Food Consumption Behavior During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract: The goal of the paper is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on residents' food consumption behavior and promote the stable and healthy development of the food industry. Seven times survey were conducted after the outbreak of COVID-19, including food stockpiling behavior, the choice of food purchase channel, food quality attributes choices, dining styles and consumption of imported cold-chain food. This paper describes the dynamic changes of consumer food consumption behavior after the epidemic. The results show that the epidemic has changed residents' food consumption behavior in the short term and has a lasting impact. Residents' food reserve has been extended; online channel purchase has increased; consumption of green and healthy food has expanded; the trend of diversified dining styles has been stable; and consumption of imported cold chain food has been significantly avoided. Residents' food consumption behavior is changing with consumer risk perception that is accompanied with epidemic fluctuations. Food industry needs to adapt to changes in people's food consumption behavior during COVID-19 pandemic, promoting industrial upgrading and ensuring the food security.