New Research Finds Wide Disparity In Food Costs Throughout The Nation

CHICAGO, Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap 2015 study finds many low-income communities that are home to a significant number of food-insecure households have higher-than-average food costs.

"In other words, many of the people we serve not only struggle to make ends meet, but they are also forced to spend more of their meager dollars to put food on the table than much of the rest of the country," said Matt Knott, president of Feeding America.

Map the Meal Gap 2015 estimates the relative cost of an average meal for each county in the nation based on data provided by Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global provider of information and insights.

Among the study's findings:

• The lowest meal cost is $1.97, in Maverick County, Texas.
• The highest meal cost is $5.01, in Crook County, Oregon.
• The meal-cost data demonstrates that 26.4 million food-insecure people live in areas where food costs are higher than the national average.

Nielsen analyzed nationwide sales data from Universal Product Code (UPC)-coded food items to establish a relative price index that allows for comparisons of food prices across the country.  Nielsen assigned each UPC-coded food item to one of the 26 food categories in the USDA Thrifty Food Plan (TFP). These categories were weighted within the TFP market basket based on pounds purchased per week by age and gender. This total market basket was then translated into a county-specific multiplier (normalized to a value of 1). This price index enables Feeding America to provide local estimates for meal cost, food budget shortfall and meal gap.

This information allows food banks and anti-hunger advocates to better understand and communicate the level of need and the challenges facing food-insecure families in their communities.

Map the Meal Gap is a study conducted annually by Feeding America. Map the Meal Gap 2015 is the fifth year this data has been compiled. It provides estimates of food insecurity and child food insecurity at both the county and congressional district levels.

According to data from the Current Population Survey, food-insecure individuals in 2013 (the most recent year for which data is available) reported needing, on average, an additional $16.28 per person per week.

To calculate the weekly food budget shortfall per food-insecure person for each county, the researchers multiply $16.28 by the relative price index for that county, and are thereby able to calculate the local food budget shortfall.

Also according to CPS data, the research finds that food-secure individuals spend an average of $2.79 per meal, which we multiply by the relative price index to calculate the average cost per meal for each county.

The report estimates that food-insecure American households have a total "food budget shortfall" of $24.2 billion, compared to $23.5 billion in last year's report, an increase of $700 million.

The full findings of Map the Meal Gap were released in April of this year.

ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA
Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate.  Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. 

ABOUT NIELSEN
Nielsen N.V. (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumer Watch and Buy. Nielsen's Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services across all devices where content – video, audio and text – is consumed.  The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources. Nielsen provides its clients with both world-class measurement as well as analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, a S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries that cover more than 90% of the world's population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.  

METHODOLOGY
Feeding America develops its annual Map the Meal Gap report through a variety of different data sources. Map the Meal Gap 2015 estimates the relative cost of an average meal for each county in the nation based on data provided by Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global provider of information and insights. Nielsen analyzed nationwide sales data from Universal Product Code (UPC)-coded food items to establish a relative price index that allows for comparisons of food prices across the country. Nielsen assigned each UPC-coded food item to one of the 26 food categories in the USDA Thrifty Food Plan (TFP). These categories were weighted within the TFP market basket based on pounds purchased per week by age and gender. This total market basket was then translated into a county-specific multiplier (normalized to a value of 1). This price index enables Feeding America to provide local estimates for meal cost, food budget shortfall and meal gap. To calculate the weekly food budget shortfall per food-insecure person for each county, the researchers multiply $16.28 by the relative price index for that county, and are thereby able to calculate the local food budget shortfall.

Contact:
Ross Fraser
312.641.6422

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SOURCE Feeding America

Related Links

http://www.feedingamerica.org