ERS tracks the supply of food available for consumption in the United States and examines consumer food preferences by age, income, region, race, whether people eat at home or away, and other characteristics. Descriptive statistics of commodity consumption help to inform growers about who consumes their commodities, how and where their commodities are used, and how much is consumed. The information enables the food and agriculture industry to improve its promotion strategies, and USDA used it to complete a regulatory analysis for nutrition labeling on beef. 

In addition to descriptive studies, ERS has conducted regression analyses to better understand the factors affecting food consumption as well as to predict consumption.