Food Away From Home Research Articles

Taste and Habit of Food and Consumer Behavior in the USA in the Early Years of Covid-19 Pandemic

The USA, a highly advanced economy in the world, had experienced increase in household demand for specific food items (restaurant and cafeteria supply, in particular) in the early years of Cobid-19 pandemic. People of America depended largely on the tastes and habits of food items in their household consumption. Even with increasing prices the demand for restaurant foods showed increasing trends. This means that the consumption of food away from home (FAFH) increased and food at home (FAH) fell in demand in 2020 and 2021 (Covid- 19 pandemic). Fundamental law of demand in economics (Ceteris Paribus) for normal goods demand will fall if price of the same increases and vice versa. In the present study, rise in prices of normal goods (restaurant and cafeteria foods) had also shown increase in their demand. This perhaps shows paradoxical to the law of demand in economic theory.  Methodology: This is a study based on secondary sources of information including research works, official publications and those from academic institutions. Analysis of data generated and narratives have been used to find the contemporary food economy of the USA. The demand for food (both FAFH and FAH) has been given importance in the situation of food inflation in the USA in early years of Covid- 19 pandemic. Finally, the equilibrium of the household food consumption is shown geometrically (Fig-1).  Findings and Results: It is found from the study that while the price of food away from home (FAFH) was increasing, the demand for those was also increasing in 2020 and 2021 in the USA. Food being a ‘normal good’ might have shown a fall in demand when price was increasing. This is perhaps, paradoxical in view of the law of demand in economic theory.

Estimating the carbon footprint of Mexican food consumption based on a high-resolution environmentally extended input-output model.

Increased global attention is being paid to the food-health-climate trilemma. In this study, we evaluate the climate impacts of Mexico's food consumption patterns by creating a high-resolution (262 sectors) Environmentally Extended Input-Output (EEIO) model called MXEEIO. We focus on the differences between food away from home (FAFH) and food at home (FAH) and compare Mexico's results with those of the USA. The results show that the main components of food spending in Mexico were meat, baked products, and beverages, raising concerns about their potential negative health effects if consumed excessively. Mexico's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food consumption were estimated at 149 million metric tons (MMT) in 2013, as opposed to 797 MMT for the USA. Meat and dairy products were the main contributors to Mexico's food-related GHG emissions, accounting for 57% of total emissions. Mexico spent a much smaller proportion of food-related income on FAFH than the USA (13% vs. 52%), suggesting great potential for growth as Mexico's per capita GDP continues to rise. Detailed contribution analysis shows that reducing Mexico's food-related GHG emissions would benefit most from a transition to low-carbon cattle farming, but mitigation efforts in other sectors such as crop cultivation and electricity generation are also important. Overall, our study underscores the significance of food-related GHG emissions in Mexico, especially those from meat and dairy products, and the mitigation challenges these sectors face.

Post hoc analysis of food costs associated with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, whole food, plant-based diet, and typical baseline diet of individuals with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus in a nonrandomized crossover trial with meals provided

BackgroundAmericans consume diets that fall short of dietary recommendations, and the cost of healthier diets is often cited as a barrier to dietary change. We conducted a nonrandomized crossover trial with meals provided utilizing 2 diets: Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and whole food, plant-based (WFPB), and thus had intake data from baseline and both intervention diets. ObjectivesUsing actual diet records, describe food costs of baseline diets of individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as well as therapeutic DASH and WFPB diets. MethodsThree-day food records were collected and analyzed for each 7-d diet phase: baseline, DASH, and WFPB. Nutrient content was analyzed using the Nutrient Data System for Research and cost was determined using Fillet, an application to manage menu pricing. Food costs were calculated for each diet as consumed and adjusted to a standardized 1800 kcal/d. Ingredient-only costs of food away from home (FAFH) were approximated and analyzed. Costs were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models as a function of diet. ResultsFifteen subjects enrolled; 12 completed all dietary phases. The baseline, DASH, and WFPB diets, as consumed, cost $15.72/d (95% CI; $13.91, $17.53), $12.74/d ($11.23, $14.25), and $9.78/d ($7.97, $11.59), respectively. When adjusted to an 1800 kcal/d intake, the baseline, DASH, and WFPB diets cost $15.69/d ($13.87, $17.52), $14.92/d ($13.59, $16.26), and $11.96/d ($10.14, $13.78), respectively. When approximated ingredient-only costs of FAFH were analyzed, as consumed baseline [$11.01 ($9.53, $12.49)] and DASH diets [$11.81 ($10.44, $13.18)] had similar costs; WFPB diet [$8.83 ($7.35, $10.31)] cost the least. ConclusionsIn this short-term study with meals provided, the food costs of plant-predominant diets offering substantial metabolic health benefits were less than or similar to baseline food costs of adults with insulin-treated T2DM. Longer-term data without meal provision are needed for more generalizable results.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04048642.

Households with children under 5 years and older adults, and probability of expenditure on Food Away from Home (FAFH) in Peru in 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study

For the CFAFH study, it is necessary to analyze the economic variable of families and the way it is distributed, since it allows a broader perspective of what a household invests in food consumption and how it is associated with health. The aim of this research was to determine the probability of expenditure on households that consume food away from home, with the presence of children under five years (Ch<5y) and households with the presence of older adults (HOA). A cross-sectional, descriptive, and quantitative study was carried out based on the grouping and analysis of data obtained from the Peruvian National Household Survey (ENAHO) 2021 database. After joining the database, the household type variables were created. Households with and without children under five years, and households with and without older adults were selected, as well as other variables such as the area of origin, gender of the head of the household, ethnicity, education level, marital status, age of the head of the household, occupation of the head of the household, and poverty. Descriptive statistics of the expenses made according to the variables studied and on the effect of each variable on the probability of purchase was obtained a through the application of the Logit model. These results warrant that it is necessary to generate awareness in the population about the food that is sold and consumed away from home for an appropriate selection of healthy options.

HOW DOES U.S. REDUCE THE FOOD WASTE BY PREDICTING FOOD AWAY FROM HOME AND FOOD AT HOME?

This study examines the relationship among consumer confidence, food away from home (FAFH) and food at home (FAH) in the U.S. to figure out the high potential food sector for reducing food waste. Specifically, this paper uses the monthly data from January 2010 to December 2020 and the threshold vector error correction model (TVECM) for the analysis. Our test results of Johansen cointegration and threshold cointegration show that pairs of consumer confidence–FAFH and consumer confidence–FAH have a nonlinear long-run relationship. According to TVECM results, consumer confidence has a positive long-run Granger causation on FAFH approximately 93% (regimes 2 and 3), and on FAH over 5.4% (regime 3). About 7% of periods (regime 1) not included for a long-run Granger causation of consumer confidence on FAFH, and 5.4% period on FAH pertain to the COVID-19 period. Therefore, we conclude that a positive long-run Granger causation of consumer confidence on food consumption in the U.S. exists only in the FAFH. Based on our results, the policy implication is that the U.S. should focus on the FAFH to reduce food waste by predicting food demand to manage food stock.

Household Demand for Food Prepared at Home and Food Away from Home in Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the demand for food among Indonesian households, consisting of foods prepared at home (FPAH) and food away from home (FAFH). Utilizing longitudinal data from the National Socioeconomic Survey 2011-2013, combined with the Village Potential Statistics, the study estimates the demand with the Linear Approximated Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS). The results show that both FPAH and FAFH are normal goods but FAFH is more elastic than FPAH. Additionally, in terms of income elasticity, we found that households show stronger responses in consumption on FAFH, compared to FPAH. We also present heterogeneity analysis on different types of household characteristics.

Consumer demand for food at home and food away from home: Understanding economic linkages during the pandemic

AbstractHousehold food expenditure has shifted away from Food at Home (FAH) and towards Food Away from Home (FAFH). Prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic, FAFH's share of food expenditure surpassed that of FAH, reaching 55% in 2019. Yet economic research on FAFH and the interaction of FAFH and FAH has been limited. Combining scanner data for meat sales in grocery stores with data for FAFH expenditure, we estimate a model of demand for at‐home meat, incorporating FAFH expenditure as a demand shifter. We quantify substitution between FAFH expenditure and FAH meat and quantify the impact of the COVID‐19 disruptions to the food service sector on retail prices of FAH meat.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, Rising Inflation, and Their Influence on Dining Out Frequency and Spending

High intake of food away from home is associated with poor diet quality. This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic period and Food Away from Home (FAFH) inflation rate fluctuations influenced dining out behaviors. Approximately 2800 individuals in Texas reported household weekly dining out frequency and spending. Responses completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2019 to early 2020) were compared to the post-COVID-19 period (2021 through mid-2022). Multivariate analysis with interaction terms was used to test study hypotheses. From the COVID-19 period (before vs. after), the unadjusted frequency of dining out increased from 3.4 times per week to 3.5 times per week, while the amount spent on dining out increased from $63.90 to $82.20. Once the relationship between dining out (frequency and spending) was adjusted for FAFH interest rate and sociodemographic factors, an increase in dining out frequency post-COVID-19 remained significant. However, the unadjusted increase in dining out spending did not remain significant. Further research to understand the demand for dining out post-pandemic is warranted.

Determinants of Food Expenditure Patterns: Evidence from U.S. Consumers in the Context of the COVID-19 Price Shocks

This study examined the factors that determine U.S. household expenditure patterns for food products in the context of exceptional price shocks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research relied on the Consumer Expenditure Diary Survey (CEX) for the year 2020, where households or consumer units represent units of observation. With a sample size of 10,453 observations, the empirical estimation of the Heckman two-step model yields interesting results. Consistent with the inelastic nature of food products, we found conditional expenditure elasticities of income were less than one for all kinds of food, including food away from home (FAFH). The results showed both food and FAFH to be highly price elastic in this special period of higher food prices. For instance, a 1% increase in own price implied a 7.78% decrease in the probability to spend on food and a 20.93% decrease in propensity to purchase FAFH. This study provides business managers and marketing experts with insights on the consumer profile and food product price strategy.

Food Away From Home and Self-Perceived Gastrointestinal Health.

Dietary behavior is a critical lifestyle factor affecting health. This study aimed to investigate food away from home (FAFH) and its effect on gastrointestinal (GI) health. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted with 300 participants at a hospital in Liouying, Taiwan. The survey collected demographic information and data on FAFH and GI health. The association of GI health with FAFH consumption behavior was significant (t-test, p < 0.05). Bodyweight status was associated with age (F = 5.01, p = 0.01), dietary situation (F = 1.96, p = 0.04), number of meals (F = 1.85, p = 0.03), dietary preferences (F = 2.84, p = 0), reasons for FAFH (F = 1.86, p = 0.02), FAFH types (F = 2.01, p = 0), and outcomes associated with FAFH (F = 2.51, p = 0). Gastrointestinal condition was associated with the number of meals (F = 2.55, p = 0), the level of activity after meals (F = 2.16, p = 0.02), and FAFH type (F = 1.48, p = 0.04). The results indicated that the participants aged 20–40 years had more problems related to their self-perceived body weight status than those aged 41–50 years. The results of this study clarify the FAFH among people in Taiwan and the effects on GI health and may serve as a reference for relevant behavioral research in food and health studies.

The COVID‐19 Pandemic and Consumption of Food away from Home: Evidence from High‐frequency Restaurant Transaction Data

This article investigates how the COVID‐19 pandemic and related public health measures affected the consumption of food away from home (FAFH) among Chinese consumers. We obtained access to the complete sales records from a major restaurant chain in China, for 111 sites located in 12 cities, covering over 5.6 million high‐frequency dining transactions made between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. By applying a high‐dimensional fixed‐effects model, we found that, on average, consumers spent more and ordered more calories (as well as carbohydrates, protein, fat, and sodium) after the COVID‐19 outbreak than in the pre‐COVID‐19 period. Our results do not support the hypothesis that COVID‐19 led to healthier eating behaviors during and after the pandemic. Our results underline the importance of nutrition education and awareness programs to mitigate unhealthy eating habits generated by the pandemic and of the continued role of FAFH after the pandemic.

Eating away from home in Canada: impact on dietary intake.

Public health measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic have upended the way Canadians eat and shop for food. Since the pandemic began, many Canadians have reported consuming food away from home (FAFH) less often. FAFH tends to be less healthful than food prepared at home. Little is known about patterns of Canadians' FAFH consumption before the pandemic. This study used 2015 national-level nutrition data, the most recent available, to characterize patterns of FAFH consumption and selected markers of dietary intake. National-level food intake data came from the first 24-hour dietary recall provided by 20,475 respondents aged 1 or older to the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey-Nutrition. Mean daily intakes of selected food subgroups and nutrients, adjusted for total energy intake, were compared between those who had consumed any food in a restaurant on the previous day and those who had not. Estimates were generated overall and for eight age and sex groups. In 2015, overall, 21.8% of Canadians had consumed FAFH in a restaurant on the previous day. Eating out was most common among males aged 19 to 54 (27.7%) and least common among young children aged 1 to 5 (8.4%). Compared with Canadians who had not eaten out on the previous day, those who had eaten out had consumed, on that day, fewer servings of whole fruit; whole grains; dark green and orange vegetables; other vegetables (excluding potatoes); milk and fortified soy-based beverages; and legumes, nuts and seeds, on average. Those who had eaten out had consumed, on average, less fibre and total sugar, and more total fat, saturated fat and sodium on that day. There were few differences for meat and poultry, fish and seafood, and protein intake. On the day that Canadians ate out in a restaurant, their dietary intake was generally less favourable than that of Canadians who did not eat out. If Canadians continue to eat at home more and to consume less FAFH, as early pandemic-period reports suggest, then results can be used to gauge the potential dietary implications of these shifts.

Obesity and food away from home: What drives the socioeconomic gradient in excess body weight?

Rising obesity rates are one of the most challenging public health issues in many emerging economies. To what extent food away from home (FAFH) and its nutritional components are behind this rise is not yet well understood. To address the issue, this paper combines a representative restaurant survey that includes detailed information on the diet quality of the most widely consumed meals and their nutritional components from 1605 restaurants and a representative household survey with anthropometric measures of adult women living in 40 neighborhoods in the Lima Metropolitan Area. One important advantage of the dataset is the fact that nutrition professionals observed the preparation of the meals and that they were subject to a detailed laboratory analysis. Exploiting this data, we examine the differences in nutritional quality of FAFH among 40 neighborhoods of various socioeconomic groups and explore whether these differences can explain part of the observed socioeconomic gradient in excess body weight. The findings indicate that less healthy food in restaurants located in the food environment of the households is significantly associated with higher rates of obesity and overweight. In particular, the high supply and intake of sodium potentially drives higher excess body weight. The study also finds that up to 15 percent of the socioeconomic gradient in obesity is attributable to the restaurant food quality in the food environment of the households.

Higher-diet quality is associated with higher diet costs when eating at home and away from home: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2016.

To evaluate the association between diet quality and cost for foods purchased for consumption at home and away from home. Cross-sectional analysis. Multivariable linear regression models evaluated the association between diet quality and cost for all food, food at home (FAH) and food away from home (FAFH). Daily food intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2016). Food prices were derived using data from multiple, publicly available databases. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010. 30564 individuals ≥20 years with complete and reliable dietary data. Mean per capita daily diet cost was $14·19 (95 % CI (13·91, 14·48)), including $6·92 (95 % CI (6·73, 7·10)) for FAH and $7·28 (95 % CI (7·05, 7·50)) for FAFH. Diet quality was higher for FAH compared to FAFH (P < 0·001). Higher diet quality was associated with higher food costs overall, FAH and FAFH (P < 0·001 for all comparisons). These findings demonstrate that higher diet quality is associated with higher costs for all food, FAH and FAFH. This research provides policymakers, public health professionals and clinicians with information needed to support healthy eating habits. These findings are particularly relevant to contemporary health and economic concerns that have worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Factors Impacting Food Away from Home (FAFH) Spending in the United States: A Macroeconomic Perspective

Factors Impacting Food Away from Home (FAFH) Spending in the United States: A Macroeconomic Perspective

The Importance of Agriculture in the Economy: Impacts from COVID-19.

Much of the attention from COVID‐19 has been on the impacts on tourism and other service sectors; but there has been a growing interest in some agricultural and food topics, such as the decline in food away from home (FAFH) expenditures. Our work considers the importance of FAFH in the overall economy, and we also consider changes in agricultural production and trade that have occurred because of COVID‐19. We gather data on actual changes to these components, as well as similar shocks to non‐agricultural sectors, and employ a simulation model to estimate the impacts on gross domestic product (GDP). Results indicate that changes from agriculture due to COVID‐19 have had a larger effect on the overall U.S. economy than the share of agriculture in the economy at the beginning of COVID‐19. But the non‐agricultural shocks still outweigh the impacts from agriculture by a magnitude of 3. Breaking the results down along the components, we find that the loss in FAFH expenditures is the largest contributor to the change in GDP resulting from shocks to agricultural markets and conclude that agricultural production/trade markets have been very resilient during the pandemic. Our results also indicate that our model (computable general equilibrium) does reasonably well in estimating GDP compared to actual changes due to the inclusion of data on actual demand, supply, and fiscal responses to COVID‐19.

U.S. Consumers’ Intake of Food at Home (FAH) and Food Away from Home (FAFH) As a Complex Economic System

U.S. Consumers’ Intake of Food at Home (FAH) and Food Away from Home (FAFH) As a Complex Economic System

The Association Between Food-Away-From-Home Frequency and a Higher BMI Varies by Food Security Status in US Adults

For decades, Americans have increasingly relied on food away from home (FAFH) despite its association with negative health outcomes. Little is known about FAFH frequency and expenditures of adults with lower food security (FS) and their association with health outcomes, such as BMI. We evaluated patterns of adults' FAFH purchases by FS status and other demographic characteristics, and examined the association between FAFH frequency and BMI in adults of varying levels of FS. This cross-sectional study used data from the Consumer Behavior Survey, Food Security Survey, and anthropometric measurements to assess FAFH frequency and expenditures, FS, and calculated BMI of adults (≥18y) who participated in the NHANES 2007-2014 (n=20,733). We used multinomial logistic regression to examine the association between FAFH frequency quartiles (quartile 1: 0 n/wk; quartile 2: 1-2 n/wk; quartile 3: 3-4 n/wk; quartile 4: ≥5 n/wk) and BMI by FS category. Although FAFH frequency was similar across FS levels, adults with high FS spent more dollars (${\$}$213.60) and a greater proportion (29.4%) of their food budget on FAFH compared with adults with marginal, low, and very low FS (${\$}$133.00, ${\$}$116.20, ${\$}$103.30 and 21.4%, 19.7%, 20.0%, respectively). Obesity prevalence was highest in adults with low FS (42.9%) and very low FS (41.5%), and lowest in adults with high FS (33.7%). FAFH frequency and BMI were positively associated in adults with high (P<0.001), marginal (P=0.025), and low (P=0.024) FS, but not in adults with very low FS (P=0.589). FAFH is frequent in adults regardless of FS status. The positive association between FAFH and BMI is the strongest in adults with high FS, the group with the lowest prevalence of obesity. Conversely, BMI was not associated with FAFH in adults with very low FS, despite their higher prevalence of obesity.

Heterogeneity in food expenditure among US families: evidence from longitudinal quantile regression

Empirical studies on food expenditure are largely based on cross-section data and for a few studies based on longitudinal (or panel) data the focus has been on the conditional mean. While the former, by construction, cannot model the dependencies between observations across time, the latter cannot look at the relationship between food expenditure and covariates (such as income, education, etc.) at lower (or upper) quantiles, which are of interest to policymakers. This paper analyzes expenditures on total food (TF), food at home (FAH), and food away from home (FAFH) using mean regression and quantile regression models for longitudinal data to examine the impact of economic recession and various demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic factors. The data are taken from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and comprise of 2174 families in the United States (US) observed between 2001 and 2015. Results indicate that age and education of the head, family income, female-headed family, marital status, and economic recession are important determinants for all three types of food expenditure. Spouse education, family size, and some regional indicators are important for expenditures on TF and FAH, but not for FAFH. Quantile analysis reveals considerable heterogeneity in the covariate effects for all types of food expenditure, which cannot be captured by models focused on conditional mean. The study ends by showing that modeling conditional dependence between observations across time for the same family unit is crucial to reducing/avoiding heterogeneity bias and better model fitting.

Food away from home and the reversal of the calorie intake decline in India

India experienced a consumption puzzle since the 1970s, whereby households’ calorie intakes declined over time, despite significant economic growth. This declining trend in calorie intake (consumption puzzle) was reversed for the first time in 2011–12. This is the first empirical study that investigates the relationship between refinements in data collection on food away from home (FAFH) and the trend reversal in per capita calorie intake decline in India. Findings from the study showed that the declining trend in calorie intake in India has been partly due to measurement issues and that correcting for these issues through refinements in data collection for FAFH in 2011–12 had a positive effect on the reversal of the calorie intake decline. India uses per capita calorie intake estimated using data from HCES to define the official poverty line, a benchmark used in designing many social welfare programs. Incorrect estimates of calorie intake will have negative implications on the effectiveness of welfare programs aimed at reducing food insecurity. Findings from this study provide insights for further improvement in data collection regarding household-level consumption expenditures. The study has implications not only for India but also for other countries that use household-level consumption data to understand diets and to design food and nutrition programs.