The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.

Operationalizing local food: goals, actions, and indicators for alternative food systems

“…Data on the produce grown in the county that is sold directly in the county (i.e., not exported and re-imported) will need to be estimated by interviewing store and produce managers, institutional food purchasers, farmers market managers, and CSA operators, many of whom may not know where food they did not grow themselves was grown without doing some research of their own. Most data on locally grown produce sold locally will be in terms of value (dollars), and will need to be converted to total weight of the produce sold based on sample measurements, and then to produce harvested using USDA estimates of food wasted between harvest and retail sale (Buzby et al 2014;USDA ERS 2014). This kind of research provides a great opportunity for citizens and students to collaboratively investigate their local food system, and a basis for moving beyond food miles toward other indicators (for an example see Cleveland et al 2011a, b).…”

Wasted Food, Wasted Nutrients: Nutrient Loss from Wasted Food in the United States and Comparison to Gaps in Dietary Intake

“…2017;117:1031-1040 I N THE UNITED STATES, BETWEEN 31% AND 40% OF THE food supply is wasted before it reaches consumers. 1,2 Policies and interventions to reduce waste and redirect surplus food can reduce food costs, benefit the environment, and improve food security. [3][4][5][6] As described in a recent report from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, nutrition and dietetics practitioners have an important role to play in addressing this waste while advancing nutrition, such as promoting consumer behavior change through nutrition education.…”

Dietary Weight Loss Advice in US Health Magazines and its Relation to Ancestral Diet

“…[28] In 2013, tomatoes and potatoes were the most frequently consumed vegetables in America primarily in the form of French fries and pizza. [8] Moreover, 31.3 (3.6 gallons) of the total 177 pounds of fruit consumed by Americans in 2013 was in the form of calorically dense orange juice. [8] Overall, leading health related magazines provide dietary based weight loss advice generally in accord with ancestral diet prescriptions suggesting a widespread recognition and acknowledgment of evolutionary appropriate dietary practices alongside US government recommendations.…”

“…[8] Moreover, 31.3 (3.6 gallons) of the total 177 pounds of fruit consumed by Americans in 2013 was in the form of calorically dense orange juice. [8] Overall, leading health related magazines provide dietary based weight loss advice generally in accord with ancestral diet prescriptions suggesting a widespread recognition and acknowledgment of evolutionary appropriate dietary practices alongside US government recommendations. Rarely are ancestrally-based practices acknowledged as such however, and magazines, which constitute a primary source of health information for many Americans, have therefore missed an opportunity to provide readers an effective conceptualization and framework through which dietary-based weight loss can be approached.…”

“…[7] Overall, for US adults, from 1970-2010, total kcal intake increased from 2,039 -2,554. [8] Meanwhile, the percentage of total kcals from fat in the diet decreased from 1971-2000 for both men (36.9% to 32.8%) and women (36.1% to 32.8%). [7] Commensurate declines in percent of calories from protein intake have been found as well (men, 16.5% of kcals to 15.5%; women 16.9% of kcals to 15.1%).…”