Purpose: Traditionally, food environment exposures are expressed as the availability or accessibility of food outlets (e.g., fast-food restaurants) in people’s living environment, the characteristics of these outlets (e.g., distance, opening-hours) and the products for sale at these outlets (e.g., nutritional value, shelf-space, price). The online environment, however, has changed the way food is now available and promoted, and how people interact with the food environment. The primary objective of this study is to present a conceptual framework, relevant for researchers and policymakers, which depicts key relationships between the online food environment and food purchases.

Methods: Based on the current literature, by means of a concept mapping exercise and expert concensus, a conceptual model is currently being developed. 

Results: At this stage, the conceptual model provides conceptual insights into how food purchases are influenced by online food environments. To illustrate, the conceptual model depicts how individuals are exposed to food online (e.g., via apps, social media, websites, and email), the mechanisms via which the online environment shapes food purchasing decisions (intention) and directly and through interactions with the “brick-and-mortar” environment influences food purchases (adoption). In addition, the model incorporates potential mechanisms via which the online food environment may shape determinants of food choices (e.g., social norms, knowledge, values) and mechanisms shaping online food purchase behaviors (e.g., convenience, time-stress).

Conclusions: The proposed conceptual model will help advance research on possible multidimensional influences of online food environments on food purchases. Specifically, the model suggests multiple new lines of research that may identify new interventions and policies to improve population health. It is, however, vital that researchers, public health professionals and policy makers become aware of this online component of the food environment.

Purpose: Foods prepared away-from-home, in fast-food outlets and restaurants, are characteristically high in energy, fat and salt. Foods are often purchased in person, however, online food delivery services like Just Eat (Menulog) offer an alternative and could influence purchasing. It is not well known how much, or by whom, online food delivery services are used. We aimed to describe the prevalence of online food delivery service use, and correlated sociodemographic characteristics of users, across five countries.

Methods: We used cross-sectional, self-reported, online survey data (n=17,573) from Canada, Australia, the UK, USA and Mexico, collected in 2018 through the International Food Policy Study. We identified respondents who used an online food delivery service to order at least one meal prepared away-from-home in the past 7 days and calculated the number and proportion of meals ordered. We used adjusted logistic regression to investigate whether odds of online delivery service use varied according to sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: Overall, 2,580 (14.7%) respondents reported online food delivery service use. Prevalence of use was highest in Mexico (n=839 (25.8%)) and lowest in Canada (n=304 (8.8%)). In total, 5,526 meals; 11.1% of all meals purchased away-from-home.

Odds of online food delivery service use decreased as age increased (per year, OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.50),and was associated with being male (vs female, OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.34, 1.67), from an ethnic minority (vs majority, OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.45, 1.89), more educated (highest vs lowest, OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.35, 1.79), and living with children aged under 18 (vs not, 2.45; 95% CI: 2.17, 2.77), but not body weight. Similar patterns were observed across countries.

Conclusions: Prevalence of online food delivery service use varied by country. Typically, younger, male, adults, those from an ethnic minority, with greater education, and living with children under 18 years had greater odds of use. Further work to understand why fast food is ordered online, how it could displace other order modes, nutritional quality of food available and overall impact on diet and health is required.

Purpose:  The food environment is widely acknowledged as a driver of an increase in non-communicable diseases. Online Food Delivery (OFD) platforms are a recent addition to this environment offering consumers convenient and fast delivery of a wide variety of food and drink options. Given evidence that meals prepared by away-from-home food outlets tend to be less healthy than meals prepared at home, the aim of this narrative review was to describe and discuss the OFD sector in Australia and the implications for public health policy.

Methods: Sources of peer-reviewed (e.g. PubMed) and grey literature (e.g. Australian federal websites) were searched (January 2009 - February 2019) using search terms related to “online food delivery”, “meal delivery”, or “takeaway”. Articles about the nature and use of OFD platforms in Australia and existing public health policy targeting the food environment as well as their current and potential application to OFD platforms were identified.

Results: There are three main OFD platforms with thousands of food outlet partners and they have experienced rapid growth, which is predicted to continue. Policies to improve the healthiness of foods and drinks for sale in Australia include kilojoule menu labelling, health star rating system and the healthy food partnership. With the exception of kilojoule menu labelling, which is applicable to some food outlets only, we were unable to find evidence that current policies specifically apply to or target OFD platforms. This lack of consistency could undermine these policies. We discuss the benefits, limitations and practical challenges of extending these policies. For example, the technological feasibility is high for OFD platforms to provide consumers with nutritional information for all partners, however, a requirement to provide this in order to be an OFD partner may disadvantage smaller independent businesses less able to generate this information.

Conclusions: OFD platforms are disruptors to the away-from-home food retail sector; they are altering the way that the population chooses and orders takeaway meals, could potentially have a significant impact on the food environment, dietary choices and diet-related health, and thus present unique challenges and opportunities for public health policy.