The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates the amount, value, and calories of food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States. 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. While ERS developed the Loss-Adjusted Food Availability (LAFA) data series to monitor food intake and diet quality, the food loss estimates have been used to inform the discussion of food loss and food waste. Using the LAFA data, ERS researchers calculated that in the United States, 31 percent—or 133 billion pounds—of the 430 billion pounds of the available food supply at the retail and consumer levels in 2010 went uneaten. The estimated value of this food loss was $161.6 billion using retail prices. ERS also estimated the calories associated with food loss: 141 trillion in 2010, or 1,249 calories per capita per day. The top three food groups in terms of share of total value of food loss are meat, poultry, and fish (30 percent); vegetables (19 percent); and dairy products (17 percent). In addition to presenting ERS’ estimates of food loss, Dr. Buzby will also provide the latest information on ERS’ efforts to improve the data and research on food loss, such as obtaining updated estimates of supermarket food loss estimates for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood in the United States. She will also summarize findings from an ERS-sponsored National Academies workshop on the ERS’ Food Availability Data System (which contains the LAFA data series) and ERS’ food loss estimates.