Sonnet 5.5 at High, asked 6 Oct 2026

"Food buyers" could mean everyday shoppers or business buyers such as restaurants and retailers, so I've covered both. The data below is mostly from the U.S. and Canada.

Consumer food shoppers

Instagram and TikTok are the platforms that most influence grocery choices among Gen Z and millennials, according to a Gatesman survey of 150 shoppers. The sample is small and the page shows no publication date. Gatesman

Younger shoppers act on what they see. A Cashew survey of 783 North American millennials found 78% had bought a specific food or ingredient after seeing it on social media. Influencers were the top discovery channel at 37%, slightly ahead of in-store discovery at 36%. (Canadian Grocer, May 14, 2026) Source

Gen Z is the most responsive group. In FMI's Power of Produce 2026 report, 46% of Gen Z tried a new produce item because of social media. 45% of Gen Z and millennials found new preparation methods on social platforms. (Supermarket Perimeter, reporting the FMI 2026 report; the page shows no publication date) Source

Older shoppers sit on different platforms. Gen X favors YouTube (27%) and Facebook (27%). Across all shoppers, Facebook (25%), TikTok (21%) and Instagram (18%) are the common sources of food inspiration. Social still trails in-store displays (47%) and word of mouth (40%) as an information source. (Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer, June 2025) Source

Business food buyers (restaurants, foodservice)

Restaurant operators increasingly discover suppliers on social media, with Instagram named as a go-to tool for finding restaurant supplies. Chef-to-chef endorsements carry the most weight, and operators consult eight to nine sources before buying. This comes from a column by a PR agency founder citing her firm's own report, so treat it as industry opinion rather than independent research. (Nation's Restaurant News, Nov 11, 2025) Source

For B2B buying in general (not food-specific), YouTube was the top social channel influencing purchase decisions. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok followed in that order. (Gartner, survey of 771 buyers in Nov to Dec 2022, published Jun 8, 2023) Source

Bottom line: Consumer food buyers are most reachable on Instagram and TikTok (younger) and Facebook and YouTube (older). Business buyers are best found through Instagram, chef and peer content, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Which buyer type and which country do you need? I can narrow this to platform-level data for that market.