Cheap, Convenient Consumption: To What Extent do Fast Food Price Promotions in New Zealand Include Healthy Options?
Nutrition| Research | Anita Olmstead
There is no doubt that fast food is consumed widely nationally and internationally. However, there is a lack of literature on price promotions of fast food in New Zealand, making it an ideal research project. As we break down the nutritional content behind the fast food marketed today, we address the question: “What proportion of fast food price promotions that target New Zealanders are actually healthy?”
When purchasing food, what factor influences our decisions the most?
Price is a key influence on how New Zealanders spend their food budget, as is convenience [1]. Our society is witnessing an increasing dominance of fast-food chains and although some fast foods may be marketed by chains as “healthy”, it is unclear whether this is true and to what extent. To investigate this, we undertook a four-week cross-sectional audit of temporary price promotions offered in major New Zealand fast-food chains. Temporary price promotions were divided into price reductions (discounted items) and combination deals. As I gained a deeper insight into the nutritional quality of price-promoted fast foods and their frequency of exposure to New Zealand consumers, could I simultaneously conquer the ever-present imposter syndrome and embrace the challenges and rewards of becoming an emerging researcher?
Figure 1. The stages of obesity development in a female adult. Figure produced by author using BioRender.
Fast Food and Its Repercussions
As fast-food chains have progressed, monopolised, conglomerated, and franchised over decades, the prevalence and accessibility of fast food have increased exponentially [2]. In 2020, national statistics revealed that the average New Zealander spent nearly a third of their annual food budget on restaurant and ready-to-eat meals [3].
It is widely known that most fast food contains excessive sodium, saturated fat, and energy [4]. Although adequate sodium intake is essential for multiple bodily functions, high sodium intake has health consequences, including an increased risk of elevated blood pressure and cardiovascular disease [5]. The majority of you have likely heard that fat is harmful to the body, but it is saturated fat in particular that increases certain types of cholesterol and thus the risk of cardiovascular disease [6]. Saturated fats are found in baked goods, pizza, hot chips, and foods sold at practically any convenience store or fast-food chain. Finally, we as individuals have our own unique energy needs that align with our genetics and activity levels. However, excess energy intake will upset the balance of “energy in, energy out”, a simplistic theory critical to weight maintenance [7]. Prolonging a lifestyle of fast food dependence increases the risk of obesity and obesity-related illnesses, including diabetes [4]. This pattern is crucial to our current obesity epidemic as one third of the New Zealand population is classified as obese [8]. Yet, why does fast food continue to be so popular?
The Importance of Price
Will we ever be able to achieve “the perfect diet”? Numerous determinants come into play: income, access, and misinformation, to mention a few. Nonetheless, fast food purchasing decisions are primarily driven by price, with 67% of a population sample considering it “extremely or very important” for purchasing decisions [1]. However, as 2022 claims the largest annual surge in food costs in 32 years [9], fresh produce prices are at a national all-time high, and New Zealanders are finding it increasingly challenging to afford substantial whole foods. This recent sharp increase in the cost of living particularly affects those with lower incomes who may gravitate towards cheaper options including convenience and fast foods. This encompasses many university students, with two thirds of a student population sample revealing they lack sufficient finances to cover basic food, rent, and healthcare needs [10]. This leaves no doubt that price is a vital determinant of food choice for many New Zealand adults, providing a strong rationale alongside the health implications of frequent fast food consumption for this research project. So, when I investigated temporary price promotions at nine chains making up the top 51.7% of the fast food market in New Zealand, what did I find?
Figure 2. Takeaway pizza. Image by James Butterly from Unsplash.
Temporary Price Promotions – Do They Differ in Healthiness and Affordability?
“Burgers” dominated the findings as the most price-promoted fast food group. Not only are fast food burgers highly processed with excess saturated fat, energy, and sodium, but the majority of promoted burgers were combination deals, suggesting the addition of a deep-fried side and soft drink. However, “Sandwiches & wraps” surprisingly had the highest mean energy per serving for both price reductions and combination deals. Price-promoted “Sandwiches & Wraps” also had the highest mean sodium per serving (2258 mg) compared with other groups, which in a single mean serving exceeds the daily recommended upper limit of 2000 mg [11]. This sodium overload poses a concern to unsuspecting consumers due to this group having a “fresh” or “whole food” appearance. Furthermore, almost two thirds (65.2%) of price promotions were classified as “Red” based on the Healthy Food and Drink Guidance for Schools [12], indicating they have poor nutritional value and should be consumed occasionally. A mere 7.7% were classified as “Green”, the entirety of which were beverages where the healthiest (most conservative) option was chosen—water. Interestingly, it was notable that some companies claimed unrealistically small serving sizes, e.g. a single slice of pizza as one serving. With this in mind, the data gathered may not be applicable to the real world; serving size guidelines will not always be followed and rules will be broken.
Combination deals of “Chicken” had the greatest mean change in price (original price minus promoted price) of $11.28 compared to all other promotions. This result came primarily from KFC price promotions, all classified as “Red”. Concerningly, these unhealthy foods are those being heavily marketed at lower prices to society. These findings support why lowerincome earners may incline towards cheaper and unhealthier foods, particularly in the current cost of living crisis.
Future Implications
These results brought a greater understanding of price-promoted fast food and their nutritional quality within New Zealand. To solidify the findings of this research project, further research would be ideal, particularly with a longer collection period to allow for the elimination of anomalies and more reliable results. This may have future implications in establishing policies for fast foods in the interest of preventing obesity and obesity-related illnesses, as well as enabling the population to access more affordable produce.
Figure 3. Number of price promotions (price reductions and combination deals) within each food group over the four weeks of data collection. Price promotions were categorised into “Green”, “Amber”, or “Red” based on criteria for the 2021 Healthy Drink and Food Guidance for Schools [12]. Classification of promoted items into food groups was determined based on the Nutritrack fast food categories [13].
The Footsteps of an Emerging Researcher
At the beginning of this project, I was doubtful as to whether I could measure up to the standards of a researcher; would I be able to produce quality, meaningful work that makes a valuable addition to the field of public health? Imposter syndrome was ever-present and is realistically something that many of us experience as university students. We as humans have all felt selfdoubt in ourselves in various circumstances, yet we forget that success cannot be achieved without a starting point. After multiple changes in direction, scrapping of data, and additional Excel skills intertwined with a newfound appreciation for hard workers behind the scenes, it became clear that this project was my starting point in navigating the complex role of an emerging researcher in all its glory.
Acknowledgements
This research project would not have been possible without the guidance of my primary supervisor Helen Eyles and co-supervisors Stephanie Shen and Grace Shaw. The constant support and detailed feedback did not go unnoticed. A massive thank you to my team and to the University of Auckland for funding this project. Thank you to Professor Gary Sacks, who helped shape the beginnings of our protocol and lastly to my fellow summer students, who helped keep me sane throughout the entire experience!
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Anita is in her final semester of her BSc, majoring in Nutrition. Her ever-consistent fascination with food environments and their impact on society drew her towards the pathway of research and public health. Anita’s prospects for the near future involve a role as Project Support Assistant with the National Institute for Health Innovation.