Integrating nutrition standards in emergency food delivery programs: case studies from the County of Los Angeles, County of San Diego, and New York City

Public health emergencies can disrupt food systems and increase reliance on emergency food distribution programs, yet limited evidence describes how these programs support nutrition security. Using qualitative methods, this case study examines how the Counties of Los Angeles and San Diego, and New York City developed and implemented nutrition standards in emergency home food delivery programs during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Programs delivered over 140 million meals between 2020 and 2021. Cross-agency collaboration and integration of nutrition requirements into procurement processes facilitated implementation, while staffing, vendor capacity, and monitoring challenges posed barriers. Findings inform future emergency food distribution responses.