Anais do Simpósio Latino Americano de Ciências de Alimentos
Proceedings of 14 SLACA - Latin American Symposium on Food Science

The foodservice industry has been hit by the effects of lockdown and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Facing this scenario, researchers from all over the world have published several studies to support this industry's recovery and reinvention. This study aims to provide insights into the foodservice industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic perspectives through a bibliometric analysis. Information regarding studies on that topic was retrieved from Scopus and PubMed, and a systematic four-step process was used to arrive at the final sample. thirty-eight scientific articles published from the beginning of the pandemic until March 2021 were returned and scrutinized. A leading number of publications co-occurred in the "second wave" of COVID-19 in different parts of the world from November 2020 until 2021, corresponding to 52.63% of the total selected articles. Thirty countries had authors who participated in the publications, with 67 total authors participating worldwide. About 29% of those studies were prepared through international collaboration. The continent with the most extensive participation was Asia (38.81%), followed by Europe (29.85%), America (26.87%), Oceania (2.99%), and Africa (1.49%). However, the USA followed by Italy and the United Kingdom had the largest number of authors in publications. Those studies show multidisciplinary approaches, which are desirable due to virus novelty, impact, and uncertainty. The studies focused on: safe sanitation and food hygiene practices; preventive measures in indoor spaces; the use of digital payment and delivery; air purification technology to promote "clean air"; and information regarding consumer behaviors and concerns related to the pandemic. As the effects of COVID-19 are still unfolding, experience shows the importance of short- and medium-term based evidence strategies for the foodservice industry to survive and adapt to the new normal. In a post-pandemic scenario, the industry must focus on emerging technology and improving quality management systems.