ArticlePublic health nutrition2021
Digital food environment of a Brazilian metropolis: food availability and marketing strategies used by delivery apps.
Article in Public health nutrition, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Combo Deals, Junk Meals: A Systematic Review Examining the Healthiness of Foods Promoted on Meal Delivery Apps.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Pooled it
- Offline to online: a systematic mapping review of evidence to inform nutrition-related policies applicable to online food delivery platforms.BMC medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Do calorie labels change energy purchased in a simulated online food delivery platform? A multi-arm randomised controlled trial.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024Trial
- Is there a healthy-food premium? A cross-sectional analysis of the UK online food delivery sector.Health promotion international · 2026Article
- Food choice determinants and perceptions of healthy eating and food safety among online food delivery application users in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Digital marketing techniques within online food retail platforms: a scoping review.BMC medicine · 2025Article
- Changes in the frequency of food orders and food choices on meal delivery apps during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian metropolitan region.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Access to Food Establishments via Meal Delivery Applications: A Study of University and Non-University Settings in a Brazilian Metropolis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Menu item prices and promotions offered on a meal delivery app in the UK and their socio-economic patterns.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Perception of the Food Environment and Food Security Levels of Residents of the City of Rio de Janeiro.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Coverage and Characterization of Food Delivery Services Through a Mobile Application in Small and Medium-Sized Cities in Brazil.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Paving the way: Urban Health, Food Systems, and the Imperative for Holistic City-Led Action.F1000Research · 2025Review
- Food digital marketing on social media: trends and strategies of Brazil's leading meal delivery app.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Food purchasing places classification system based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population: Locais-Nova.Epidemiologia e servicos de saude : revista do Sistema Unico de Saude do Brasil · 2025Article
- Depression, anxiety and change in eating habits during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian university students.PloS one · 2025Article
- Social inequalities in the use of online food delivery services and associations with weight status: cross-sectional analysis of survey and consumer data.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Leisure Screen Time and Food Consumption among Brazilian Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Consumption of Food Offered by Delivery Applications (Apps).International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- A cross-sectional study on online food delivery applications (OFDAs) in the United Arab Emirates: use and perceptions of healthy food availability among university students.Journal of nutritional science · 2024Article
- Places to purchase food in urban and rural areas of Brazil.Revista brasileira de epidemiologia = Brazilian journal of epidemiology · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveFood delivery apps represent an important and emerging dimension of the digital food environment. This study aimed to examine food availability and the use of marketing strategies by two food delivery apps in a Brazilian metropolis.
designAn exploratory study was conducted in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Food groups were identified and the use of price discounts and photos by the apps was observed.
settingEighteen neighbourhoods and the ten best rated restaurants in each app.
participantsThree hundred sixty-two commercial food establishments.
resultsThe proportion of ultra-processed beverages on offer in the apps (78·45 %) was much higher in comparison with water (48·89 %), natural juices or smoothies (27·07 %). Ultra-processed ready-to-eat meals represented almost 70 % of the food offered in the establishments' menus, while traditional meals and vegetables represented just over 30 % of the offering. Ice cream, candies and salty packaged snacks were nine times more frequently presented than fruits. The use of photos and price discounts prevailed predominantly among ultra-processed beverages, sandwiches and ice cream, candies and salty packaged snacks. These marketing strategies were least used for promoting fruits and vegetables.
conclusionsRestaurants registered on food delivery apps offered a significant amount of ultra-processed foods with price discounts and photos in comparison with unprocessed and minimally processed foods.
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