Frozen Foods in a Volatile World

As I write this, the COVID-19 pandemic is flaring at a record rate. Over a year and a half after the world first shut down in March 2020, we’re finding ourselves back again with soaring infection rates, cancelled plans, and a general fear and anxiety around connecting in person with loved ones. As these waves of the pandemic continue to affect all of us in so many ways, I’m finding that the pandemic is even affecting my food habits, and I know I’m not the only one.

I recently read (and loved), The Secret Life of Groceries, where author Benjamin Lorr discusses the connection between personal identity and consumption. Around the world but especially in the United States, we channel a lot of our personal identity and our feelings about the world into the things we buy. From clothes to cars, we believe our purchases reflect who we are. In the case of food, we have the opportunity three times a day to either use food purchasing or consumption to signal who we are, or to reflect how we feel about the world. This premise is pretty much what all of Grounded Grub is based on, finding ways to match our food consumption patterns with how we want the world to look. While this is fantastic in times of plenty, in times of uncertainty and distress, our consumption can also be a way to exert control over our lives when we feel like so many aspects of it may be out of our control (viruses, climate change, etc!). 

Back in September Deloitte published a report that tracked consumers' preference for fresh versus frozen food and found some interesting data that suggests that the pandemic has influenced shoppers, especially young people, to opt for frozen foods over fresh produce. 

First, they discuss the perception that there has been a generally reduced quality of fresh produce in stores: 

“Whether due to supply chain issues or simply negative impressions, 60% of consumers think the shelf life of fresh food has decreased. Since they still aren’t shopping quite as frequently for fresh food as they did pre-pandemic (the frequent shopper group is down eight percentage points relative to 2019), it is hard for consumers to depend on their fresh purchases not spoiling before the next shopping trip.” 

This is in the context of large grocery store chains, rather than farmers markets, but it still shows the impact of how supply chain limitations and the perception of their impacts are not just affecting what is on the shelves, but also what lands in peoples’ carts. 

The report also discusses how reducing food waste has played into consumers’ decision making: 

“Nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers think about how much food they throw away when making a purchase decision, and nearly half of consumers (45%) indicate that more of the fresh food in their home goes to waste than it did in the past. Worries about food waste may be taking precedence over packaging waste. Six in 10 consumers prefer their fresh food be in packaging, and the same amount believe fresh food in packaging stays fresh longer.” 

This push-and-pull relationship between packaging and food waste is one we see often in discussions of food waste, especially from the produce industry.

Then they address the price-tag difference between fresh and frozen: 

“Ninety percent of consumers say price is the most important purchase driver for fresh food. With inflation driving prices up, cheaper frozen food is looking better by comparison. In addition, 82% of consumers believe fresh food prices have increased more than justified. In head-to-head comparisons, 40-50% of consumers say that frozen food is just as good or better than fresh. This preference is even greater among younger consumers.” 

In times when economic uncertainty is prevalent across the entire globe, making food decisions based on what is affordable and what is not going to be a waste of money if we don’t #UseItUp fast enough. 

Perhaps it’s the omicron-induced anxiety driving my thinking, but I think pretty much all of this can be traced back to the deep sense of uncertainty that we are feeling as a society, especially in the small isolated households of young people. Our uncertainty about what the next week, months, even years, may look like has many of us opting for frozen foods, in a way that I believe represents our anxiety about that world. If you’re living alone, or cook for yourself with roommates, buying large amounts of fresh produce requires planning, consistent grocery store trips, and consistent eating patterns. And I’ll be the first to admit, sometimes, even on nights when I have good looking fresh produce in the fridge, the weight of things like political inaction is just too heavy and all I want to do is keep things simple and predictable, and by that I mean make some Annie’s Mac & Cheese and laying on the couch. 

In a world where grocery store trips are less frequent and more stressful, all of these choices around food seem to line up with anxious grocery shoppers opting for the stability of frozen food in a volatile world. Our food choices are adapting through the pandemic as the pandemic changes our sense of self and our perspectives on the future. 

While this entire piece may be an anxious rant & analysis of our current consumption patterns, it wouldn’t be a Grounded Grub rant if we didn’t leave you with some places to look for hope and to take action. Buying frozen and packaged goods certainly does not mean you are going to destroy the planet with your grocery purchasing, frozen food IS a great way to reduce the likelihood of food waste. Freezing produce before it spoils is another awesome way to do the same, and many frozen foods are picked and frozen at peak-freshness and thus offer flavors and nutritional benefits you might not get otherwise — all just to say, don't feel bad if you're opting for frozen foods right now!