Overview
ERS provides indepth economic analyses of the
Nation’s food consumption trends, consumer reactions to changes in food prices and income, dietary patterns,
and the relationship between food intake and nutritional/health
outcomes such as obesity. Food and dietary choices are
influenced not only by prices and income, but also by
family structure, time constraints, psychological factors,
nutritional information, and Federal food and nutrition
assistance programs.
ERS has also developed data systems to study the determinants of food consumption trends and to inform policymakers and the public about these trends. ERS maintains and analyzes
data representing three different “views” of
the food consumption landscape:
More overview...
Features
The Decline in Consumer Use of Food Nutrition Labels, 1995-2006—This report examines changes in consumers’ use of nutrition labels on food packages between 1995-96 and 2005-06. Although a majority of consumers report using nutrition labels when buying food, use has declined for most label components, including the Nutrition Facts panel and information about calories, fats, cholesterol, and sodium. In contrast, use of fiber information has increased.
Is Dietary Knowledge Enough? Hunger, Stress, and Other Roadblocks to Healthy Eating—Poor diets and rising obesity rates among Americans persist despite increased public awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. This report presents a consumer demand model to illustrate how both long-term health objectives and immediate visceral influences—long intervals between meals, eating away from home, or time pressures—can drive individuals’ food choices. When individuals extend the interval between meals or consume more of their food away from home, they are significantly more likely to consume more calories and have lower diet quality.
The U.S. Grain
Consumption Landscape: Who Eats Grain, in What Form, Where,
and How Much?—This study compared Americans’
consumption of grains with the recommendations in the
government’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
using data from USDA’s Continuing Survey of Food
Intakes by Individuals, 1994-96 and 1998. The analysis
confirmed a national preference for refined grains—only
7 percent of survey respondents met the 2005 whole-grain
recommendation. The results suggest that consumers who
perceive grain consumption as important and read food
labels during shopping tend to eat more whole grains than
other people.
Could Behavioral Economics
Help Improve Diet Quality for Nutrition Assistance Program
Participants?— Behavioral economics, food marketing,
and psychology are used to identify possible options for
improving the diets and health of participants in the
Food Stamp Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants and Children, and the National
School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
Recommended Readings
U.S. Fruit and Vegetable
Consumption—Increasing Americans’ consumption
of fruits and vegetables has been a mainstay of Federal
dietary guidance for more than a decade. Yet, U.S. consumption
of healthful foods still does not meet dietary recommendations.
To better understand the reasons behind this shortfall,
ERS researchers examined economic and behavioral influences
on fruit and vegetable choices. A series of research
briefs highlight major findings and provide a list
of ERS publications on U.S. fruit and vegetable consumption.
Economics,
Obesity, and Policy Intervention—Americans are
not only getting fatter, but doing so at younger ages.
Behind American obesity is a complex story with genetic,
physiologic, psychological, and economic subplots. These
articles look at the economic plot line and examine
the consequences of some proposed interventions to reduce
obesity. While economics can not provide all the answers,
examining the causes of the increase in obesity and the
proposed interventions under an economist's lens may help
to identify potential solutions to the obesity crisis.
Estimation
of Food Demand and Nutrient Elasticities from Household
Survey Data—ERS researchers developed a methodology
for estimating a food demand system from household survey
data and applied it to the 1987-88 Nationwide Food Consumption
Survey data. The results are sets of estimated price and
income elasticities for households of different income
levels. The estimation results are useful in evaluating
some food policy and program effects related to households
of a specific income level.
See all
recommended readings…
Recommended Data Products
Data on food consumption and nutrient
intake—These tables display data on consumption
of different food groups and nutrient intakes by age,
gender, and eating locale.
 Food
Availability (Per Capita) Data System—ERS annually
calculates the amount of food available for human consumption
in the United States. National aggregate consumption of
several hundred basic commodities is tracked in this historical
series. It is the only continuous source of data on food
and nutrient availability in the United States and provides
data back to 1909 for many commodities. See also the related
report, Dietary Assessment
of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption, 1970-2005.
How Much Do
Americans Pay for Fruits and Vegetables?—ERS
calculated total pounds or pints purchased at retail,
total dollars spent, average retail price, serving size,
servings per pound or pint, and dollars per serving for
each of 57 fruits and vegetables. Spreadsheets that contain
all the report data show how the costs per serving figures
were derived. Along with the statistics tabulated for
each fruit and vegetable is a short description of the
nutritional benefits of each fruit and vegetable and little
known facts (or trivia). This report provides a good understanding
of the costs of produce, the nutrient density of most
fruits and vegetables, and their contributions to a healthful
diet.
Recent Research Developments
Effect of Nutrition Labels on Dietary Outcomes—The 1994 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) mandated that most packaged foods display a Nutrition Facts panel to disclose information on nutrients such as calories, total and saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium in a standardized format. By providing nutrition information in a credible, distinctive, and easy-to-read format, the new label was expected to help consumers choose healthier, more nutritious diets. ERS examined whether the disclosure of nutrition information through the mandatory labels impacted consumer diets, taking into consideration the confounding of the label effect with unobserved label user characteristics. To address this self-selection problem, ERS examined models that excluded away-from-home food (the NLEA exempts away-from-home foods from mandatory labeling) and found that label users had increased fiber and iron intakes, compared with label nonusers. In comparison, a model that does not account for self-selection implies significant label effects for all but 2 of the 13 nutrients that are listed on the label. (See Jay Variyam. June 2008. “Do Nutrition Labels Improve Dietary Outcomes?” Health Economics, 17: 695-708.) Contact Jay Variyam for a reprint.
Food and
Agricultural Commodity Consumption in the United States:
Looking Ahead to 2020—U.S. consumption of food
commodities is projected to rise through the year 2020,
mainly due to an increase in population. But the mix of
commodities is expected to shift because of an older and
more diverse population, rising income, higher educational
attainment, improved diet and health knowledge, and the
growing popularity of eating out. This study analyzes
data from USDA’s food consumption survey to project
the consumption of 25 food groups and 22 food commodity
groups through 2020. Per capita consumption of fish, poultry,
eggs, yogurt, fruits, nuts and seeds, lettuce, tomatoes,
some other vegetables, grains, and vegetable oils is predicted
to rise, whereas consumption of beef, pork, other meat,
milk, cheese, potatoes, and sugar is expected to fall.
Fruit consumption is expected to lead all commodities
in growth in the at-home market, and fish consumption
is expected to lead in growth in the away-from-home market.
 Taxing Snack Foods: What To Expect for Diet and Tax Revenues—Health
policy advocates have proposed excise taxes on snack foods
as a possible way to address the growing prevalence of
obesity and overweight in the United States. Using household
scanner data to examine the likely impacts of such a measure
on consumption of salty snacks, the study finds that relatively
low tax rates of 1 cent per pound and 1 percent of value
would not appreciably alter consumption—and, thus,
would have little effect on diet quality—but would
generate $40-$100 million per year in tax revenues. A
technical version of this study was published in the Review
of Agricultural Economics. Contact Fred Kuchler for a reprint.
Related Briefing Rooms
Related Links
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005—These guidelines summarize the most current scientific evidence on diet and health into recommendations for healthy Americans age 2 and older and serve as the basis for Federal nutrition and education programs.
MyPyramid—The
original Food Guide Pyramid has been replaced by MyPyramid.
Since its release, MyPyramid has been widely used by nutrition
and health professionals as well as educators and the
media and has helped disseminate the Dietary
Guidelines' recommendations.
HealthierUS.gov—A
website that provides easy access to all online Federal
Government information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical
activity, and food safety.
Nutrition.gov—A
website that provides easy access to all online Federal
Government information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical
activity, and food safety.
The USDA Healthy
Eating Index—A summary measure of overall diet quality. It measures the degree to which diets comply with specific recommendations in the The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.
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