Impact of COVID-19 on the food safety practices of food insecured individuals: interruption of the interdependence food safety and food security association

The objective of this study was to identify the indirect impact of COVID-19 on the food safety of individuals potentially experiencing a food security crisis. Structured food safety questions were formed for the food safety practice assessment and standardized ‘Food Insecurity Experience Scale’ questions were used to assess individuals’ food insecurity experience. The food safety items were taken as dependent variables (effect to be tested), and the food insecurity items were taken as independent variables (the cause that determines the impact). Ordinal logistic regression using the Polytomous Universal Model (PLUM) was used for inferential analysis. Demographic variables (location, level of education, living arrangements/family size, and type of work for income generation) were significantly associated (p<.05) with both the food safety practice and food insecurity experience of individuals before the pandemic’s occurrence. However, no statistically significant association was observed between demographic characteristics and the food safety practices and food insecurity experience of individuals post the emergence of COVID-19. COVID-19 and its infection prevention measures improved the food safety practices of individuals and negatively impacted their food security experience, with no indirect impact on food safety due to their food security crisis was identified by this study. COVID-19 has improved the food safety practices of individuals, yet detrimentally impacted their food security. As a result, encouraging the sustainability of optimal food safety practices, planning and implementing food security resilience strategies, establishing emergency preparedness taskforces, taking lessons from COVID-19, and being prepared for future pandemics are recommended.