Assessing the impact of Minnesota food pantry environmental changes on shopping experiences and priorities

Food pantries are a crucial food source and opportune environment for public health interventions. A statewide Minnesota food pantry surveillance survey in 2017 contributed to the development of a policy, systems, environment intervention called SuperShelf. Previous evaluations of SuperShelf demonstrated it as a promising approach for improving food pantry environments but its effect on food pantry shoppers' perceptions of the changes and desired food availability had not yet been explored. The most recent statewide survey results (2022) were used to compare responses from shoppers at 42 intervention sites (SuperShelf) to shoppers at 235 peer food pantries (non-SuperShelf). Outcomes of interest were factors related to shopping experience, perception of availability of nutritious foods, and importance of food groups while shopping. Adjusted random intercept regression models determined associations between SuperShelf status and shopper outcomes of interest. Results showed that SuperShelf shoppers were more likely to indicate greater frequency of positive experiences when visiting the food pantry compared to non-SuperShelf shoppers. SuperShelf shoppers were also more likely to prioritize fresh produce and less likely to prioritize less nutritious, convenience, and snack foods than non-SuperShelf shoppers. Systematizing approaches that increase nutritious food access and enhance experiences at food pantries requires robust policy and implementation support. Improving program methods and investigating differences in food preferences may be useful for promoting healthy eating or food preferences in other charitable food settings.