Availability, variety and distribution of healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages sold at street food stands in Mexico City.

OBJECTIVE To examine differences in the availability, variety and distribution of foods and beverages sold at street food stands (SFS) across neighbourhood income levels in Mexico City. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Twenty neighbourhoods representing low-, middle- and high-income levels in Mexico City. PARTICIPANTS Direct observations of SFS (n 391). RESULTS The availability of healthy foods such as fruits/vegetables was high in middle- and high-income neighbourhoods, whereas the availability of unhealthy foods such as processed snacks was higher in low-income neighbourhoods. However, statistically significant differences in food availability across neighbourhoods were only observed for dairy and processed snack items (P 0·05). No statistically significant differences across neighbourhood income levels were observed for beverage availability and variety (P > 0·05). Although street foods and beverages were often distributed near homes, public transportation centres and worksites, no differences were observed across neighbourhood income levels (P > 0·05). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that SFS can be a source of both unhealthy foods and healthy foods for communities across neighbourhoods in Mexico City. Additional studies are needed to assess the relationship between street food and beverage availability, and consumption.