(P08-020-24) Understanding Household Characteristics Associated With Fortified Food Purchases Using the IRI Consumer Network Panel and Purchase to Plate Crosswalk

Objectives: Patterns of fortified food purchase in the US are not well understood. The objectives were to 1) distinguish which items in the IRI Consumer Network Panel (CNP) database are fortified with calcium, iron, vitamin A or vitamin C, within beverage (100% juice, coffee and tea, diet beverage, sweetened beverage, water) and grain products (breads, rolls, tortillas, and ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal) and 2) to identify household demographic characteristics associated with purchase of fortified foods.

Methods: The CNP collects household scanner purchasing data over 1-year periods across the US. We used 2017 data, representing 66,093 households. Of 37,859 included products, 50% were classified as fortified or not with ingredient lists and the remainder based on nutrient content. Non-parametric ranked ANCOVA was used to assess bivariate associations between demographic characteristics and purchase of fortified food. Demographic characteristics included household size, income, household type, and primary shopping location, and the race/ethnicity, education level, sex, and age for the household head. The primary outcome was expenditure on fortified products as a proportion of total expenditures, calculated separately for each food group subcategory.

Results: Among beverages, the highest proportion of fortified products was observed in 100% juice (48%) and sugar-sweetened beverages (25%) (mostly vitamin C and calcium) with the lowest being observed in diet soft drinks (0.3%). Among grains, 73% were fortified in breads, rolls, and tortillas (mostly iron and calcium) and 78% for RTE cereal (calcium, iron, vitamin A & vitamin C added in similar proportions); the lowest was yeast breads (67%). Household characteristics were associated with purchase of fortified foods, and the differences were typically small (e.g., < 5 percentage points). The greatest differences were observed for 100% juice in households that primarily shopped at supercenters vs club stores (61% vs 49%) and in households with younger children vs young singles (62% vs 53%).

Conclusions: Understanding fortified food purchasing behaviors may inform policy discussions on fortification standards and appropriate food vehicles.

Funding Sources: The UC Davis Gifford Center for Population Studies Purchase to Plate Grant