Mixed
Food Balance Sheets (FBS) and household surveys systematically overestimate true individual nutrient intake due to waste, processing losses, and non-consumption allocation, making supply data a theoretical upper bound rather than a consumption measure.
When evaluating global nutrition reports, remember that 'supply' is the maximum possible intake, not what people actually eat. In developing nations, actual nutrient intake is likely lower than reported supply data suggests due to waste and processing losses.
It has been found in previous studies that the FBS do not accurately predict, and often overestimate, true consumption... These two factors taken together allow us to use this method only as an assessment of the food and dietary nutrient supplies of each country, not consumption itself. Because we are using supplies instead of consumption and assuming higher-than-true intakes, we are likely providing a lower bound on the sizes of populations that are at risk for deficiency.
Why this rating
The paper cites multiple previous studies [51, 52] confirming the overestimation gap (20-180%) and validates the GENuS model against USDA data, though acknowledging limitations in developing countries.
Source
Global Expanded Nutrient Supply (GENuS) Model: A New Method for Estimating the Global Dietary Supply of Nutrients
Matthew R. Smith et al. · PLoS ONE · 2016
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0146976
Related findings · Mixed
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