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Prototype Notebook: Short Questions on Dietary Intake, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors This report provides a compendium of 128 survey questions used in previous research to assess dietary knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for low-income populations over the age of 18. The short questions or sets of questions on nine topics, including fruits and vegetables; grains, legumes, and fiber; variety; fat; calcium food sources; nonalcoholic beverages; knowledge, attitudes; and behaviors, are drawn from an extensive inventory and evaluation of available questions reported in the research literature. Each question is presented using a common template including the citations, data sources, and characteristics such as question reliability, validity, sensitivity to change, availability in other languages, mode of administration, use in populations with low-income and/or low-education levels, relation to nutrition and health outcomes, and availability of comparative data. This report is part of a larger ERS research effort to develop a common core set of questions to assess the dietary behavior impact of Food Stamp Nutrition Education (FSNE) on Food Stamp Program participants. 04010 171 pp 9/10/2004 10:00:00 AM 41.00 Current Issues in Economics of Food Markets These reports synthesize economic analyses of the complex relationships in food markets of interest to officials responsible for public policy, decisionmakers in the industry, and researchers. Topics addressed so far include the economizing practices of low-income households in making food purchases, the increasing vertical coordination and integration of the industry, the link between consolidation of retailers and orange juice prices, the effects of a higher minimum wage on food prices, how taxes affect food markets, and lessons learned from the use of rbST in dairy production. AIB747 8/14/2004 How Much Do Americans Pay for Fruits and Vegetables? This analysis uses ACNielsen Homescan data on 1999 household food purchases from all types of retail outlets to estimate an annual retail price per pound and per serving for 69 forms of fruits and 85 forms of vegetables. Among the forms we priced, more than half were estimated to cost 25 cents or less per serving. Consumers can meet the recommendation of three servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables daily for 64 cents. ERSAIB790 39 pp 7/21/2004 2:30:00 PM 25.50 The Economics of Obesity: A Report on the Workshop Held at USDA's Economic Research Service Since the mid-1970s, the prevalence of obesity and overweight has increased dramatically in the United States. The prevalence of overweight has tripled among children and adolescents, and nearly two out of three adult Americans are either overweight or obese. Although high health, social, and economic costs are known to be associated with obesity, the underlying causes of weight gain are less understood. At a basic level, weight gain and obesity are the result of individual choices. Consequently, economics, as a discipline that studies how individuals use limited resources to attain alternative ends, can provide unique insight into the actions and forces that cause individuals to gain excessive weight. In April 2003, USDA’s Economic Research Service and the University of Chicago’s Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies and the George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State jointly hosted a workshop on the Economics of Obesity. The purpose was to provide an overview of leading health economics research on the causes and consequences of rising obesity in the United States. Topics included the role of technological change in explaining both the long- and short-term trends in obesity, the role of maternal employment in child obesity, the impact of obesity on wages and health insurance, behavioral economics as applied to obesity, and the challenges in measuring energy intakes and physical activity. The workshop also discussed policy implications and future directions for obesity research. This report presents a summary of the papers and the discussions presented at the workshop. 04004 45 pp 5/17/2004 25.50 Consumer-Driven Agriculture This article analyzes how U.S. consumption of food commodities and food expenditure are to rise through 2020. The article uses data from USDA's food intake survey to project the consumption, through 2020, of 25 food groups and 22 commodity groups, and also uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to project consumer expenditure by food group. The article examines the effects of demographic changes, population increase, and increasing per-capita income on food expenditure patterns. 4/30/2003 12:01:00 PM Factors Affecting the Macronutrient Intake of U.S. Adults This study characterizes factors associated with macronutrient excess or inadequacy among U.S. adults. ERSTB1901 45 pp 4/28/2003 12:00:00 PM 25.50 U.S. Organic Farming in 2000-2001: Adoption of Certified Systems U.S. farmland managed under organic systems expanded rapidly throughout the 1990s, and that pace has continued as farmers strive to meet consumer demand in both local and national markets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented national organic standards on organic production and processing in October 2002, following more than a decade of development. The new uniform standards are expected to facilitate further growth in the organic farm sector. This report updates USDA estimates of land farmed with organic practices for 2000 and 2001, and provides new estimates on the number of certified organic operations in each State. ERSAIB780 55 pp 4/11/2003 4:01:00 PM 27.00 Food and Agricultural Commodity Consumption in the United States: Looking Ahead to 2020 This report analyzes how U.S. consumption of food commodities is projected to rise through 2020. The study uses date from USDA's food intake survey to project the consumption, through 2020, of 25 food groups and 22 commodity groups. ERSAER820 62 pp 2/20/2003 9:00:00 AM 27.00 Food Expenditures by U.S. Households: Looking Ahead to 2020 Over the next two decades, U.S. food expenditures will continue to rise. This study examines how projected food expenditures will be affected by demographic changes, population growth, increasing per capita income levels, and other factors. ERSAER821 38 pp 2/20/2003 9:00:00 AM 25.50 [Archived] FoodReview: Weighing In on Obesity, Vol. 25, No. 3 This issue of FoodReview finds ERS researchers "weighing in" on a critical public health issue—the growing epidemic of Americans who are overweight and obese. The lead article takes a look at the American diet—typically too high in added sugars, refined grains, fats, and calories. Other articles examine the relationship between caloric intake and obesity, individuals' misperceptions about their weight status, the link between fruit consumption and body weight, and the cost-effectiveness issues raised by Federal interventions to reduce obesity. Another article looks at the use of emergency food pantries by U.S. households. ERSFR25-3 1/23/2003 9:00:00 AM Household Food Security in the United States, 2001 Eighty-nine percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year 2001. The rest were food insecure at least some time during the year, meaning they did not always have access to enough food for active, healthy lives for all household members because they lacked sufficient money or other resources for food. The prevalence of food insecurity rose from 10.1 percent in 1999 to 10.7 percent in 2001, and the prevalence of food insecurity with hunger rose from 3.0 percent to 3.3 percent during the same period. This report, based on data from the December 2001 food security survey, provides the most recent statistics on the food security of U.S. households, as well as on how much they spent for food and the extent to which food-insecure households participated in Federal and community food assistance programs. FANRR29 52 pp 11/12/2002 12:00:00 PM 27.00 The Role of Food Stamps in Stabilizing Income and Consumption An ERS Elsewhere pointing to an article in the journal Focus. EEJS0227 11/1/2002 Issues in Food Assistance—How Do Food Assistance Programs Improve the Well-Being of Low-Income Families? The costs of USDA's three largest food assistance programs—food stamps, school means and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)—are easier to measure than the benefits of those programs. In 2000, the three programs' direct costs were $28 billion. As shown in this issues brief, the well-being of low-income families who participate in food assistance programs is enhanced by the alleviation of the severity of poverty, an increase in food security, satisfactory nutrient intake, and increases in household food expenditures. FANRR26-9 4 pp 10/25/2002 12:00:00 PM 8.00 Effects of Food Assistance and Nutrition Programs on Nutrition and Health: Volume 2, Data Sources This is the second of four reports completed by Abt Associates Inc., under the contract "The Nutrition and Health Outcome Study." This report is an evaluation of various data sources for their potential for analyzing the impacts of USDA's food assistance and nutrition programs. Data sources are evaluated against three criteria: coverage of both program participants and nonparticipants; identification of participants and determination of eligibility among nonparticipants; and availability of impact measures. Each data source is classified into one of four categories: principal, potential, recognized, and insufficient. Principal and potential sources are discussed and profiled in this report. FANRR19-2 107 pp 10/21/2002 12:00:00 PM 33.00 Hunger: Its Impact on Children's Health and Mental Health Hunger, with its adverse consequences for children, continues to be a problem in the United States. This study examines the independent contribution of child hunger to children's physical and mental health and academic functioning after controlling for a range of environmental, maternal, and child factors that also have been associated with poor outcomes among children. EEJS0223 10/1/2002 Recent Growth Patterns in the U.S. Organic Foods Market Economic research on recent growth patterns in the U.S. organic sector, by market category, and a description of the marketing channels for major organic commodity groups. A summary of various research, regulatory, and other ongoing programs on organic agriculture in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ERSAIB777 42 pp 9/24/2002 12:00:00 PM 25.50 [Archived] FoodReview: The Graying of America, Vol. 25, No. 2 This issue of FoodReview presents a selection of articles on the elderly in America. Topics covered include demographic characteristics, diet quality, food expenditures, food security, food stamp use, and risk of foodborne disease. Another article examines food loss and plate waste in the school lunch program. ERSFR25-2 9/11/2002 12:00:00 PM Beverage Consumption Among U.S. Children and Adolescents: Full-Information and Quasi Maximum-Likelihood Estimation of a Censored System Juice, soft drink, and milk consumption are investigated using a sample of children and adolescents from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Full-information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimator and a parsimonious quasi maximum likelihood (QML) alternative are used to estimate a censored system of beverage equations. The QML estimator is found to be an acceptable alternative to the FIML estimator for the empirical application considered. We find displacement of milk and juice by soft drinks as a child or adolescent grows older. Income, TV watching, gender, race, and other demographic variables are also found to play significant roles in determining beverage consumption. EEJS0221 8/1/2002 [Archived] FoodReview: Consumer-Driven Agriculture, Vol. 25, No. 1 This issue of FoodReview projects U.S. food consumption and spending to 2020. Articles discuss how farmers, processors, retailers, and foodservice operators are responding to this changing demand for food. Two additional articles look at food assistance expenditures and household food security. ERSFR25-1 6/18/2002 10:00:00 AM Effects of Food Assistance and Nutrition Programs on Nutrition and Health: Volume 1, Research Design This is the first of four reports in the "Nutrition and Health Outcome Study," which assesses the effects of USDA's food assistance and nutrition programs on nutrition and health outcomes. This report reviews the research designs available to evaluators for assessing the effect of USDA's food assistance and nutrition programs. The random assignment experiment is the "gold standard" design for such an evaluation. Where random assignment is impossible, quasi-experimental designs are used to infer what would have happened to program participants if the program had not existed. Eight types of quasi-experimental design are identified as having been used in evaluations of food assistance and nutrition programs, although none can guarantee unbiased estimates of program impacts. FANRR19-1 39 pp 4/25/2002 2:00:00 PM 25.50 Designs for Measuring How the School Breakfast Program Affects Learning This report describes a study design permitting a scientifically defensible evaluation of the impact of the School Breakfast Program (SBP) on learning and cognitive development among children. Following presentation of a literature review and conceptual framework of the SBP-learning relationship, four alternative designs for measuring this relationship were proposed and assessed. Of the four, the design based on Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) data (with supplemental analysis of 1988-1994 NHANES III data) was chosen as the report's subject. 01-013 153 pp 3/12/2002 12:00:00 PM 41.00 Household Food Security in the United States, 2000 The latest in a series of annual statistical reports on the prevalence of food security, food insecurity, and hunger in U.S. households, based on the September 2000 Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. This year's report, in addition to statistics on food security, includes information on how much U.S. households spent on food and the extent to which food-insecure households participated in Federal and community food assistance programs. ERS(FANRR)21 44 pp 3/12/2002 12:00:00 PM 25.50 The Food Stamp Benefit Formula: Implications for Empirical Research on Food Demand To discover the Food Stamp Program's effect on food spending, researchers often rely on regression models that require some source of independent variation in food stamp benefits. This article examines three sources of independent variation, which appear promising at first look: (a) variation in household size, (b) variation in deductions from gross income, and (c) receipt of minimum or maximum food stamp benefits. Based on the results, the article raises concern about popular regression approaches to studying the Food Stamp Program. eejs0209 2/13/2002 The Monthly Food Stamp Cycle: Shopping Frequency and Food Intake Decisions in an Endogenous Switching Regression Framework This article makes two contributions to the study of food demand by U.S. food stamp recipients. First, it employs nationally representative data to describe and measure monthly cycles in food expenditure and food intake. Second, because the food intake cycle is found to depend on the frequency of major grocery trips, the article develops and estimates an econometric model of consumers’ shopping frequency and food intake decisions in two halves of the food stamp month. The results of the model have implications for policies that affect the frequency of grocery shopping by food stamp households, such as delivery of food stamp benefits twice per month rather than once per month. eejs0205 2/2/2002 The Food Stamp Program in An Era of Welfare Reform: Electronic Benefits and Changing Sources of Cash Income Data from the first evaluation of a statewide Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program are used to investigate the distinct roles played by food stamp benefits and cash income in the household budget of food stamp recipients at different times of the month.The EBT system replaces traditional food stamp coupons and welfare checks with plastic debit cards. eejs0206 2/2/2002 Choose a Variety of Grains Daily, Especially Whole Grains: A Challenge for Consumers In 2001, the Journal of Nutrition published a special issue entitled The Dietary Guidelines:Surveillance Issues and Research Needs. This article examines U.S. grain consumption. eejs0204 2/1/2002 Data Development Initiatives for Research on Food Assistance and Nutrition Programs, Phase I: Ten Potential Data Initiatives This report describes 10 potential data development initiatives, each of which holds promise for improving the quality or reducing the cost of data resources in USDA's three major food assistance programs. The initiatives reflect the research needs of all three of the largest Federal food assistance programs: the Food Stamp Program (FSP), the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the National School Lunch Program (NLSP). The initiatives also were chosen to provide information for several types of research, especially the measurement of program impacts and the dynamics of program participation. 01-010 130 pp 1/31/2002 12:00:00 PM 36.00 Market Distribution of Potato Products in the United States Potatoes are the most important vegetable crop in the United States, accounting for 16 percent of all vegetable and melon farm cash receipts in 1998. However, little is known about the distribution of potato consumption across different marketing sectors, geographic regions, or population groups. Using data from USDA’s 1994-96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, this study examines the consumption distribution of six potato products in the United States. The analysis indicates that fast-food establishments and restaurants dominate the french fries market. There are distinct regional variations in the use of potato use. African Americans consume more potato chips and french fires, on a per capita basis, than other Americans. Senior Americans favor consumption of fresh and canned potatoes, while teenagers consume more chips and french fries than others. eejs0201 1/1/2002 Consumer Misperceptions of Diet Quality Provides abstract and citation information for the article 'Consumer Misperceptions of Diet Quality' published in the Novermber-December 2001 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education. eejs0203 1/1/2002 The Food Stamp Program and Food Insufficiency Food stamp participants have higher food insufficiency rates than eligible non-participants, even after controlling for other factors. Given the Food Stamp Program's prominent role in the alleviation of hunger, this is a counterintuitive result. We conjecture that these higher rates are due to adverse selection insofar as households more likely to be food insufficient are also more likely to receive food stamps. We establish a theoretical framework to address this adverse selection. Using a simultaneous equation model with two probits, we show that once one controls for this adverse selection, food stamp recipients have the same probability of food insufficiency as non-recipients. eejs0202 1/1/2002 [Archived] FoodReview: Examining the Well-Being of Children, Vol. 24, No. 2 The theme for this issue of FoodReview is ''America's Children.'' Articles in this issue discuss the well-being of America's children, children's diet quality, the problem of overweight children in America, foodborne disease among children, the economics of breastfeeding, and food assistance programs that help children and their families. A special article discusses U.S. consumption of tree nuts. Another special article looks at food availability and affordability in Washington, DC. ERSFR24-2 10/12/2001 9:00:00 AM Household Food Spending by Selected Demographics in the 1990s Average per-person total food expenditures, adjusted for inflation, declined about 7 percent between 1990 and 1998, from $2,189 to $2,037. This decline resulted primarily from the average at-home food expenditures per person declining by about 6 percent and the away-from-home food expenditures declining by about 8 percent. Price-adjusted food spending reflects changes in the real price of food as well as any quantity adjustments made by consumers. However, the national average masks the fact that some population subgroups had significantly higher or lower food expenditures than average. For example, while total food spending declined for all demographic groups except female-headed and Black households, these two demographic groups still had the lowest per capita spending. In contrast to this, per-person total food expenditures were greatest for households in the highest income quintile, for one-person households, and for house-holds with heads between 55 and 64 years of age. ERSAIB773 16 pp 8/27/2001 12:00:00 PM 23.00 Income and Food Expenditures Decomposed by Cohort, Age, and Time Effects This report expands aggregate lifecycle expenditure analysis by separating generational or cohort effects from aging effects. This is important since different generations or age groups may exhibit expenditure patterns that are the result of higher incomes and/or different tastes and preferences. Ignoring these generational effects produces income and consumption age profiles that can be misleading. With accurate consumption and age profiles, policymakers can gain a better idea of food intake patterns by cohort, and there-by identify groups that may need additional diet and health information. ERSTB1896 29 pp 8/27/2001 11:00:00 AM 23.00 [Archived] FoodReview: Welfare Reform and Food Assistance, Vol. 24, No. 1 Published three times a year by the Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodReview informs public and private decisionmakers of the critical economic issues surrounding domestic and foreign food consumption, food prices, food assistance programs, nutrition, food safety, and the impacts of Federal food regulations and policies. ERSFR24-1 7/27/2001 9:00:00 AM Changing Structure of Global Food Consumption and Trade Higher income, urbanization, other demographic shifts, improved transportation, and consumer perceptions regarding quality and safety are changing global food consumption patterns. Shifts in food consumption have led to increased trade and changes in the composition of world agricultural trade. Given different diets, food expenditure and food budget responses to income and price changes vary between developing and developed countries. In developing countries, higher income results in increased demand for meat products, often leading to increased import of live-stock feed. Diet diversification and increasing demand for better quality and labor-saving products have increased imports of high-value and processed food products in developed countries. Consumer groups in developed countries have also brought attention to organic production of food and the topic of animal welfare. One way in which the public and private sectors have responded to consumer demand for these quality attributes has been by developing and implementing mandatory and voluntary quality control, management, and assurance schemes. ERSWRS01-1 111 pp 6/26/2001 9:00:00 AM 33.00 Food Spending in American Households, 1997-98 Average yearly expenditures on food in urban households remained constant between 1997 and 1998. In 1998, the typical household spent $1,773 per person versus $1,767 the previous year. Of this amount, $1,094 was spent on food consumed at home and $679 on food consumed away from home. In 1997, slightly more was spent on food at home, $1,126, and slightly less on food consumed away from home, $641. Detailed tabulations are presented for 133 food categories and 10 household socioeconomic characteristics for 1997 and 1998. The data are from the Consumer Expenditure Diary Surveys prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. ERSSB972 86 pp 6/6/2001 12:00:00 PM 29.50 The Economics of Food Labeling The Economics of Food Labeling describes the economic rationale behind private food labeling and government regulation of food labeling. It illustrates the application of economic principles through three case studies in which the government has intervened in private market labeling decisions (nutrition content, dolphin-safe tuna, and organic) and two examples in which government intervention has been proposed (country-of-origin and biotech). eejs0112 6/1/2001 Explaining the Food Stamp Cash-Out Puzzle Empirical studies have shown that food stamp participants spend a higher proportionof their benefit on food than they would with an equivalent amount of cash. Our study demonstrates that this result can be explained by the decisionmaking behavior of multi-adult households. Multi-adult households spend a higher proportion of their food stamp benefit than they would with an equivalent amount of cash. In contrast, single-adult households show little difference in food spending between food stamps and an equivalent amount of cash. Because over 30 percent of food stamp participants are in multi-adult households, switching from food stamps to cash may reduce food purchases of these needy households. If that is indeed the case, the use of food stamps and other in-kind benefits may be more desirable than other forms of assistance. ERSFANRR12 34 pp 5/4/2001 12:00:00 PM 25.50 [Archived] FoodReview: Annual Spotlight on the U.S. Food System, 2000, Volume 23, Issue 3 This issue of FoodReview is the annual spotlight on the U.S. food system, 2000, featuring articles on food consumption and spending, food markets, food assistance and nutrition, and food safety. ERSFR 3/23/2001 12:00:00 PM [Archived] FoodReview: Understanding Structural Change in the Food Industry; Vol 23, Issue 2. Several articles address issues surrounding structural change in the food industry. Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 642 kb Poultry Plants Lowering Costs and Increasing Variety, 144 kb Large Companies Active in Changing Dairy Industry, 97 kb Evolving Marketing Channels Reveal Dynamic U.S. Produce Industry, 195 kb Cereal Sales Soggy Despite Price Cuts and Reduced Couponing, 218 kb Grocery Retailers Demonstrate Urge To Merge, 154 kb Decline in Nutrition Assistance Expenditures Continued in 1999, 98 kb Awareness of Risks Changing How Hamburgers Are Cooked, 109 kb Download entire issue, 1,464 kb. All Issues of Food Review ERSNFR232 10/18/2000 Estimation of Food Demand and Nutrient Elasticities from Household Survey Data A methodology for estimating a demand system from household survey data is developed and applied to the 1987-88 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey data. The empirical results are sets of estimated demand elasticities for households segmented with different income levels. In addition, we apply these demand elasticities to estimate the implied nutrient elasticities for low-income households. The estimation results are useful in evaluating some food policy and program effects related to households of a specific income level. ERSTB1887 40 pp 9/5/2000 25.50 [Archived] FoodReview: Spotlight on the U.S. Food System Includes several articles on America’s changing eating patterns. Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 56 kb American Cuisine in the 20th Century, 144 kb Major Trends in U.S. Food Supply, 1909-99, 129 kb A Century of Population Growth and Change, 85 kb Cooking Trends Echo Changing Roles of Women, 100 kb A Taste of the 20th Century: A Sampling of Innovations, Laws, and Product Introductions in the U.S. Food Industry, 109 kb America’s Fascination With Nutrition, 62 kb Food Spending Varies Across the United States, 117 kb Many Americans Falsely Optimistic About Their Diets, 140 kb Acculturation Erodes the Diet Quality of U.S. Hispanics, 58 kb Download entire issue, 921 kb. Archives of Past Issues ERSNFR231 5/4/2000 Forecasting Consumer Price Indexes for Food: A Demand Model Approach Forecasting food prices is an important component of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's short-term outlook and long-term baseline forecasting activities. A food price-forecasting model is developed by applying an inverse demand system, in which prices are functions of quantities of food use and income. Therefore, these quantity and income variables can be used as explanatory variables for food price changes. The empirical model provides an effective instrument for forecasting consumer price indexes of 16 food categories. ERS AutoFAX summary document # 01733. Contact: khuang@ers.usda.gov. ERSTB1883 24 pp 3/1/2000 23.00 [Archived] FoodReview: From Farm to Table: The Economics of Food Safety; Estimating and Addressing America's Food Losses Includes articles on food consumption and spending, food marketing, food assistance, and international marketing trends. Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 64 kb U.S. Food Supply Providing More Food and Calories, 434 kb Most--But Not All--Regions See Food Gains, 376 kb Share of Food Spending for Eating Out Reaches 47 Percent, 266 kb Desire for Convenience Drives Marketing Costs, 521 kb Food-Away-From-Home Sales at a Glance, 1988-98, 20 kb Fewer Food Products Introduced in Last 3 Years, 212 kb Domestic Food Assistance Expenditures Drop Again, 159 kb Processed Food Imports Surpass Exports in 1998, 375 kb Contacting the Experts, 35 kb Recent Reports, 322 kb Download entire issue, 2,748 kb. Archives of Past Issues ERSNFR223 12/15/1999 [Archived] FoodReview: Food Away From Home: America's Changing Food Choice, Vol. 22, No. 1 Quality of Children's Diets At and Away From Home: 1994-96 Causes and Consequences of Fast Food Sales Growth Minimum Wage Increase Would Have Greater Impact on Food System Than on Overall Economy Minimum Wage Increases Have Little Effect on Prices of Food Away From Home Grocery Industry Courts Time-Pressed Consumers with Home Meal Replacements Changing Food Consumption Patterns: Their Effect on the U.S. Food System, 1972-92 Food-Assistance Expenditures Fall for Second Year Characteristics of Mid-Atlantic Food Banks and Food Rescue Organizations ERSFR 9/1/1999 [Archived] FoodReview: Promoting Food Safety: An Economic Appraisal, Vol. 22, No. 2 New Federal Policies and Programs for Food Safety Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Pathogen Reduction Salmonella Cost Estimate Updated Using FoodNet Data Innovative Technologies Could Improve Food Safety Food Irradiation--An Update New Juice Regulations Underway U.S. Firms Invest in Mexico's Processed Food Industry Breastfeeding: Health and Economic Issues ERSFR 9/1/1999 [Archived] FoodReview: Spotlight on the U.S. Food System Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 37 kb U.S. Per Capita Food Supply Trends, 71 kb Have We Turned the Corner on Fat Consumption?, 35 kb Spotlight: National Food Spending--Spending for Food Increased Almost 4 Percent in 1997, 23 kb Marketing Bill Rose, While Farm Value Declined in 1997, 67 kb Natural Foods Supermarkets Gaining in Popularity, 25 kb Sales of Meals and Snacks Away From Home Continue to Increase, 21 kb Nontraditional Retailers Are Challenging Traditional Grocery Stores, 29 kb Food Safety at a Glance, 42 kb Spotlight: Food Assistance--Domestic Food Assistance Expenditures Continue to Decline, 18 kb Processed Food Trade Surplus Narrowed in 1997, 40 kb Download entire issue, 343 kb. ERSFR 8/1/1999 America's Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences Individual chapters in this book provide different perspectives on the nutrition problems in the United States: what are the economic costs associated with unhealthy eating patterns; how do dietary patterns compare with dietary recommendations; how do national income and prices, advertising, health claims, and trends in eating away from home affect nutrient intake; how much do people know about nutrition and how does nutrition knowledge and attitudes affect intake of fats and cholesterol; how do different government programs and regulations influence food expenditures and consumption; what are some public and private efforts to improve healthy eating; and what are potential impacts of healthier eating on domestic agriculture. ERSAIB750 484 pp 5/1/1999 77.00 [Archived] FoodReview: The Diet Quality Balancing Act Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 37 kb Popularity of Dining Out Presents Barrier to Dietary Improvements, 69 kb Prices and Incomes Affect Nutrients Consumed, 37 kb Matching Perception and Reality in Our Diets, 39 kb Unlocking the Mystery Between Nutrition Knowledge and Diet Quality, 50 kb Milk and Milk Products: Their Importance in the American Diet, 62 kb Food Companies Spread Nutrition Information Through Advertising and Labels, 44 kb Advertising's Influence: The Case of Dairy Products, 28 kb Download entire issue, 264 kb. ERSFR 5/1/1999 Analyses of Generic Dairy Advertising, 1984-97 Generic advertising raised fluid milk sales about 6.0 percent, or 18.1 billion pounds, between September 1984 and September 1997. Sales of cheese rose by about 6.8 million pounds (milk equivalent) in the same period because of increased generic advertising. An assessment of 15 cents per hundredweight of milk sold commercially, mandated by the Dairy and Tobacco Adjustment Act of 1983, funded the advertising. Activities of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board also contributed to increased milk sales over the past year. Gross returns to dairy farmers between September 1984 and September 1997 were estimated to increase by $3.44 for each dollar spent on generic advertising. This report presents the results of econometric demand models that examined the effect of advertising and other facts on milk and cheese sales. ERSTB1873 44 pp 2/1/1999 25.50 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet The increasing popularity of dining out over the past two decades has raised the proportion of nutrients obtained from away-from-home food sources. Between 1977 and 1995, home foods significantly improved their nutritional quality, more so than away-from-home foods, which typically contained more of the nutrients overconsumed (fat and saturated fat) and less of the nutrients underconsumed (calcium, fiber, and iron) by Americans. Since the trend of eating out frequently is expected to continue, strategies to improve the American diet must address consumers' food choices when eating out. This report analyzes food intake survey data collected by USDA over the past two decades to compare the nutritional quality of home and away-from-home foods and examine how the quality has changed over time. ERSAIB749 32 pp 1/1/1999 25.50 A Dietary Assessment of the U.S. Food Supply: Comparing Per Capita Food Consumption with Food Guide Pyramid Serving Recommendations. Most American diets do not meet Federal Food Guide Pyramid dietary recommendations. On average, people consume too many servings of added fats and sugars and too few servings of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, lean meats, and foods made from whole grains--compared with a reference set of Food Guide Pyramid serving recommendations appropriate to the age and gender composition of the U.S. population. In addition, while the healthfulness of diets has improved over time, the pace of improvement has been uneven. For example, while Americans consumed record amounts of fruits and vegetables in 1996, consumption of caloric sweeteners also reached a 27-year high. This report is the first dietary assessment to use ERS's time-series food supply data to compare average diets with Federal dietary recommendations depicted in the Food Guide Pyramid. Food Guide Pyramid servings were estimated for more than 250 agricultural commodities for 1970-96. New techniques were developed to adjust the data for food spoilage and other losses accumulated throughout the marketing system and the home. ERSAER772 64 pp 12/1/1998 27.00 [Archived] FoodReview: Perspectives on Welfare Reform Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 116 kb How Government Assistance Affects Income, 45 kb Welfare Reform Affects USDA's Food-Assistance Programs, 50 kb Spending on Food-Assistance Programs Decreased in 1997, 56 kb Economic Growth, Welfare Reform, and the Food Stamp Program, 43 kb School Lunch Reform: Minimal Market Impacts From Providing Healthier Meals, 45 kb All Food Stamp Benefits to Be Issued Electronically, 36 kb Contacting the Experts, 18 kb FoodReview Index, 1995-97, 34 kb Download entire issue, 445 kb. ERSFR 9/1/1998 [Archived] FoodReview: Annual Spotlight on the U.S. Food System Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 65 kb Americans Consuming More Grains and Vegetables, Less Saturated Fat, 97 kb Imports Play a Growing Role in the American Diet, 67 kb Trends in Eating Out, 47 kb Food Spending Moderates in a Growing Economy, 67 kb Spotlight: National Food Spending, 193 kb Farm Value Grew More Than Marketing Costs in 1996, 62 kb First Major Drop in Food Product Introductions in Over 20 Years, 51 kb Guillain-Barré Syndrome Increases Foodborne Disease Costs, 181 kb At a Glance: Domestic Food Assistance, 47 kb Processed Food Imports Up 11 Percent in 1996, 69 kb Download entire issue, 616 kb. ERSFR 2/1/1998 [Archived] FoodReview: Understanding Food Prices FoodReview is published three times a year by the Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 44 kb Economic Factors Holding Down Food Price Increases, 91 kb Spotlight: Food Price Changes Vary Regionally, 11 kb Competing Forces Affect Food Prices for Low-Income Households, 46 kb Consumers Pay a Premium for Organic Baby Foods, 73 kb Changing Pork Business Affects Pork Prices and Quality, 73 kb U.S. Meat Slaughter Consolidating Rapidly, 58 kb New Law Paves Way for Expanding Organic Market, 122 kb Nutritional Quality of Foods At and Away From Home, 70 kb Download entire issue, 321kb. ERSFR... 10/1/1997 [Archived] FoodReview: From Farm to Table: The Economics of Food Safety; Estimating and Addressing America's Food Losses Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 44 kb Determining the Amount of Food Loss in America (An Introduction from the Secretary of Agriculture), 17 kb Estimating and Addressing America's Food Losses, 91 kb Perspective: Economic Issues Related to New Food-Safety Initiatives, 11 kb USDA Modernizes Meat and Poultry Inspection, 46 kb New Uniform Standards for Pesticide Residues in Food, 73 kb Raw and Undercooked Eggs: A Danger of Salmonellosis, 73 kb Irradiating Ground Beef To Enhance Food Safety, 58 kb Valuing Risk Reduction: The Example of Nitrates in Drinking Water, 122 kb Many Elderly at Nutritional Risk, 70 kb Food-Assistance Spending Held Steady in 1996, 81 kb ERSFR 8/1/1997 Food Consumption, Prices, and Expenditures, 1970-97 This annual bestseller presents historical data on food consumption, prices, and expenditures by commodity and commodity group, supply and use, prices, total expenditures, and U.S. income and population. Includes 29 charts dealing with food consumption trends, from changes in per capita consumption, to share of income spent for food. erssb965 8/1/1997 $45.00 [Archived] FoodReview: Setting Course for Global Food Markets The U.S. food sector is blending more and more into the world food market. Overseas markets offer U.S. food companies opportunities for expanded sales. This issue of FoodReview looks at a number of ways those firms are reaching foreign customers and how evolving foreign economies offer both opportunities and challenges. Although exports are traditionally thought of as the primary way to access overseas markets, manufacturing foods abroad is the major way large U.S. food processors reach international markets. Processed food sales by U.S.-owned manufacturing plants located in other countries amounted to $103 billion in 1994--four times larger than U.S. processed food exports of $25.8 billion. U.S. food companies also frequently enter international markets through the use of licensing or franchising agreements with foreign firms. In 1994, for example, 29 U.S. fast food and other types of restaurant chains had 17,038 units operating abroad, up from just 900 units in the early 1970's. The large and diverse market, a well-developed food production and distribution infrastructure, and political stability in the United States make the U.S. food sector attractive to foreign investors. Food retailing accounted for 42 percent of sales of foreign-owned food marketing firms in the United States in 1993. Sales by foreign-owned food retailing affiliates in the United States amounted to $51.5 billion in 1993--13 percent of U.S. foodstore sales. With traditional trade barriers falling under the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, some firms may try to use product and process standards for processed foods as impediments to trade. To ward off this potential misuse, the Agreement created a clearer set of technical regulations and measures to protect human, animal, and plant health and established stronger procedures for settling disputes. A look at economic conditions and trade opportunities around the world finds Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union confronting the challenges of adapting to a free-market economy. Economic reforms following the 1992 breakup of the Soviet Union have caused production declines in Russia’s food processing sector. At the same time, liberalization of foreign trade and demand by wealthier Russians for higher quality and more convenient foods have led to rising imports of high-value processed foods from the European Union and the United States into Russia. 1995's decline in output for Russia’s food processing sector was less steep than in previous years and may signal a recovery, thereby offering opportunities for foreign investors and exporters. Bulgaria is facing a more difficult transition in moving from a state-controlled food production system to a free-market economy. Bulgaria’s food processing firms, almost totally dependent on Soviet markets during the Communist era, are struggling to adapt to the demands of new Western Europe markets. USDA is working with the Bulgarian government to generate better market price reporting and analysis to assist farmers, processors, and traders. Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 247 kb Processed Foods Trade Benefits U.S. Agriculture and Consumers, 200 kb Direct Investment Is Primary Strategy To Access Foreign Markets, 306 kb The U.S. Foodservice Industry Looks Abroad, 204 kb Trade Reforms Increase Likelihood of Challenges to Food Standards, 268 kb Russian Food Processing Modernizes as It Opens to the World Market, 312 kb Will the Surge Continue in Russia's HVP Imports?, 221 kb Bulgarian Retail Food Markets in Transition, 292 kb The Quality of Children's Diets At and Away From Home, 216 kb Public and Private Efforts for the National School Lunch Program, 243 kb ERSFR 3/1/1997 [Archived] FoodReview: Spotlight on the U.S. Food System Frontmatter (Upfront, Contents), 250 kb Spending for Food Up Slightly, 226 kb Food Marketing Costs Rose Less Than the Farm Value in 1995, 259 kb The Foodservice Industry at a Glance, 1985-95, 244 kb What We Eat in America: USDA Surveys Food Consumption Changes, 216 kb ERS Updates U.S. Foodborne Disease Costs for Seven Pathogens, 302 kb Cost of Food-Assistance Programs Declined Slightly in First Half of 1996, 319 kb U.S. Processed Foods Trade Surplus Over $4.5 Billion in 1995, 207 kb Income and Diet Differences Greatly Affect Food Spending Around the Globe, 189 kb ERSFR 3/1/1997 [Archived] FoodReview: Piecing Together A Healthier Diet The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the public leader in providing research and information to promote healthy eating. These activities range from the popular Food Guide Pyramid’s education and promotion to research on nutrient intake and absorption. USDA’s message is clear and simple: better food choices and diets translate into a healthier America. Although consumption patterns are changing slowly, many Americans—including children—are not meeting dietary recommendations. For example, people eat only about half the recommended amount of fruits, and some children continue to have low calcium and iron intakes. Unfortunately, many people find that adopting and sustaining new eating habits is difficult, even with proper nutrition knowledge. While many factors—such as stress levels, genetic predisposition, physical activity, and smoking—influence someone’s risk of chronic disease, diet is certainly an important factor. In fact, 4 of the top 10 causes of death in the United States—heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes—are associated with diets that are too high in calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or too low in dietary fiber. Diet-related health conditions cost society an estimated $250 billion annually in medical costs and lost productivity. This issue of FoodReview looks at America’s diet and what this means for diet quality, nutrition, and health. The role of nutritionists, health care professionals, and dietitians in this dynamic arena is clear, but what about the economist? The most obvious role is one of that profession’s mainstays: estimating costs and benefits. In the nutrition area, this translates into estimating the costs of medical care and lost productivity that diet-related diseases impose on society, and, likewise, the benefits of increased intake of certain nutrients, such as calcium, in helping to prevent diseases, such as osteoporosis. Balancing costs and benefits helps ensure efficient use of resources in Government activities, such as nutrition education programs. Another role of economists in the nutrition area is understanding who is eating what, how much, when, where, and why. Understanding how prices, income, and socioeconomic characteristics shape food choices underpins much of this research. Several critical issues of this type of food demand analysis remain unexamined and are the subject of speculation. In particular, everyone suspected that nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of diet-disease relationships were part of the mosaic of factors determining food choices, but empirical evidence has been limited. That changed in 1989 with the advent of a series of USDA surveys of food intake that were coupled with followup surveys of respondent’s nutrition knowl-edge, attitudes, and awareness. For the first time, economists could link together factors traditionally thought to influence demand, such as prices and income, with other factors, such as nutrition knowledge. The new surveys open the door for economists to collaborate with nutritionists and other scientists to examine the complex determinants of food choices and the implications for diet quality and health-care costs. Ultimately these partnerships will yield substantial societal benefits, as program designers and administrators use research results to improve nutrition education efforts and food-assistance programs Frontmatter (contents, introduction), 227 kb The American Diet: A Costly Health Problem, 234 kb Many Americans Are Not Meeting Food Guide Pyramid Dietary Recommendations, 359 kb Nutritional Quality of American Children's Diets, 253 kb Dietary Fiber: Is Information the Key?, 206 kb Osteoporosis-Related Hip Fractures Cost $13 Billion to $18 Billion Yearly, 223 kb Price and Income Affect Nutrients Consumed From Meats, 268 kb USDA's Role in Nutrition Education and Evaluation, 233 kb Do Consumers Trust Food-Safety Information?, 640 kb ERSFR 12/1/1996 [Archived] U.S. Quarterly Demand for Meats - By order only This study estimates a model of U.S. quarterly demand for meats with application to nutrition and other empirical issues. The estimated demand model is useful for improving forecasts of shortrun meat prices and consumption and for program analysis. ERSTB1841 48 pp 2/1/1995 25.50 [Archived] U.S. Demand for Food: Household Expenditures, Demographics, and Projections for 1990-2010. - By order only Food expenditure models indicate that higher income households spend more per person than poorer households on most food groups, especially food away from home, fish, cheese, other dairy foods, fresh fruit, and processed fruit. 57 pp 12/1/1993 27.00 [Archived] A Complete System of U.S. Demand for Food - By order only Describes a complete U.S. food demand system of 39 food categories and one nonfood sector estimated by using annual data from 1953 to 1990. ERSTB1821 80 pp 9/1/1993 29.50 [Archived] The Food Marketing Revolution, 1950-90 - By order only Looks at some of the changes in population, lifestyle, income, and attitudes which significantly changed the food marketing system: a boom in supermarkets, greater diversity among supermarkets, fewer but larger wholesaling firms, growth in away-from-home eating, and internationalization of manufacturing. ERSAIB627 12 pp 8/1/1991 23.00 [Archived] U.S. Demand for Food: A Complete System of Quantity Effects on Prices - By order only Explores a large-scale U.S. demand system, providing empirical estimates based on 39 food categories and one nonfood sector. ERSTB1795 60 pp 7/1/1991 27.00