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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
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Appendix A

Glossary and Acronyms

GLOSSARY

Beginning stocks

Existing supplies of a farm commodity that consist of remaining stock carried over from the previous year’s production. (Definition from Economic Research Service (ERS) Food Availability Data System (FADS) Glossary1)

Boneless, trimmed-weight equivalent

In FADS, red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, and mutton), poultry (chicken and turkey), and fish estimates are fairly comparable. For most of these products, the measure excludes bones, edible offals, and game consumption. Boneless trimmed poultry includes skin, neck, and giblets but excludes chicken used for commercially prepared pet food. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Carcass-weight equivalent (CWE)

The weight of meat cuts and meat products converted to an equivalent weight of a dressed carcass. Includes bone, fat, tendons, ligaments, and inedible trimmings (whereas product weight may or may not). (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

________________

1The FADS Glossary is available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/foodavailability-(per-capita)-data-system/glossary.aspx [October 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

Commodity

A commodity is (1) an article of trade or commerce, esp. a product as distinguished from a service; (2) something of use, advantage or value; (3) any unprocessed or partially processed good, as a grain, fruit or vegetable, or a precious metal; (4) Obs. a quantity of goods. (Definition from Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, copyright 1992)

Commodity tree

A commodity tree is a symbolic representation of the flow from a primary commodity to various processed products derived from it, together with the conversion factors from one commodity to another. (Definition from the Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO]2 of the United Nations)

Consumer weight

In the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability (LAFA) data series in FADS, the weight of the product (annual, per capita) as it is purchased at the retail level for use by consumers for at-home consumption or as it is purchased by food services or institutions for away-from-home consumption (e.g., at restaurants, fast food outlets, hospitals, and schools). It is the weight after retail-level losses have been subtracted. The consumer weight is the weight of the food before losses at the consumer level (e.g., inedible share and other cooking loss and uneaten food) have been subtracted. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Consumption

In economics, the using up of goods or services or the amount used up. In common usage, consumption can also mean the ingestion of food by eating or drinking. In ERS’s FADS (per capita), the food availability and the nutrient availability series provide estimates of the amount of food and nutrients used up; the LAFA data series provides estimates of food intake or the amount of food eaten or ingested. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Conversion factors

There are different types of conversion factors. One type is used to convert raw agricultural commodities into consumer products—for example, converting beef from a carcass weight to a boneless weight or converting a dozen shell eggs to kilograms of dried eggs. These factors may change over time in response to changes in agricultural production and marketing practices. In contrast, conversion factors for weights and measures

________________

2Available: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ess/documents/methodology/tcf.pdf [October 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

for agricultural commodities and their products are constant over time. For example, 2 pints of liquid always equal 1 quart. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Crop year

The year in which a crop is harvested in contrast to the marketing year. For wheat, barley, and oats, the crop year is June 1 to May 31. For corn, sorghum, and soybeans, it is October 1 to September 30, and for cotton, peanuts, and rice, it is August 1 to July 31. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Cup equivalent (cup eq)

A standard of comparison for comparable amounts of various fruits, vegetables, and milk products. In the fruit and vegetable groups, a cup eq is the amount of a food considered equivalent to 1 cup of a cut-up fruit or vegetable; in the milk group, one cup eq is the amount of food considered equivalent to 1 cup of milk. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Dietary guidelines

Guidelines developed every 5 years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, emphasizing variety, balance, and moderation in the total diet without making recommendations regarding specific foods to include or exclude. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 20103 provides recommendations based on gender, age, and level of physical activity. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Disappearance

The food availability data are often referred to as food disappearance data because the data represent the amount of the food supply that “disappears” from farms, net imports, and storage facilities into the food marketing system and is available for consumption in the United States during a year.

Ending stocks

The remainder of current crop production carried over into the next crop year. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Farm weight

The weight of a commodity as measured on the farm before further conditioning and processing. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

________________

3Available: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DietaryGuidelines [September 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

Food balance sheet

Food balance sheets present a comprehensive picture of the pattern of a country’s food supply during a specified reference period. The food balance sheet shows for each food item—that is, each primary commodity and a number of processed commodities potentially available for human consumption—the sources of supply and its utilization. The total quantity of foodstuffs produced in a country added to the total quantity imported and adjusted to any change in stocks that may have occurred since the beginning of the reference period gives the supply available during that period. On the utilization side, a distinction is made between the quantities exported, fed to livestock, used for seed, processed for food use and nonfood uses, lost during storage and transportation, and food supplies available for human consumption at the retail level, that is, as the food leaves the retail shop or otherwise enters the household. ERS FADS is also based on food balance sheets. (Definition from FAO4)

Food group

A set of food items grouped together based on similarities in nutrient content and/or use by consumers and identified as a group for dietary guidance. In MyPlate, the basic food groups are “grains”—bread, rice, and pasta; “fruits”; “vegetables”; “milk and milk products”—milk, yogurt, and cheese; and “meat and beans”—meat, poultry, fish, dry edible beans/dry peas and lentils, eggs, and nuts. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Food loss

According to FAO of the United Nations, food loss means “any change in the availability, edibility, wholesomeness or quality of the food that prevents it from being consumed by people.” In ERS FADS, food loss represents the edible amount of food, postharvest, that is available for human consumption but is not consumed for any reason. It includes cooking loss and natural shrinkage (e.g., moisture loss); loss from mold, pests, or inadequate climate control; and food waste. Also see food waste. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Food pattern equivalent

A standardized amount of food, such as a cup or an ounce, used to provide dietary guidance or to make comparisons among similar foods. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

________________

4See http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x9892e/X9892e01.htm#P46_1749 [September 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

Food subgroup

A distinct subset of foods within a food group with specified similarities and a recommended quantity for consumption. In the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, the vegetable group is composed of the following subgroups: dark green vegetables, red and orange vegetables, beans and peas, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables. The grain group is composed of whole grains and refined grains subgroups. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Food waste

Food waste is a component of food loss and occurs when an edible item goes unconsumed, as in food discarded by retailers due to color or appearance and plate waste by consumers. ERS FADS is used to estimate food loss and not food waste (a subset of food loss). Also see food loss. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Loss at the consumer level

In the ERS LAFA data series in FADS, this type of loss includes food consumed at home and away from home (e.g., restaurants and fast food outlets) by consumers and food services. Losses at the consumer level have two components:

  1. “Nonedible share” of a food (e.g., asparagus stalk, apple core). Data on the nonedible share is from the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,5 compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
  2. “Cooking loss and uneaten food such as plate waste” from the edible share. This measure is given as the percent or share of food available at the consumer level. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Loss from primary to retail weight

In the ERS LAFA data series in FADS, this type of loss measures the percentage or share of food loss between the primary weight (in most cases, the farm weight) and the retail weight. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Loss at the retail level

In the ERS LAFA data series in FADS, the loss in supermarkets, mega-stores such as Walmart, and other retail outlets, including convenience stores and mom-and-pop grocery stores. This type of loss does not include losses in restaurants and other foodservice outlets because that is cap-

________________

5Available: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ [September 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

tured in the “loss at the consumer level.” This measure is the percentage or share of food available at the retail to consumer level. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Marketing year

The 12-month period following harvest during which a commodity may be sold domestically, exported, or put into reserve stocks. The year varies by country and commodity. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

MyPlate

A set of information and tools to help consumers follow the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. The Food Guidance System includes food intake patterns, print and web-based consumer materials, interactive tools, and information for professionals. MyPlate states that the amount of food needed varies by age, sex, and level of activity. It provides tables showing recommended daily amounts (or allowances) in terms of number of cups (for fruits, vegetables, and milk), ounces (for grains and meat), and teaspoons for oils. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Nonedible share

In the ERS LAFA data series in FADS, nonedible share is that portion of a food commodity that is not normally consumed, such as an asparagus stalk, apple core, peach pit, or chicken bones. Data on the nonedible share are from the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, compiled by ARS. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Nutrient availability

Data on the nutrient availability for foods and food groups is from the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference,6 compiled by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ARS. It includes amounts of nutrients (water, protein, fats [by type], sugars [by type], vitamins, minerals, etc.) per 100 grams of a food or food group. Nutrient availability by household is also available.

Other loss (cooking loss and uneaten food)

In the ERS LAFA data series in FADS, this type of loss includes all of the losses that occur at the consumer level, including plate waste, spoilage, and cooking losses. This type of loss does not include the nonedible share, which is accounted for separately. This measure is on a per capita per year basis. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

________________

6Available: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ [September 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

Primary weight

In ERS FADS, the weight at a primary distribution level, which is dictated for each commodity by the structure of the marketing system and data availability. In most cases, the primary weight is the farm weight. For meat and poultry, the primary weight is the carcass weight. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Product weight

See retail weight. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Resident population

Includes all residents (both civilian and Armed Forces) living in the United States. The geographic universe for the resident population is the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For purposes of FADS tables, the measure is the population at the midpoint of the calendar or market year as a proxy for the average population during the time period. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Resident population plus Armed Forces overseas

Includes residents of the United States and members of the Armed Forces on active duty stationed outside the United States. Military dependents and other U.S. citizens living abroad are not included. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Retail weight

The weight of a product as it is sold at the retail level. In the meat trade, retail weight is differentiated from carcass-weight equivalent and may or may not include the weight of bone, fat, or additional water. Also called product weight. (Definition from ERS FADS Glossary)

Serving

See dietary guidelines and MyPlate.

Value chain

As product transformations and transactions take place along a chain of interrelated activities from farm to fork, value is added successively. The term “value chain” has thus been used to characterize this interconnected, coordinated set of links and linkages that take place as products move along a continuum between primary production and the consumer. (Definition from FAO7)

________________

7See http://www.fao.org/ag/ags/agribusiness-development/value-chain-training/en/?no_cache=1 [September 2014].

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×

ACRONYMS

AMIS

Agricultural Market Information System

API

application programming interface

ARS

Agricultural Research Service

 

 

CGF

Consumer Goods Forum

CIR

Current Industrial Reports

CNPP

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

CNSTAT

Committee on National Statistics

CPC

Central Product Classification

CPI

consumer price index

 

 

DAAF

Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

 

 

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ERS

Economic Research Service

EU

European Union

 

 

FA

food availability

FADS

Food Availability Data System

FAFH

food away from home

FAH

food at home

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FAPRI

Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute

FBS

food balance sheet

FCL

FAOSTAT Commodity List

FICRCD

Food Intakes Converted to Retail Commodities Database

FNB

Food and Nutrition Board

FNDDS

Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies

FNS

Food and Nutrition Service

FoodAPS

Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey

FPED

Food Patterns Equivalents Database

FPID

Food Patterns Equivalents Ingredient Database

FUSIONS

Food Use for Social Innovation by Optimizing Waste Prevention Strategies

FWRA

Food Waste Reduction Alliance

 

 

GDP

gross domestic product

GNI

gross national income

GS

Global Strategy to Improve Rural and Agricultural Statistics

GTAP

Global Trade Analysis Project

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
HEI

Healthy Eating Index

HS

Harmonized System

 

 

IFPRI

International Food Policy Research Institute

IMPACT

International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Policies and Trade

IOM

Institute of Medicine

IRI

Information Resources Incorporated

 

 

LAFA

loss-adjusted food availability

 

 

MSW

municipal solid waste

 

 

NASS

National Agricultural Statistics Service

NHANES

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

NHS

National Household Survey

NRC

National Research Council

 

 

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

 

 

PL

private label

PSU

primary sampling units

 

 

RW

random weight

 

 

SNAP

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

SSA

sub-Saharan Africa

SUA

supply and utilization accounts

 

 

UN

United Nations

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

UNSD

United Nations Statistical Division

UPC

uniform product code

USDA

U.S. Department of Agriculture

 

 

WASDE

World Agricultural Supply and Demand

WBCSD

World Business Council on Sustainable Development

WCA

World Census on Agriculture

WRAP

Waste and Resources Action Programme

WRI

World Resources Institute

WWEIA

What We Eat in America

Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
Page 145
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
Page 146
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
Page 147
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
Page 148
Suggested Citation:"Appendix A: Glossary and Acronyms." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015. Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18978.
×
Page 149
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The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Economic Research Service's (ERS) Food Availability Data System includes three distinct but related data series on food and nutrient availability for consumption. The data serve as popular proxies for actual consumption at the national level for over 200 commodities (e.g., fresh spinach, beef, and eggs). The core Food Availability (FA) data series provides data on the amount of food available, per capita, for human consumption in the United States with data back to 1909 for many commodities. The Loss-Adjusted Food Availability (LAFA) data series is derived from the FA data series by adjusting for food spoilage, plate waste, and other losses to more closely approximate 4 actual intake. The LAFA data provide daily estimates of the per capita availability amounts adjusted for loss (e.g., in pounds, ounces, grams, and gallons as appropriate), calories, and food pattern equivalents (i.e., "servings") of the five major food groups (fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, and dairy) available for consumption plus the amounts of added sugars and sweeteners and added fats and oils available for consumption. This fiscal year, as part of its initiative to systematically review all of its major data series, ERS decided to review the FADS data system. One of the goals of this review is to advance the knowledge and understanding of the measurement and technical aspects of the data supporting FADS so the data can be maintained and improved.

Data and Research to Improve the U.S. Food Availability System and Estimates of Food Loss is the summary of a workshop convened by the Committee on National Statistics of the National Research Council and the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine to advance knowledge and understanding of the measurement and technical aspects of the data supporting the LAFA data series so that these data series and subsequent food availability and food loss estimates can be maintained and improved. The workshop considered such issues as the effects of termination of selected Census Bureau and USDA data series on estimates for affected food groups and commodities; the potential for using other data sources, such as scanner data, to improve estimates of food availability; and possible ways to improve the data on food loss at the farm and retail levels and at restaurants. This report considers knowledge gaps, data sources that may be available or could be generated to fill gaps, what can be learned from other countries and international organizations, ways to ensure consistency of treatment of commodities across series, and the most promising opportunities for new data for the various food availability series.

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