The gap between food intakes and the Pyramid recommendations: measurement and food system ramifications

This paper measures the current gap in food consumption between dietary gui delines and estimated food intakes. Information on the adherence of the US diet to the guidelines comes from two sources: the Continuing Survey of Foo d Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) and the USDA's annual Food Supply Data (FS D) Series. We review previous studies and supplement these with our own ana lysis of the 1994 CSFII and Food Supply data with Food Guide Pyramid servin g recommendations. These analyses show that the greatest relative gaps occu r in the fruit and dairy groups, and added sugars; smaller gaps exist for t he other food groups. We also consider how future demographic changes will influence the size of these gaps. If current dietary patterns are maintaine d in each category of age, sex, and ethnicity, then we project substantial future increases in the gap at the aggregate food supply level for most foo d groups. The magnitude of the gap between current intakes and the Pyramid recommendations suggests the need for continued increases in agricultural p roductivity, higher resource use, and greater levels of international trade if the gap is to be closed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.