Americans are shelling out more for premium foods, including organic meat and snacks, as the pandemic moves them to focus on health despite the economic slowdown.
Many consumers are prioritizing nutrition over cost as Covid-19 infections continue to rise across the U.S. Sales of organic food and drinks surged 25% for the 17-week period ended June 27, according to Nielsen data. That’s faster than the pace of total growth in the food segment.
Meat, seafood and frozen foods with the organic label have seen some of the largest increases from last year, the data show.
“We’re expecting strength to continue in organic and natural food sales,” said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jennifer Bartashus. With lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus, “a lot of people have used the opportunity of working from home to really make a lifestyle change — lose weight and exercise,” she said.