Studying the Composition of Digital Food Environments: Offerings, Actors, Presentation, and Price

Motivation. Food environments are the interface between food systems and consumers, the places where people encounter what food is available and make purchasing decisions. They strongly shape food choices and dietary outcomes. Traditionally, research focused on geographic proximity: what stores or restaurants are nearby and how their type influences choices. In the digital era, however, proximity matters less, as consumers can browse thousands of options online. Understanding digital availability is essential for evaluating the real set of choices individuals face.

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What we do. We study how online food environments are structured: what is offered, how it is presented, and at what price. Using big data methods such as large-scale web scraping, we map food-away-from-home options on platforms like Uber Eats and DoorDash. We link these data to nutritional information and carbon emission metrics to evaluate whether digital food environments align with, or undermine, dietary guidelines and sustainability goals. The project began with a pilot in Michigan and has since expanded to eight states. Early outputs include peer-reviewed papers, a plenary presentation, and conference contributions, with further publications and outreach in progress.