Politics and Policy

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Grains Trends in U.S. Per Capita
Availability and Intake
Jean Buzby and Judy Putnam
Economic Research Service
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U.S. Per Capita Food Consumption Data

• First published in December 1941
• Annual data extends back to 1909
• Only source of time series data on food and
  nutrient availability in the country
• Major component of the Nations nutrition
  monitoring system
• 
  

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U.S. Per Capita Food Consumption Data Major Uses

• Analyze commodity markets
• Study relationships between
• Income, prices, and consumption
• Diet and health
• Evaluate effects of technology and marketing
  changes over time
• Develop and manage public policies, regulations,
  and programs
• Cross-country comparisons (fao.org)
• 
  
  
  

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Food Consumption As Reported by Producers and
Consumers Improving What We Know

• Per capita food availability (aka food supply)
  data
• Comes from producers and processors
• Overstates food intake
• New ways of adjusting for losses
• Individual food intake data
• Comes from a large sample of consumers
• Understates food intake
• New interviewing techniques to minimize
  underreporting

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Webster Definitions for Consumption

• In economics
• the using up of goods and services opposed to
  production
• the amount used up
• The act or process of consuming
• To eat or drink especially in great quantity
  ltconsumed several kegs of beergt

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Estimating U.S. Food Consumption
Production Beginning Inventories Imports
Minus
Exports Farm and Industrial Use Ending
Inventories
Equals
U.S. Food Consumption (Availability)
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U.S. Per Capita Food Consumption Data

• Food Availability Estimates, 1909-2002
• Derived from food availability estimates
• Nutrient Availability Estimates, 1909-2002
• Food Intake Estimates/Pyramid Servings, 1970-2002

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Nutrient Availability Estimates, 1909-2000

• Amounts per capita per day of food energy and 27
  nutrients and food components in the U.S. food
  supply
• Nutrients contributed from major food groups, per
  capita per day

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Food Intake/Pyramid ServingsDerived from Food
Availability Data

• ERS uses aggregate food availability data,
  adjusts for losses, and converts the remaining
  supply into Food Guide Pyramid servings.
• These are then compared with servings
  recommendations for the U.S. population.
• Allows researchers to compare the amount and
  types of food available in the food supply with
  information from consumers about their actual
  food intake

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Calories Total Food Supply and Food Supply
Adjusted for Losses
Calories per person per day
Total food supply available for consumption1
Food supply adjusted for spoilage, cooking
losses, plate waste, and other losses2
1Rounded to the nearest hundred. 2Not calculated
for years before 1970.
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The U.S. Per Capita Food Supply Changed Markedly
Between 1970 and 2000
Beverage milk
Coffee
Eggs
Red meat
Alcoholic beverages
Fruits and vegetables
Caloric sweeteners
Fish and shellfish
Fats and oils
Grain products
Poultry
Carbonated soft drinks
Cheese
Calculated from food availability data.
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Grain Consumption Up From the 1970s But Far
Below Early 1900s Highs
Pounds per capita
Total Grain products1
Wheat flour
Corn products
Rice
1Total includes oat, barley, and rye
products. Source USDAs Economic Research
Service.
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Grain Was the Major Source of Protein in the
Early 1900s
Grams Per Capita Per Day of Protein
Source USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion
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Folate in grain products more than
tripledbetween 1997 and 2000 due to mandatory
fortification of enriched grain products
Micrograms Per Capita Per Day of Total Folate
1909
2000
1997
Source USDA, Center for Nutrition Policy and
Promotion
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Americans Now Consume One Grain Serving More Per
Person Per Day Than Recommended
Pyramid-based servings
per capita per day 2003 food supply1
Recommended2 Flour and cereal products 10
9 1Adjusted for losses that
totaled 31.4 percent of total food availability.
Includes an ERS estimate of 0.6 serving from
whole grain foods missing from the food supply
database, such as popcorn. 2Based on 1992 Food
Guide Pyramid.
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Adjusted Per Capita Food Supply Out of Balance
with Dietary Recommendations
Percent of Recommendation
Pyramid serving recommendation
2000 data. Based on a 2,200-calorie
diet. Source U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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U.S. Food Guide Pyramid
Key Fat (naturally occurring)
Sugars (added) These symbols show fat and
added sugars in food
Fats, Oils, Sweets USE SPARINGLY
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts
Group 2-3 SERVINGS
Milk, Yogurt, Cheese Group 2-3 SERVINGS
Vegetables Group 3-5 SERVINGS
Fruit Group 2-4 SERVINGS
Bread, cereal, Rice, Pasta Group 6-11 SERVINGS
Source U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Visit our website at... www.ers.usda.gov/ and
explore our consumption data at
http//www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption/
Jean Buzby, Ph.D. jbuzby_at_ers.usda.gov 202-694-5370