Recent Trends in the Nutritional Quality of Food Banks’ Food and Beverage Inventory: Case Studies of Six California Food Banks

Abstract

The study objective was to examine trends in the nutritional quality of emergency foods. Inventory data were obtained from 6 California food banks for 2007 to 2010. We found a substantial increase over this period in fresh fruit and vegetable donations, which, by 2010, comprised over half of the weight of total inventory. Opportunities for further improvements in the nutritional quality of food bank inventory were identified. Over half of the vegetables obtained by food banks were less nutrient-dense varieties. Though snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages contributed a small percentage of the total inventory weight, they contributed substantial calories. Improvements needed in inventory monitoring are discussed in light of recent interest in nutrition policies among food banks.

Keywords:

• food insecurity
• emergency food programs
• obesity
• hunger
• food bank

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the study's advisory committee members including Paula Brewer, State of New York Department of Health; Marla Feldman, MAZON: a Jewish Response to Hunger; Michael Flood, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank; Kenneth Hecht, California Food Policy Advocates; Kim Prendergast, Karmana Consulting for Feeding America; Sue Sigler, California Association of Food Banks; and Elisa Wong, Kaiser Permanente. Thanks to Sheila Stern for editorial review of the manuscript. This research was supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Healthy Eating Research program.