In surveys conducted by Nielsen it was shown that consumers are still favoring canned, bottled and frozen food items compared to fresh equivalents including fruit and vegetables that presumably require more frequent visits to supermarkets.  From data on purchases of shelf-stable items, it is evident that consumers are intent on maintaining full pantries, but with less intensity as displayed in late February through mid-March. For 2020 through April 4th, frozen and shelf- stable fruit purchases grew at three to five times the rate of fresh fruit.  With respect to vegetables, dollar sales were up 19 percent for frozen, 32 percent for shelf-stable and 10 percent for fresh.

In the Nielsen report entitled Pantries Padded with Produce as North Americans Prepare for the COVID-19 Long Haul the impact of social restrictions have extended well beyond early pandemic planning.  Consumers have continued to pack their refrigerators and pantries with frozen and shelf-stable produce more than in previous years.