Economic 

Information

Bulletin

Number 44

March 2009

United States 

Department 

of Agriculture

Economic 

Research 

Service

Jean C. Buzby, Hodan Farah Wells, 

Bruce Axtman, and Jana Mickey 

Supermarket Loss Estimates for 

Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, 

Poultry, and Seafood and Their 

Use in the ERS Loss-Adjusted 

Food Availability Data
www.ers.usda.gov

Find additional information about the ERS Loss-Adjusted 

Food Availability data at:

Visit Our Website To Learn More!

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Supermarket loss estimates for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood and their use in the ERS loss-adjusted food availability data.

(Economic information bulletin ; no. 44)

1. Food supply—United States. 2. Supermarkets—United States. 3. 

Food spoilage—Estimates—United States—Statistics.

4. Fruit—Losses—United States. 5. Vegetables—Losses—United 

States. 6. Meat—Losses—United States.

7. Poultry—Losses—United States. 8. Seafood—Losses—United 

States. I. Buzby, Jean C.

II. United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. 

III. Title.

HD9004

www.ers.usda.gov/

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Data/FoodConsumption
United States

Department

of Agriculture

www.ers.usda.gov

A Report from the Economic Research Service

Abstract

A certain amount of food in supermarkets is deemed unusable (“food loss”) because of 

moisture loss, spoilage, and other causes. This study analyzed updated food loss estimates for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood obtained through a competitive grant with the Perishables Group, Inc. This independent consulting fi rm compared 

supplier shipment data with point-of-sale data from six large national and regional supermarket retailers to identify loss in 2005 and 2006. The new estimates, when incorporated 

into the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data, had little impact on aggregate per 

capita food loss estimates in 2006 because the new estimates were, on average, close to 

the previous loss assumptions. The new estimates increased annual per capita estimates of 

fresh fruit available at the retail level by 0.7 pounds (0.6 percent), 4.2 pounds (2.7 percent) 

for fresh vegetables, and 4.8 pounds (2.7 percent) for fresh meat, poultry, and seafood. 

The commodity-specifi c food loss estimates are more accurate than in previous years.

Keywords: Conversion factor, food loss, fruit, meat, poultry, seafood, supermarket, 

vegetables

About the Authors

Buzby and Wells are with USDA’s Economic Research Service; Axtman and Mickey are 

with the Perishables Group, Inc.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank ERS colleagues Mark Denbaly and Ephraim Leibtag, as well 

as Gayle Kaneaster of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) for their assistance 

with the competitive grants process. The authors also wish to thank Priscilla Smith and 

Cynthia A. Ray for their help with editing and production of this report.

Jean C. Buzby, Hodan Farah Wells, 

Bruce Axtman, and Jana Mickey 

Supermarket Loss Estimates for Fresh 

Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Poultry, and 

Seafood and Their Use in the ERS 

Loss-Adjusted Food Availability Data

Economic

Information

Bulletin

Number 44

March 2009
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Contents

Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Data Collection and Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

 Fresh Fruit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

 Fresh Vegetables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

 Fresh Meat, Poultry, and Seafood. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Recommended citation format for this publication: 

Buzby, Jean C., Hodan Farah Wells, Bruce Axtman, and Jana Mickey. 

Supermarket Loss Estimates for Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Poultry, 

and Seafood and Their Use in the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability 

Data. EIB-44, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Econ. Res. Serv. March 2009.
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Summary 

ERS maintains the web-based Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data series, 

an important resource for estimating trends in the amount of food available 

for consumption over time. By tracking food loss—food made inedible by 

moisture loss, spoilage, and other causes—analysts can estimate how much 

food is eaten per person over a given period. 

What Is the Issue?

Some of the food loss assumptions used in the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data were seemingly simplistic and may not have refl ected 

current manufacturing, retail, and food preparation practices. Retail food loss 

was particularly diffi cult to estimate. Prior to this study, the per capita food 

loss estimates at the retail level were, across the board, 12 percent for every 

fresh fruit and vegetable commodity (e.g., fresh strawberries, fresh spinach) 

and 7 percent for every type of meat, poultry, and seafood (i.e., fi sh and 

shellfi sh, both farm-raised and wild-caught) covered in the database. More 

precise estimates for each fresh commodity are desirable to refl ect physical 

differences in spoilage rates and other reasons that infl uence food loss, such 

as use of innovative packaging to prolong shelf life. Using new estimates for 

each commodity could affect ERS calculations of the amounts of different 

foods available for consumption.

What Did the Study Find?

This report and the accompanying ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data 

give analysts, for the fi rst time, national estimates of the food loss percentage 

at the supermarket level for each fresh fruit, vegetable, meat, and poultry 

commodity in the data set. The average loss rates for 2005-06 for individual 

fresh fruit, vegetable, meat, and poultry commodities at the supermarket 

level, as estimated by the Perishables Group, Inc., varied from 0.6 percent for 

sweet corn to 63.6 percent for mustard greens. The study also provided new 

average estimates for all fi sh and all shellfi sh. When the study incorporated 

the new loss estimates into the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data 

series, the impact on per capita estimates varied broadly among commodities 

within a food group (e.g., among all fresh fruit). The largest annual impacts, 

per capita, were for fresh potatoes, chicken, beef, pork, bananas, and sweet 

corn—all of which have high shares of food available for consumption for 

their respective food groups. 

However, as a whole, the new food loss estimates had little impact on 

average food loss rates for each food group in the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data series or on per capita estimates of the quantity of the 

different food groups available for consumption at the retail level because 

the newer estimates were generally close to the earlier loss assumptions. 

Compared with the earlier ERS per capita food loss estimates of 12 percent 

for each type of fruit and vegetable and 7 percent for each type of meat, 

poultry, and seafood covered in the database, ERS found that annual supermarket losses for 2005 and 2006 averaged 11.4 percent for fresh fruit, 9.7 

percent for fresh vegetables, and 4.5 percent for fresh meat, poultry, and 

seafood. The new estimates would increase per capita estimates at the retail 

level in 2005 by 0.7 pounds (0.6 percent) for fresh fruit, 4.2 pounds (2.7 
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percent) for fresh vegetables, and 4.8 pounds (2.7 percent) for fresh meat, 

poultry, and seafood. Dividing these annual changes in per capita estimates 

by 365 days results in very small daily per capita changes.

How Was the Study Conducted?

ERS obtained updated food loss estimates at the retail level for individual 

fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry and aggregate estimates for all 

fi sh and all shellfi sh from the Perishables Group, Inc. and applied them to 

update some of the assumptions used in constructing ERS Loss-Adjusted 

Food Availability data to see how they affected per capita estimates of the 

food available for consumption. The Perishables Group, Inc., an independent 

consulting fi rm, used a sample of data from six large national and regional 

supermarket retailers from their proprietary database. The sample did not 

include convenience stores, megastores, club stores, and mom-and-pop 

grocery stores. For each store in the sample, supplier shipment data for 2005 

and 2006 was paired with point-of-sale data to identify food loss percentages 

for each covered commodity. For fresh meat, poultry, and seafood, data were 

supplemented by the Perishables Group with qualitative information from 

more than 10 retailers. The study also compared loss estimates for 2005 and 

2006 as a validation of methods used.
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Introduction

In 1941, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) fi rst published comprehensive data to assess the availability of food and nutrients for the U.S. civilian 

population and to provide a basis for comparisons with the food supplies of our 

World War II allies. By 1949, USDA had extended the data back to 1909 for 

most commodities. Since 1949, the database has been maintained and updated 

every year with very few exceptions. The data measure the food supply of over 

200 food commodities, such as beef, fresh apples, and eggs. 

The Food Availability data represent the supply of food available for 

consumption in the United States. For a given year, the supply of each 

commodity is the sum of production, imports, and beginning inventories, 

and from this amount, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) subtracts 

out exports, farm and industrial uses, and ending stocks. USDA collects 

data on these components directly from producers and distributors using 

techniques that vary by commodity. These data are not collected from individual consumers, and thus provide an independent basis for examining food 

consumption trends. Per capita estimates are calculated by dividing the total 

annual availability for a commodity by the U.S. population for that year. 

ERS manages and disseminates the Food Availability data within a data 

system posted on the ERS website (www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption/). 

The data system is the only source of time series data on the food available 

for human consumption in the country. Accordingly, the data play a key role 

in monitoring the potential of the food supply to meet the nutritional needs of 

Americans and to examine historical consumption trends. 

The Food Availability data overstate the amount of food actually ingested 

because they do not take into account all of the substantial quantities of food 

lost to human use through waste, moisture loss, and spoilage beyond the farm 

gate in the marketing system and the home. Therefore, in the mid-1990s, 

ERS developed methods to adjust the availability data for spoilage and other 

losses. In particular, the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data series refi nes 

the Food Availability data more fully for three general types of losses:

(1) loss from primary (e.g., farm) to retail weight. 

(2) loss at the retail level (e.g., in supermarkets, megastores 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.

(3) loss at the consumer level. This includes losses for food consumed at 

home and away from home (e.g., restaurants, fast-food outlets, etc.) 

by consumers and foodservice and has two components:

(a) “Nonedible share” of a food (e.g., asparagus stalk, apple core). 

Data on the nonedible share are from the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, compiled by USDA’s Agricultural 

Research Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2007).

(b) “Cooking loss and uneaten food such as plate waste” from the 

edible share.
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Each commodity in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data has a spreadsheet posted on the ERS website that provides the loss assumptions used by 

ERS (www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption/FoodGuideIndex.htm). Each 

fruit and vegetable has a separate spreadsheet for each type of processing. 

For example, apples have spreadsheets for fresh, frozen, dehydrated/dried, 

and canned apples as well as a spreadsheet for apples made into juice. These 

loss estimates are sometimes called “conversion factors,” particularly when 

describing how a farm commodity is transformed into a consumer-ready 

product (e.g., fresh chicken to boneless fresh chicken). 

One of ERS’s long-term goals for the food availability data system is 

to rigorously update the loss assumptions of the Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data so that the data series replaces the food availability data as 

ERS’ premiere estimate for food consumption over time. ERS aims to update 

the loss estimates for each covered commodity for the most recent years of 

data available, and ascertain if any of these loss estimates have changed since 

1970, the fi rst year in the data series. If there have been changes, ERS plans 

to explore the reasons for these changes. 

Figure 1

Loss-adjusted food availability data for fresh apples, per capita, in 2005

1This 12-percent estimate is the estimate used prior to this study.

2MyPyramid equivalents can be thought of as “servings” needed to meet the dietary recommendations. 

See www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html for details. 

Loss from farm to retail: 4%

Farm weight: 17.1 lbs

Retail weight: 16.4 lbs

Consumer weight: 14.4 lbs

Loss-adjusted

quantity available:

Loss from retail to consumer: 12%1

Loss at consumer level: 29%

(includes spoilage, plate waste, 

and losses from inedible parts 

(stems and cores)

(1) 10.4 lbs available per year

(2) 0.5 oz (12.9 grams) per day 

(3) 6.9 calories available per day

(4) .122 MyPyramid equivalents available per day2
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The previous ERS estimates of food loss were documented to varying 

degrees, ranging from little to no documentation for the estimates at the retail 

level to well-documented estimates on the nonedible share for each food. 

Therefore, the objectives of this study were to obtain and document updated 

estimates of food loss at the retail level using supermarket loss estimates 

from the Perishables Group, Inc., as an estimate for food loss at the retail 

level even though the updated data do not include convenience stores, megastores, club stores, and mom-and-pop grocery stores. Because the previous 

estimates of retail food loss were so poorly documented, one well-documented estimate for each fresh food at supermarkets is an important improvement. The report also provides an analysis of how the updated loss estimates 

impact the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data.
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Data Collection and Analysis

The Perishables Group, Inc. (PG), an independent consulting fi rm in the 

fresh food industry, conducted the data collection, estimated the new loss 

factors, and analyzed the relationships between the new loss factors and the 

current activities and trends (e.g., consumer purchasing behaviors, in-store 

retail activities, such as product handling and industry supply chain activities) in the U.S. supermarket sector.1 The PG proprietary data represents 

point-of-sale data collected from conventional U.S. grocery store chains that 

have more than $2 million in sales annually. The chains include key national 

and regional retailers such as Safeway, Kroger, Albertson’s, and Ahold. As 

of May 2008, Perishables Group data represented 62.8 percent of the total 

grocery-channel dollars. The data omit the total grocery-channel dollars from 

independent grocers and retailers that do not report sales to syndicated data 

providers, including convenience stores, mom-and-pop grocery stores, mass 

retailers/club stores (Costco), and megastores (Walmart). The Perishables 

Group has a business alliance with Nielsen (formerly ACNielsen), which 

collects point-of-sale data from over 13,000 retail supermarkets across the 

United States. Nielsen provides sales data across the fi ve fresh departments 

(produce, bakery, meat, seafood, and deli) to PG, which has a customized 

data production process to effectively code and analyze data on food loss. 

The Perishables Group identifi ed the shipment data (supplier shipments to 

retailers) available in their proprietary data set appropriate for this analysis. 

In order to be used in the analysis sample, data from each store under 

consideration had to have both weekly shipment data on a particular food 

commodity (e.g., actual purchases, measured in pounds, of fresh boneless 

chicken breast shipments sent from a supplier to the store) and point-of-sale 

data on consumer purchases (e.g., scanner data showing the pounds of fresh 

boneless chicken breasts sold). Combined, these two types of information 

enabled the Perishables Group to match shipment data to purchase data 

so that percentage of food loss could be calculated as the residual for each 

fresh food commodity covered in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. 

The data sample includes information from over 600 stores from six large 

national and regional food retail chains that, combined, are located in all four 

U.S. regions—East, South, Central, and West. Data were collected for 2005 

and 2006 full calendar years. If the complete 2-year timeframe was not available for a specifi c retailer, the data within this time period were used. Four of 

the six retailers had complete data. For the two retailers missing some data 

(one was missing 2 months and the other 5 months), the Perishables Group 

did not extrapolate the data to a full year, but rather used the data “as is” to 

develop the averages. 

Retailer shipment and point-of-sale data were coded for the fresh commodities covered in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. Both the shipment 

data and the point-of-sale data are at the item level. For example, a 2-pound 

bag of fresh carrots would be identifi ed by its universal product code (UPC) 

and its purchase by a particular store. Therefore, the data can be aggregated 

to the appropriate product level at a particular store and a loss rate can be 

calculated. “Fresh carrots” consists of UPC-coded baby carrots, shredded 

carrots, and 1-, 3-, and 5-pound bags of whole carrots, plus whole carrots 

sold by random weight. The food-loss percentage was calculated as pounds 

 1The Perishables Group, Inc., 

conducted the research for the new 

food loss estimates under Grant No. 

53-3K06-06-0801).
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of a particular product that came into the store but were not sold (i.e., the 

“residual food loss”), divided by the pounds (or other appropriate unit) of 

that product that came into the store. This methodology yields actual, as 

opposed to estimated, loss rates and provides accurate tracking of food loss 

trends across fresh food categories. This methodology and the data sources 

offer the most accurate possible depiction of retail loss activity for fresh food 

items on a national level (both random-weight and UPC-coded items). These 

data are based on true aggregates of all store data, not projections. 

Retailer categories were aggregated where necessary to match food categories in the ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data as closely as possible, 

so that the new loss estimates could be incorporated later into the ERS data 

set. For example, data on all random-weight apples (e.g., Gala, Granny 

Smith, McIntosh, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious) were combined with 

UPC-coded apples to match the ERS category for “fresh apples.” UPC-coded 

apples included packaged apples sold in a bag or “value-added” ones such as 

presliced apples. Data were only used for apples by themselves, that is, the 

data did not include caramel or candy-coated apples or sliced apples mixed 

with other kinds of fruit. Fresh fruit mixtures were not included because the 

Perishables Group did not have data on the share or weight of the different 

fruits in each mixture. Sliced or otherwise minimally processed fresh apples 

were included if they were not mixed with other fruit and if they were still 

sold as fresh apples. Similarly, fresh vegetable mixtures were not included. 

Some aggregations required additional information gathering and decisionmaking between ERS and the Perishables Group, such as whether arugula 

should be included with the ERS group “romaine and leaf lettuce.” In each 

case, the goal was to have store purchase and store sales aggregates that were 

consistent with the foods in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. The 

end result was that the Perishables Group aggregated their data and provided 

new loss estimates for each of the fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry 

covered in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data plus estimates for all 

fi sh and all shellfi sh (see box, “Fresh Food Commodities Covered in the 

Perishables Group (PG) Data and Analysis”). 

The Perishables Group solicited additional qualitative loss and shipment data 

and insights for meat, poultry, and seafood (i.e., fi sh and shellfi sh, both farmraised and wild-caught) from more than 10 retailers via their current business 

relationships. Retailers did not track meat, poultry, and seafood shipment 

data as effectively as they tracked produce shipment data. Therefore, these 

departments did not have the same level of detail available as produce departments did. The Perishables Group developed and distributed a supporting 

study among their retail contacts to obtain additional insight on the food loss 

as it related to meat, poultry, and seafood.
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Fresh Food Commodities Covered in the Perishables Group (PG) Data and Analysis

Fruit Vegetables1 Meat, Poultry & Seafood

Oranges

Tangerines

Grapefruits

Lemons

Limes

Apples

Apricots

Avocados

Bananas

Blueberries

Cantaloups

Cherries

Cranberries

Grapes

Honeydew melons

Kiwis

Mangoes

Peaches

Pears

Pineapples

Papayas

Plums

Strawberries

Watermelons

Artichokes

Asparagus

Bell peppers

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Caulifl ower

Celery

Collard greens

Sweet corn

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Escarole/endive

Garlic

Head lettuce

Kale

Romaine and leaf 

lettuce

Mushrooms

Mustard greens

Okra

Onions

Potatoes

Pumpkins

Radishes

Snap beans

Spinach

Squash

Sweet potatoes

Tomatoes

Turnip greens

Red Meat

Beef

Veal

Pork

Lamb/Goat2

Poultry

Chicken

Turkey

Seafood

Fish

Shellfi sh

1 Lima bean data were not available from any of the retailers participating in the study.

2 A small portion of goat was included in the PG data for lamb. The PG estimates show that goat made up 0.12 percent of the lamb/goat 

category.

Source: Perishables Group fi nal report to ERS, September 28, 2007.
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Results

For each food group, this study presents the new loss estimates for 2005 and 

2006 from the Perishables Group, Inc., grant and then analyzes the updated 

Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data after ERS incorporated the 2005-06 

average supermarket loss estimate as an estimate for retail loss for each fresh 

food. The new supermarket loss estimates do not include loss in megastores, 

club stores, mom-and-pop grocery stores, or convenience stores. There 

are determinants of supermarket losses, such as product turnover, inherent 

product perishability (e.g., spoilage and moisture loss) and availability, and 

appropriate application of technologies to prevent product deterioration (e.g., 

refrigeration and produce-misting equipment). Loss rates may change over 

time as consumer demand changes, new products are introduced that broaden 

food choices, and new technologies are adopted by industry.

The study compared loss estimates for 2005 and 2006 data as a validation of 

methods used. Widely varying estimates in 2005 and 2006 for a particular 

fresh food could suggest that there is greater year-to-year variability in the 

loss estimates. Or, more importantly, widely varying estimates could mean 

that one of the estimates may be an outlier, and it should be considered more 

closely when deciding whether to use it to compute the 2005-06 average for 

inclusion as an estimate of the retail loss for that food in the Loss-Adjusted 

Food Availability data. However, 2 years of data are insuffi cient to make fi rm 

conclusions about increases or decreases in loss estimates. The study also 

compared the 2005-06 average loss estimates for each food group with the 

data used in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data.

Fresh Fruit

The overall average supermarket loss rate during 2005-06 varied considerably for individual commodities covered in the fresh fruit section. Average 

estimated food loss for fruit at the supermarket level decreased 2.3 percentage 

points from 10.7 percent in 2005 to 8.4 percent in 2006. One possible theory 

for this decreased loss could be the increased popularity of fresh-cut fruit. 

During the 52 weeks ending June 30, 2007, national average weekly sales of 

fresh-cut produce per store rose 8.3 percent from the previous year (Morley, 

2007). Fresh-cut produce is one of the fastest-growing categories in the 

produce department. Although fresh-cut fruit tends to have a shorter shelf life 

than other types of processed fruit and although more rinds, cores, etc., were 

trimmed away by supermarkets in preparing the fresh-cut fruit, the demand for 

fresh-cut fruit may have been suffi ciently high to reduce the total loss for fresh 

fruit. ERS used the 2005-06 average change because it provides a snapshot of 

what might potentially be a longer term trend, arising from a new technology 

or a change in demand, for example. On the other hand, changes could also 

refl ect some unidentifi ed fl uctuations in the data.

Blueberries had the lowest loss in 2006 (4.6 percent), though cherries had the 

lowest 2005-06 average loss (3.9 percent). Blueberries are typically sold in 

clear plastic clamshells, which prevent high food loss and allow for a longer 

shelf life. Over the past year, several new varieties of hardy blueberries have 

increased overall blueberry shelf life.
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Papayas had the highest loss in 2006 (51 percent) and for the 2005-06 

average (54.9 percent). Lack of consumer knowledge of when papaya is ripe, 

how to prepare it, and how to use it as an ingredient is key to high papaya 

loss. This lack of familiarity with the fruit may mean consumers are more 

hesitant when deciding whether to purchase papayas at the supermarket and 

as a result, the loss rate is higher.

The largest loss percentage-point decrease between 2006 and 2005 occurred 

in mangoes, with a 13.5-percentage-point decrease. However, the previous 

12-percent estimate used in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data lies 

in between the 21.2-percent 2005 estimate and the 7.7-percent 2006 estimate. This means that there is no information to support the theory that 

either of the two new estimates might be an outlier. Mangoes may simply 

be a fresh food item with great year-to-year variability. One theory about 

the decrease in estimated loss from 2005 to 2006 may be greater consumer 

awareness about how to select store, cut, and use mangoes. The National 

Mango Board introduced its marketing programs in early 2006 and selection and ripening were key message points. Mangos are very popular in the 

fresh-cut sector; as a result, the once-exotic tropical fruit is becoming more 

mainstream with consumers. The Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data 

Table 1

Supermarket loss estimates for fresh fruit 

 2005-06 

 percentage- 2005-06

Fruit 2005 2006 point change average

Percent Number Percent

Papayas 58.7 51.0 -7.7 54.9

Apricots 37.5 32.6 -5.0 35.1

Honeydew melons 20.9 24.6 3.7 22.8

Tangerines 19.5 21.4 1.9 20.4

Pears 19.7 15.4 -4.3 17.6

Plums 20.7 14.0 -6.7 17.3

Watermelons 18.7 14.9 -3.8 16.8

Pineapples 16.8 12.5 -4.3 14.6

Mangoes 21.2 7.7 -13.5 14.5

Grapefruits 12.9 12.8 -0.1 12.8

Kiwis 15.7 9.6 -6.0 12.7

Cantaloups 11.1 13.3 2.3 12.2

Peaches 14.8 9.1 -5.7 11.9

Oranges 12.8 10.3 -2.5 11.6

Strawberries 10.0 9.5 -0.4 9.8

Avocados 9.7 9.0 -0.7 9.3

Apples 9.5 7.8 -1.7 8.6

Limes 10.9 5.7 -5.2 8.3

Bananas 9.4 6.5 -2.8 8.0

Grapes 8.1 7.1 -1.0 7.6

Lemons 8.1 5.9 -2.2 7.0

Cranberries 7.1 4.8 -2.3 6.0

Blueberries 5.9 4.6 -1.3 5.2

Cherries 2.8 4.9 2.1 3.9

Average 10.7 8.4 -2.3 NA1

1When the impact of incorporating the new estimates on ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability 

data was analyzed, the estimate of the overall average supermarket loss for fresh fruit was 11.4 

percent.

Source: Adapted from the Perishables Group fi nal report to ERS, September 28, 2007.
9

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estimate that per capita availability for mangoes is still small compared with 

more popular fruits. Mango per capita availability increased more than 56 

percent between 1996 and 2006 from 0.55 pounds per year to .86 pounds 

per year. Meanwhile, signifi cant declines in loss also occurred for papayas, 

plums, kiwis, peaches, and limes. The decline in lime loss may be attributed 

to increased lime sales over the past year, especially within specifi c regions 

of the United States.

The largest loss percentage-point increase between 2005 and 2006 occurred 

for honeydew melons (3.7 percent) and cantaloups (2.3 percent). These 

increases are small and do not suggest that there were outliers in the new 

data. Honeydew and cantaloup quality often varies from year to year based 

on crop conditions. Increased loss of these two products could be due to a 

lower quality crop in 2006. ERS used the 2005-06 average loss for each fresh 

food, and this reduced the impact of a single low-quality crop year of these 

melons on the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data.

Both apples and bananas had declines in loss from 2005 to 2006 (1.7 and 2.8 

percent, respectively), a portion of which can be attributed to the use of new 

postharvest technology that better controls ripening and rotting. According 

to the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data, Americans consume more fresh 

apples and bananas than any other fresh fruits. 

Next, ERS used the 2005-06 estimated average supermarket losses for each 

type of fruit in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data to see how these 

estimates would change the per capita estimates of the food available for 

consumers to take home from retail stores. One important concept to understand here is that the updated per capita commodity estimates (after incorporating the Perishables Group loss estimates) represent the loss-adjusted food 

available for consumption at the retail level and that additional consumerlevel losses (e.g., plate waste at home and away from home) are accounted 

for later in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data to calculate the fi nal 

estimates of food available for consumption. 

Table 2 shows that the total impact of using the 2005-06 average Perishables 

Group estimates from table 1 for all fruit was small, with less than 1-pound 

difference (.67 pounds or 0.6 percent) in the fruit available at the retail level 

in 2005. Overall, ERS estimates that the average loss rate for 2005-06 for 

fresh fruit at this level was 11.4 percent (not shown), compared with 12 

percent for the previous assumptions in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability 

data. The similarity in these two estimates suggests that the previous estimates for fresh fruit in the ERS data series were reasonable, despite the lack 

of documentation.

The greatest positive impacts were observed for fresh bananas, apples, and 

grapes, largely because consumption of these fruits accounts for a large share 

of total fruit consumption and because the PG estimates of food loss for these 

commodities were substantially lower than the 12-percent estimate previously used for each fruit in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. Some 

fruits, such as kiwis, peaches, and cranberries, saw little to no change in the 

levels of fruit available at the retail level. For some fruits, such as watermelons, papayas, tangerines, and honeydew melons, the per capita annual 
10

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Table 2

Comparison of ERS and Perishable Group (PG) estimates of annual fresh fruit loss at the retail/

institutional level (per capita)

Commodity Retail 

weight1

Percent loss from retail/

institutional level to 

consumer level

Percent 

difference 

between ERS 

and PG 

estimates

Pounds of commodity 

available at the 

consumer level

Difference 

in pounds 

between 

ERS and 

PG 

estimates

ERS

estimates

PG 

estimates ERS estimate PG estimate

Pounds Percent Pounds

Fresh bananas 25.1 12.0 8.0 -4.0 22.1 23.1 1.01

Fresh apples 16.2 12.0 8.6 -3.4 14.3 14.8 0.55

Fresh grapes 7.8 12.0 7.6 -4.4 6.9 7.2 0.34

Fresh lemons 2.8 12.0 7.0 -5.0 2.5 2.6 0.14

Fresh strawberries 5.4 12.0 9.8 -2.2 4.7 4.8 0.12

Fresh avocados 3.1 12.0 9.3 -2.7 2.7 2.8 0.08

Fresh limes 2.0 12.0 8.3 -3.7 1.8 1.9 0.08

Fresh cherries 0.8 12.0 3.9 -8.1 0.7 0.8 0.06

Fresh oranges 11.1 12.0 11.6 -0.4 9.7 9.8 0.05

Fresh blueberries 0.4 12.0 5.2 -6.8 0.4 0.4 0.03

Fresh cranberries 0.1 12.0 6.0 -6.0 0.1 0.1 0.01

Fresh peaches 4.5 12.0 11.9 -0.1 4.0 4.0 0.00

Fresh kiwis 0.4 12.0 12.7 0.7 0.4 0.4 0.00

Fresh cantaloups 9.3 12.0 12.2 0.2 8.2 8.2 -0.02

Fresh grapefruits 2.6 12.0 12.8 0.8 2.3 2.2 -0.02

Fresh apricots 0.1 12.0 35.1 23.1 0.1 0.1 -0.03

Fresh mangoes 1.8 12.0 14.5 2.5 1.6 1.5 -0.04

Fresh plums 1.1 12.0 17.3 5.3 0.9 0.9 -0.06

Fresh pineapples 4.7 12.0 14.6 2.6 4.1 4.0 -0.12

Fresh pears 2.8 12.0 17.6 5.6 2.4 2.3 -0.15

Fresh honeydew 

melons 1.7 12.0 22.8 10.8 1.5 1.4 -0.19

Fresh tangerines 2.3 12.0 20.4 8.4 2.1 1.9 -0.20

Fresh papayas 0.9 12.0 54.9 42.9 0.8 0.4 -0.38

Fresh watermelons 12.4 12.0 16.8 4.8 10.9 10.3 -0.59

Total selected 119.4 ----- ----- ----- 105.1 105.8 0.67

1Retail weight from ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data for 2005. 

Source: Computed by authors using Perishables Group data and ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data.
11

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estimates of fruit available at the retail level declined because the PG estimates were notably larger than the baseline 12-percent estimate.

Fresh Vegetables

Table 3 shows how the average supermarket loss for the different varieties of 

fresh vegetables varied during 2005-06. Estimated food loss for vegetables at 

the supermarket level decreased 1.9 percentage points from 10.3 percent in 

2005 to 8.4 percent in 2006. 

Sweet corn’s low loss in both 2005 and 2006 (0.6 percent) may be attributed to its limited seasonal availability, mostly from mid-summer to the fi rst 

frost. Consumers actively purchase corn during this limited season, which 

results in limited loss at the store level. Also, most fresh sweet corn is sold 

in its husk, which may protect the corn from damage and may suggest that 

any spoilage might not be apparent until the husk is removed. New packaging innovation has also increased shelf life for sweet corn, as it has for 

some other vegetables. For example, tomatoes have seen declines in loss 

due to improved clamshell packaging and the introduction of varieties with 

improved shelf life.

The highest loss was for fresh mustard greens, with a 2005-06 average of 

63.6 percent. A general lack of consumer knowledge of the product and its 

preparation may contribute to this high loss. The demand for fresh mustard 

greens is relatively low compared with the demand for frozen mustard 

greens. That is, consumers who typically buy mustard greens purchase them 

frozen. Although the new average loss estimate for mustard greens is far 

higher than the 12-percent ERS estimate, it was relatively similar in magnitude in 2005 (66.6 percent) and 2006 (60.7 percent). This means that there is 

no information about whether either of the new estimates are outliers. 

Other vegetables with high loss levels included escarole/endive, turnip 

greens, kale, and collard greens. Leafy greens are relatively more prone 

to moisture loss than many other types of produce and hence tend to have 

higher loss levels. Despite the massive spinach recall that occurred in 

September 2006 due to contamination with E. coli O157:H7, spinach loss 

remained constant in 2006 versus 2005. The recalled spinach shipments were 

not used in the loss calculations. Spinach sales were limited during the month 

following the recall. 

Other information gleaned from retailers by the Perishables Group included 

the observation that head lettuce realized a slight spoilage decline, partly 

because many retailers reduced shelf space of head lettuce. By reducing shelf 

space and inventory, retailers increased turnover of the product, reducing its 

time on the shelf. Another observation by the retailers is that red and yellow 

bell peppers typically have higher loss than green peppers. They believe 

this is due to lower prices for green peppers that make them relatively more 

attractive to consumers when deciding which peppers to buy. Nevertheless, 

more people are purchasing bell peppers in general, thus attributing to the 

decline in loss. 

The largest loss percentage-point decrease between 2005 and 2006 occurred 

in collard greens—a 10.6-percentage-point improvement. We do not have a 
12

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Table 3

Supermarket loss estimates for fresh vegetables

Vegetable 2005 2006

2005-06 

percentagepoint change

2005-06 

average

Percent Number Percent

Mustard greens 66.6 60.7 -5.9 63.6

Escarole/endive 47.6 47.8 0.2 47.7

Turnip greens 39.1 42.9 3.8 41.0

Kale 42.1 36.3 -5.8 39.2

Collard greens 42.8 32.2 -10.6 37.5

Okra 22.9 25.9 2.9 24.4

Eggplant 21.5 21.2 -0.3 21.3

Radishes 22.4 19.6 -2.8 21.0

Artichokes 19.8 18.8 -1.1 19.3

Brussel sprouts 20.1 17.4 -2.8 18.8

Snap beans 19.2 17.9 -1.2 18.6

Spinach 14.4 14.4 0.0 14.4

Sweet potatoes 15.2 13.2 -2.0 14.2

Cabbage 16.4 11.8 -4.6 14.1

Caulifl ower 12.9 15.1 2.1 14.0

Romaine and leaf lettuce 14.6 13.3 -1.3 13.9

Tomatoes 14.4 12.0 -2.3 13.2

Mushrooms 14.2 11.2 -3.1 12.7

Squash 12.5 12.4 0.0 12.5

Broccoli 12.5 11.4 -1.0 12.0

Pumpkins 12.7 9.8 -2.9 11.2

Onions 12.0 7.5 -4.5 9.8

Asparagus 10.8 8.0 -2.8 9.4

Head lettuce 9.1 8.3 -0.8 8.7

Bell peppers 9.7 5.8 -3.9 7.8

Garlic 9.8 5.0 -4.8 7.4

Potatoes 7.4 5.6 -1.7 6.5

Cucumbers 6.5 5.7 -0.8 6.1

Carrots 6.2 4.1 -2.2 5.1

Celery 5.9 4.3 -1.5 5.1

Sweet corn 0.6 0.6 0.0 0.6

Average 10.3 8.4 -1.9 NA1

1When the impact of incorporating the new estimates on ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability 

data was estimated, the overall average supermarket loss or shrinkage for fresh vegetables 

was 9.7 percent.

Source: Adapted from the Perishables Group fi nal report to ERS, September 28, 2007. 
13

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Table 4

Comparison of ERS and Perishable Group (PG) estimates of annual fresh vegetable loss at the retail/

institutional level (per capita)

Commodity Retail 

weight1

Percent loss from retail/

institutional level to 

consumer level

Percent 

difference 

between 

ERS and PG 

estimates

Pounds of commodity 

available at the 

consumer level

Difference 

in pounds 

between 

ERS and 

PG 

estimates

ERS

estimates

PG 

estimates

ERS 

estimate

PG 

estimate

Pounds Percent Pounds

Fresh potatoes 40.3 12.0 6.5 -5.5 35.4 37.7 2.22

Fresh sweet corn 8.0 12.0 0.6 -11.4 7.1 8.0 0.92

Fresh head lettuce 19.4 12.0 8.7 -3.3 17.0 17.7 0.63

Fresh carrots 8.4 12.0 5.1 -6.9 7.4 8.0 0.58

Fresh onions 19.6 12.0 9.8 -2.2 17.2 17.7 0.44

Fresh celery 5.4 12.0 5.1 -6.9 4.8 5.2 0.38

Fresh cucumbers 5.8 12.0 6.1 -5.9 5.1 5.4 0.34

Fresh bell peppers 6.4 12.0 7.8 -4.2 5.7 5.9 0.27

Fresh garlic 1.9 12.0 7.4 -4.6 1.7 1.8 0.09

Fresh pumpkin 4.5 12.0 11.2 -0.8 4.0 4.0 0.03

Fresh broccoli 5.1 12.0 12.0 0.0 4.5 4.5 0.00

Fresh asparagus 1.0 12.0 9.4 -2.6 0.9 0.9 0.03

Fresh squash 4.0 12.0 12.5 0.5 3.5 3.5 -0.02

Fresh mushrooms 2.4 12.0 12.7 0.7 2.1 2.1 -0.02

Fresh caulifl ower 1.4 12.0 14.0 2.0 1.2 1.2 -0.03

Fresh Brussels sprouts 0.3 12.0 18.8 6.8 0.2 0.2 -0.02

Fresh spinach 2.1 12.0 14.4 2.4 1.8 1.8 -0.05

Fresh tomatoes 17.0 12.0 13.2 1.2 14.9 14.7 -0.20

Fresh artichokes 0.6 12.0 19.3 7.3 0.5 0.5 -0.04

Fresh radishes 0.5 12.0 21.0 9.0 0.4 0.4 -0.04

Fresh okra 0.4 12.0 24.4 12.4 0.4 0.3 -0.05

Fresh sweet potatoes 4.3 12.0 14.2 2.2 3.8 3.7 -0.09

Fresh eggplant 0.8 12.0 21.3 9.3 0.7 0.6 -0.08

Fresh cabbage 7.4 12.0 14.1 2.1 6.5 6.4 -0.15

Fresh escarole and endive 0.2 12.0 47.7 35.7 0.2 0.1 -0.09

Fresh Romaine and 

leaf lettuce 9.8 12.0 13.9 1.9 8.6 8.4 -0.19

Fresh kale 0.3 12.0 39.2 27.2 0.3 0.2 -0.09

Fresh snap beans 1.7 12.0 18.6 6.6 1.5 1.4 -0.11

Fresh turnip greens 0.4 12.0 41.0 29.0 0.3 0.2 -0.11

Fresh collard greens 0.5 12.0 37.5 25.5 0.4 0.3 -0.12

Fresh mustard greens 0.4 12.0 63.6 51.6 0.3 0.1 -0.20

Total selected 180.3 12.0 ----- ----- 158.7 162.9 4.23

1Retail weight from ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data for 2005. 

Source: Computed by authors using Perishables Group data and ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data.
14

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theory on this change but, like the mustard greens fi nding, both collard green 

estimates (42.8 percent in 2005 and 32.2 percent in 2006) were much higher 

than the ERS baseline estimate of 12 percent so there is no information on 

whether either estimate is an outlier. In general, collard greens are best eaten 

when the leaves are older, allowing the product to have longer shelf life. 

The largest loss percentage-point increase was in turnip greens (3.8-percent 

increase). In general, the high loss rate for turnip greens can be partly based 

on the lack of high-quality packaging. Turnip greens need to be refrigerated 

promptly after harvest in order to retain their moisture content and stay fresh. 

When ERS used the 2005-06 average supermarket losses for fresh vegetables 

in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data, the total impact for all fresh 

vegetables in 2005 was a 4.2-pound (2.7-percent) increase in the fresh vegetables available at the retail level, per capita, over the course of a year (table 

4). Overall, ERS estimates that the average loss rate for 2005-06 for fresh 

vegetables at the supermarket level was 9.7 percent (not shown), compared 

with 12 percent for the previous assumptions in the Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data. Although these estimates are not as close as they were 

for fruit, they are still similar and this suggests that the previous estimates 

for fresh fruit in the ERS data series were reasonable, despite the lack of 

documentation.

The greatest positive impacts on per capita consumption estimates were 

observed for potatoes, sweet corn, and head lettuce—once again largely 

because consumption of these commodities accounts for a large share of 

total vegetable consumption and because the new estimates of food loss 

were substantially lower than the 12-percent estimate previously used for 

each vegetable in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. Most of the 

fresh vegetables saw less than a 0.1-pound change in the level of vegetables 

available at retail outlets (per capita) over the course of a year. These small 

changes were mostly due to their relatively small share of total fresh vegetable consumption.

Fresh Meat, Poultry, and Seafood

Table 5 shows how the loss rates for the different types of fresh meat, 

poultry, and seafood varied during 2005-06. Meat and poultry had a slight 

0.3-percentage-point (rounded) increase in loss between 2005 (4.3 percent) 

and 2006 (4.5 percent). 

Veal had the highest 2005-06 average loss in the meat, poultry, and seafood 

group. Historically, veal and lamb have signifi cantly higher loss than other 

proteins. They represent a small percentage of the overall meat category in 

terms of dollars and volume. According to the Perishables Group’s discussions with retailers, the retailers feel that veal is an item that they must 

offer to consumers to enhance the perception of variety in the meat department even though relatively few consumers purchase it. Some consumers, 

however, do purchase veal routinely or for special-occasion meals. Although 

veal realized the highest percentage-point increase (4.7 percent) in loss 

between 2005 (23 percent) and 2006 (27.8 percent) of the fresh foods in table 

5, in absolute terms, the 2006 estimate for veal was only 20 percent higher 
15

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than the 2005 estimate. This difference does not provide evidence that either 

estimate might be an outlier. 

While lamb remains one of the highest loss categories, its loss decreased by 

over 3 percentage points between 2005 and 2006. Retailers indicated to the 

Perishables Group that they feel they must offer lamb to consumers, just as 

they offer veal. Consumers are often unclear on how to prepare lamb and 

therefore decide not to buy it. Lamb is more likely than some other meats not 

to be sold before its expiration date. Fewer lamb products are typically available to consumers, compared with other meats, and some consumers forgo 

purchasing lamb if a desired cut is not available. But lamb trimming and 

processing practices have changed over time to provide cuts that more closely 

meet consumer demand and this may have attributed to the lower loss.

Beef, with one of the relatively lower loss numbers, realized a slight increase 

from 4.3 percent in 2005 to 4.4 percent in 2006. During discussions with 

the Perishables Group, one explanation given by retailers for the increase in 

beef loss was that more retailers have introduced case-ready beef prepared at 

satellite centers or packing plants instead of prepared in the butcher section 

of the store. These retailers claim that some consumers may be hesitant to 

purchase some case-ready products. A reduction in the amount of regrinding 

that ground-beef products undergo may have also attributed to the increase 

in beef loss. Retailers now record items as out of code and dispose of the 

product at that time. When meat departments were doing more cutting, they 

would often pull less expensive cuts of meat from the counter prior to the 

Table 5

Supermarket loss estimates for fresh meat, poultry, and seafood1

Meat/Poultry/Seafood 2005 2006

2005-06 

percentagepoint change

2005-06 

average

Percent Number Percent

Veal 23.0 27.8 4.7 25.4

Lamb/goat 14.0 10.6 -3.3 12.3

Pork 4.1 4.6 0.6 4.4

Beef 4.3 4.4 0.1 4.3

Chicken 3.7 4.2 0.5 4.0

Turkey 3.4 3.5 0.2 3.5

Average 4.3 4.5 0.3 NA2

Shellfi sh 9.4 9.2 -0.2 9.3

Fish 8.8 8.6 -0.2 8.7

Average 9.1 8.9 -0.2 NA3

1Numbers may not total due to rounding.

2A small portion of goat was included in the Perishables Group data for lamb although goat 

is not included in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. The PG data estimates that goat 

made up 0.12 percent of this category.

3When the impact of incorporating the new estimates on ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability 

data was analyzed, the overall average supermarket loss or shrinkage for fresh meat, poultry, 

and seafood was estimated to be 4.5 percent.

Source: Perishables Group fi nal report to ERS, September 28, 2007.
16

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cuts going out of code and add those products to their grind mixture for 

ground beef.

While overall meat, poultry, and seafood loss is low compared with the losses 

of fresh fruit and vegetables, increased loss of all protein foods can be attributed to the growth in the variety of products available in supermarkets over 

the past few years. As consumers look for new fl avors, different cuts, and 

more convenient options (e.g., chicken presented as sliced tenders or boneless 

breasts), the number of unique meat products carried by a retailer increases. 

This requires more effort by stores to manage inventory and shelf space. 

Turkey has the smallest 2005-06 average loss of the meat, poultry, and 

seafood categories. Turkey is often shipped frozen and is displayed and sold 

in partially frozen form, increasing shelf life. 

Fish and shellfi sh loss decreased slightly between 2005 and 2006. Part of 

this decrease may be the result of a growing consumer awareness of seafood 

preparation and cooking techniques, which has increased seafood purchases 

outside of traditional products. Seafood loss also varies by retailer and is 

based on several factors. Consumer relationships with employees working at 

the retailer’s fresh seafood service case may result in the employees sharing 

information about cooking practices involving different types of seafood 

options. This interaction makes consumers more inclined to purchase nontraditional seafood varieties. However, retailers with seafood service cases 

typically have higher loss numbers for seafood than those with packaged fi sh 

only. A growing number of stores are offering prepared seafood products, 

such as heat-and-serve fully cooked seafood entrées and appetizers. These 

products typically have a longer shelf life than fresh seafood.

When the new supermarket loss estimates for meat, poultry, and seafood 

were incorporated in the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data in place of the 

previous 7-percent estimate for the loss at the retail level, the total annual per 

capita amount of these foods available for consumption at the retail level in 

2005 increased 4.8 pounds per year (table 6). This is roughly a 2.7-percent 

increase. Overall, the average loss rate for 2005-06 for fresh meat, poultry, 

and seafood at the supermarket level was 4.5 percent (not shown), compared 

with the 7-percent assumption previously used in the Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data. This 2.5-percentage-point difference between 4.5 percent 

and 7 percent is small, suggesting the previous ERS estimate was reasonable.

In the meat, poultry, and seafood category, the greatest changes in per capita 

consumption for individual commodities were for chicken, beef, and pork. 

These are the three leading meats with the highest share of total estimated 

consumption for this food group. The relatively high loss estimates for lamb 

and veal each had little impact on the per capita estimate for those meats—a 

change of less than one-tenth of 1 pound over the course of the year.
17

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Table 6

Comparison of ERS and Perishable Group (PG) estimates of annual fresh meat, poultry, and seafood loss 

at the retail/institutional level (per capita)

Commodity Retail 

weight1

Percent loss from retail/

institutional level to 

consumer level

Percent 

difference 

between 

ERS and PG 

estimates

Pounds of commodity 

available at the 

consumer level

Difference 

in pounds 

between 

ERS and 

PG 

estimates

ERS

estimates

PG 

estimates

ERS 

estimate

PG 

estimate

Pounds Percent Pounds

Chicken 60.4 7.0 4.0 -3.0 56.2 58.0 1.83

Beef 62.4 7.0 4.3 -2.7 58.0 59.7 1.66

Pork 46.5 7.0 4.4 -2.6 43.2 44.5 1.23

Turkey 13.1 7.0 3.5 -3.5 12.2 12.7 0.47

Lamb 0.8 7.0 12.3 5.3 0.7 0.7 -0.04

Veal 0.4 7.0 25.4 18.4 0.4 0.3 -0.07

Fish 6.1 7.0 8.7 1.7 5.6 5.5 -0.10

Shellfi sh 5.5 7.0 9.3 2.3 5.1 5.0 -0.12

Total selected 195.1 ----- ----- ----- 181.5 186.3 4.84

1Boneless-equivalent or edible weight at the retail level from ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data for 2005.

Source: Computed by authors using Perishables Group data and ERS Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data.
18

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Discussion

The average loss rates for 2005-06 for individual commodities varied from 

0.6 percent for sweet corn to 63.6 percent for mustard greens. When ERS 

incorporated the new loss estimates in the existing Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data, the impact on the per capita estimates varied broadly 

among commodities within a food group (e.g., all fresh fruit). The largest 

annual impacts, per capita, were for fresh potatoes, chicken, beef, pork, 

bananas, and sweet corn—all of which have high consumption shares for 

their respective food groups.

For many commodities, loss has declined over time due to several different 

factors, such as:

• improved packaging (e.g., plastic clam shells)

• improved ordering systems

• more frequent deliveries

• increased product handling training for in-store personnel

• improved temperature-control tracking

• introduction of produce varieties with improved shelf life

In some cases, loss increased for particular subcategories (e.g., leafy greens, 

citrus fruit) within a larger food group (e.g., vegetables, fruit), partly due 

to the introduction of a greater number of competing segments or items 

within a food subcategory. The presence of more segments/items can often 

increase the loss for a subcategory because of the larger number of products 

competing for consumers’ food dollars. For example, while packaged salads 

typically have a longer shelf life than head lettuce, loss of packaged salads is 

often higher due to the number of varieties available, as well as an increase 

in promotions for specifi c packaged salads. Both factors inadvertently raise 

sales of some products at the expense of others.

Future work is needed to update the remaining loss estimates at the retail 

level for commodities that were not included in the Perishables Group grant 

but are part of the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data. Examples include: 

canned, frozen, or dried fruits and vegetables and juice made from them; 

added fats and oils; added sweeteners; grain products; and dairy products. 

Future work can investigate what is included in supermarket food loss. In 

addition to loss due to spoilage and moisture loss, what portions are thrown 

out, fed to animals, or given to food banks? Food consumed through food 

banks should not be considered as food loss in the Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data. 

Once ERS has updated all the food loss assumptions in the data series, ERS 

can more accurately estimate the magnitude of such losses at the: 

(1) farm-to-retail level

(2) retail level

(3) consumer level
19

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ERS will also be able to estimate the losses by commodity and commodity 

group. This information, combined with estimates of recovery costs, can 

be used to identify potential priority areas for food-loss reduction and food 

recovery to help reduce food insecurity. One implication of these updated 

loss estimates is that the amount of food loss at the supermarket level is 

slightly lower than previous estimates. This means the amount of food potentially available for charitable donations would be somewhat lower.

Updated food loss assumptions will help us more accurately estimate what is 

available for consumption, which is used as an estimate for actual consumption. This information is important for policymaking. Better estimates 

of food consumption for different foods and food groups can be used to 

more accurately calculate how well Americans are meeting Federal dietary 

recommendations.

The study found that for the commodities it examined, new supermarket loss 

estimates using the Perishables Group data averaged 11.4 percent for fresh 

fruit; 9.7 percent for fresh vegetables; and 4.5 percent for fresh meat, poultry, 

and seafood during 2005-06. In each case, these averages are slightly smaller 

than the previous estimates used in the ERS data (i.e., 12 percent for the fresh 

fruit; 12 percent for fresh vegetables; and 7 percent for fresh meat, poultry, 

and seafood). Although the direction of these differences is consistent with 

the notion that the food industry has adopted ways to reduce fresh food loss 

since the fi rst ERS estimates for retail loss were developed in the late 1990s, 

the magnitude of these differences is less than or equal to 2.5 percentage 

points for each of the three fresh food groups. Having more individualized 

and documented estimates for each fresh food commodity going back to 

1970 for the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data is an important improvement, even if the actual estimates of loss in the early years may be slightly 

higher in some cases (i.e., prior to the development and use of technological 

improvements and more hardy produce varieties). Additionally, a search for 

potential outliers among the 2005 and 2006 estimates did not reveal evidence 

that any of the individual estimates should be excluded. Therefore, ERS 

adopted the new 2005-06 average loss estimates for each fresh food as substitutes for the respective estimates of the retail loss in the Loss-Adjusted Food 

Availability data. 

The most important fi nding for ERS is that incorporating the Perishables 

Group’s estimates of supermarket loss had little total impact on the LossAdjusted Food Availability estimates of the amount of these commodities 

that consumers can take home from retail stores over the course of a year. 

Using the new loss estimates increased our estimates of per capita availability at the retail level in 2005 of fresh fruit by 0.7 pounds (0.6 percent); 

fresh vegetables by 4.2 pounds (2.7 percent); and fresh meat, poultry, and 

seafood by 4.8 pounds (2.7 percent). Dividing these estimates by 365 days to 

estimate the impact per capita per day results in very small numbers. 
20

Supermarket Loss Estimates for Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Poultry, and Seafood... / EIB-44

Economic Research Service/USDA

References

Buzby, Jean C., Hodan Farah Wells, and Gary Vocke. November 2006. 

Possible Implications for U.S. Agriculture From Adoption of Select Dietary 

Guidelines, USDA, Economic Research Service, ERR-31, available at: 

www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR31/

Morley, Lynn. October 2007. “Fresh-Cut Sales Continue to Rise,” Produce 

Merchandising, Vol. 92.

Nord, Mark, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson. November 2007. 

Household Food Security in the United States, 2006, USDA, Economic 

Research Service, ERR-49, available at: 

www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err49/

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2007. 

National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, accessed November 21, 

2007 at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2009. ERS 

Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data updates are available at:

www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FoodConsumption/FoodGuideIndex.htm/