USDA Probes Why U.S. Households Toss So Much Food—and Why
Published Date: 1/23/2026
Notice
Summary
The USDA wants your thoughts on a new study that looks at how much food U.S. households waste, why, and how it relates to things like income and shopping habits. This info will help create better estimates and tools to predict food waste for different types of families. If you have ideas or concerns, send them in by March 24, 2026—your input matters and helps shape smarter food policies!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Study Will Update Food Waste Estimates Used By SNAP
The study will collect data to update household food waste estimates and build a predictive model; the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) — which the notice says is used to set maximum monthly SNAP benefits — relies on understanding household food waste. The study's objectives include producing updated food waste estimates overall and by food category and linking them to household characteristics like household income and per-capita food-at-home expenditure.
Households May Be Contacted to Track Food Waste
The USDA will mail recruitment materials to 12,600 sampled households in the contiguous U.S. with a USPS address and expects about 1,008 households to complete the consent form and pre-screening. The study aims to enroll 900 households for a household survey and 12 weeks of digital food diaries, with up to 70 households doing wastebin audits and 80 doing indepth interviews; participation activities range from 1 minute to 240 minutes and average 0.22 hours per response.
Focus on Standard Four‑Person Household
The study focuses on providing updated food waste estimates with attention to a standard four-person household (one adult man aged 20-50, one adult woman aged 20-50, one child aged 9-11, and one child aged 6-8). If you are a parent or guardian of children, the study’s baseline estimates will emphasize this household type when updating the Thrifty Food Plan inputs.
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