None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)