Comparison between household food purchase and individual food consumption in Brazil.

Objective: The present study aimed to compare Household Budget Survey (HBS) data on food purchasing and individual food consumption, collected in the same nationwide survey.

Design: Food purchase information for each household was collected by a seven-day collective acquisition diary, applied to 55 970 households. Food consumption information was obtained from household members over 10 years old by the application of two non-consecutive food records in a sub-sample of the HBS. Cooking and correction factors were applied when necessary, and all food items reported were grouped into twelve main food groups. Food purchase and consumption data were presented as absolute weight (g/person per d) and as relative contribution to energy intake (%) for the overall study population, which was stratified according to household income.

Setting: Brazil.ParticipantsNational estimates of food consumption and purchase for Brazil.

Results: The greatest differences between purchase and consumption data (purchase minus consumption) were observed for meat (-168 g), beans/legumes (-48 g), roots/tubers (-36 g) and fruits (-31 g). When expressed in terms of energy contribution, the highest differences were found for cereals (13 %) and oils and fats (11 %). Differences between purchase and consumption data were generally lower in the highest compared with the lowest household income quintile; and were lower for most main food groups when considering only foods reported as being eaten at home.

Conclusions: With few exceptions, food purchase expressed as relative energy contribution, as opposed to absolute weight, can provide a good picture of actual consumption in the Brazilian population.