To describe the promotion of food and beverage and marketing strategies used by online food delivery services (OFDS) in a social media platform before and during the pandemic in Brazil.

Publicly available data were extracted from OFDS Instagram accounts. Posts published 6 months immediately before and after the first case of COVID-19 in Brazil were randomly sampled. Two independent authors coded the posts’ content. Food and beverage items featured in posts were classified according to the NOVA food system classification. Marketing strategies were coded according to protocols from previous studies.

Top three OFDS Instagram accounts in Brazil.

Posts published in the period studied (n 304).

During the pandemic, the proportion of posts featuring at least one food item decreased from 71·6 % to 40·2 %, and the proportion of ultra-processed foods decreased from 57·6 % to 27·9 %. Before the pandemic, the most widely used marketing strategies were branding elements (80·7 %), product imagery (unbranded) (48·9 %) and partnerships/sponsorship (35·2 %). While during the pandemic, branding elements (62·2 %) continued to be the most applied, but were followed by the use of videos/graphics interchange format/boomerangs (34·1 %) and corporate social responsibility (31·7 %). The most frequent COVID-19 marketing strategies were ‘social responsibility in the pandemic’ (30·5 %), ‘combatting the pandemic’ (28·0 %) and ‘accelerating digitalisation’ (20·7 %).

OFDS advertisements on a social media platform placed less emphasis on food items, but improved the nutritional quality of foods and beverages featured in posts. A COVID-washing approach was highlighted, especially through the use of social responsibility marketing during the pandemic.

To analyse food advertised on an online food delivery (OFD) platform during 16 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Longitudinal study. We randomly selected foods advertised on the OFD app’s home page, classifying the food items into: water; natural juices and smoothies; vegetables; fruits; traditional meals and pasta; ultra-processed beverages; ice cream, candies, and salty packaged snacks; sandwiches; savoury snacks; and pizza. We also registered the marketing strategies used to promote the food items, such as photos, discounts, ‘combo deals’, and messages on healthiness, value for the money, tastiness, and pleasure.

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

1593 food items.

In general, the OFD platform most commonly promoted traditional meals and pasta, ultra-processed beverages, and sandwiches – these food groups were offered 20–25 % of the time during the 16 weeks. There were no promotions for water during the whole period, and the least common promotions were those for natural juices and smoothies, vegetables, and fruits (< 5 %). The most common food promotion strategies were photos (> 80 %) and discounts (> 95 %), while approximately 30 % of the offers featured combo deals. Messages on tastiness, pleasure and value for the money varied from 15 % to 40 %.

Although the OFD platform offered traditional meals and pasta, most of the foods and beverages advertised were unhealthy and promoted with persuasive strategies. This finding highlights a growing public health concern: an increase in unhealthy eating patterns during the pandemic.