Práticas de aquisição de alimentos e do comer no Brasil em tempos de pandemia

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted social relationships, including dynamics asso-ciated with food practices. This study aims to identify and analyze changes in food purchasing and eating practices in Brazilian households in the first year of the pan-demic. The analysis is based on data from a representative public opinion survey of Brazil conducted through telephone interviews between November 21 and Decem-ber 19, 2020. The results indicate changes in food purchasing and eating practices, with a decrease in the frequency of leaving the house to buy food (68.9%) and to have meals outside the home, either at commercial establishments (74.4%) or at the homes of acquaintances (72.9%). These downward trends, motivated by social distancing recommendations to curb virus spread, vary depending on socio-eco-nomic markers, notably gender, race, income, and food security status. Regarding food purchasing practices, the digital environment became more widely used, either through online shopping or supermarket apps with home delivery (e-commerce) or through food delivery services. This trend was observed among both users already familiar with these channels and new adopters. On the other hand, open-air markets were less frequented by respondents for food purchases in the first year of the pan-demic, with a 66.1% decrease in frequency among those who used these services before the pandemic. This change in food purchasing practices may lead, on the one hand, to greater exposure to ultra-processed foods and meals with unfavorable nu-tritional profiles, and, on the other, reduced access to channels for fresh and heal-thier food. Finally, this trend also reinforces food purchases from large supermarket chains while weakening small-scale vendors at open-air markets.