The Value of Retail- and Consumer-Level Fruit and Vegetable Losses in the United States

Food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States includes 14.8 billion pounds of fruit and 23.4 billion pounds of vegetables, valued at $15.1 billion and $27.7 billion, respectively, in 2008 retail market prices. The total value of these losses is $42.8 billion per year, or roughly $...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of consumer affairs 2011-09, Vol.45 (3), p.492-515
Main Authors: BUZBY, JEAN C., HYMAN, JEFFREY, STEWART, HAYDEN, WELLS, HODAN F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Canned foods industry
Canning industry
Citrus fruits
Consumerism
Consumers
Food
Food availability
Food consumption
Food economics
Food security
Food supply
Food systems
Food wastes
Fruit industry
Grapes
International economic relations
Markets
OTHER RESEARCH IN THE CONSUMER INTEREST
Prices
Produce industry
Retail industry
Retail trade
Retailing
Studies
Tomatoes
United States
Vegetables
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Summary:Food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States includes 14.8 billion pounds of fruit and 23.4 billion pounds of vegetables, valued at $15.1 billion and $27.7 billion, respectively, in 2008 retail market prices. The total value of these losses is $42.8 billion per year, or roughly $141 per capita. To most efficiently reduce the annual food loss, it may be beneficial to focus efforts on the four fruits (fresh apples, grapes, peaches and strawberries) and four vegetables (fresh and canned tomatoes and fresh and frozen potatoes) that have the greatest amount of loss.
ISSN:0022-0078
1745-6606
DOI:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2011.01214.x