Abstract
Rates of food insecurity have increased substantially in the United States (US), and more families are turning to the charitable food system to help meet their needs. Prior studies have examined the nutritional quality of foods offered through food banks, but little is known about what government policies may shape the healthy food donation landscape. The purpose of this study was to review US federal policies that impact food and beverage donations to food banks and assess whether policies encourage healthy food donations. In spring 2020, two researchers independently reviewed federal food and beverage donation policies using predefined search terms in two legal databases. We identified six categories of policies based on the existing food donation literature and themes that emerged in the policy review. We identified 42 federal policies spanning six categories that addressed food and beverage donations to food banks. The largest category was “government programs,” with 19 (45%) policies. The next largest category was “donation via schools,” with 12 (29%) policies. However, no policies specifically addressed the nutritional quality of food donations. There is an opportunity for the federal government to strengthen food bank donation policies and improve the nutritional quality of donated foods and beverages.
Highlights
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a global public health and economic crisis.As a result, rates of food insecurity rose dramatically in 2020, with one in ten (10.1%) adults in the United States (US) experiencing food insecurity in September [1]
Reviewers conducted targeted online searches for policies that were not identified via the Boolean search string and identified an additional five policies for a total of 42 federal policies related to food bank donations in the US
Reviewers were aware that these policies existed, and conducted targeted searchers for them.) We sorted policies into six broad categories based on existing literature and resources on food bank donations, and patterns that emerged as we reviewed the policies: [14,15,16,17,18,19] liability protection, tax incentives, donation of certain food(s), donation via schools, grant program or fund, and government programs (Table 1)
Summary
Rates of food insecurity rose dramatically in 2020, with one in ten (10.1%) adults in the US experiencing food insecurity in September [1]. Food insecurity was even higher among households with young children; 40.9% of households with children ages 12 and under reported experiencing food insecurity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which was a 170% increase from 2018 [2]. As the United States (US) continues to cope with high unemployment and economic uncertainty, rates of food insecurity are expected to increase further. Federal food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are a key aspect of the social safety net that are designed to alleviate hunger and help families afford a nutritious diet [3]. SNAP benefits may not be large enough to help households adequately meet their dietary needs [4]
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