The result was that food waste among American consumers increased from "about 30% of the available food supply in 1974 to almost 40% in recent years" (the early 2000s), or about 900 kcal per person per day (1974) to about 1400 kcal per person per day (2003). A 2012 Natural Resources Defense Council report interpreted this to mean that Americans threw away up to 40% of food that was safe to eat.
The outcome was that food waste among American consumers rose from "approximately 30% of the available food supply in 1974 to nearly 40% in recent years" (the early 2000s), or about 900 kcal per person per day (1974) to around 1400 kcal per person per day (2003). A 2012 Natural Resources Defense Council report interpreted this to mean that Americans discarded up to 40% of food that was edible.