SYNTHESIS INE@COVID-19, 19 Oct-2021

October . 19 . 2021 SYNTH SIS IN @ COVID-19 www.ine.pt page 9/10 Communication Unit | tel: +351 21 842 61 10 | sci@ine.pt Excessive and unbalanced food supply in 2016-2020 Food availability for consumption in 2016-2020 continues to show an excessive and unbalanced food supply. This period was marked in its final part by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the availability for consumption of most food groups covered in the Portuguese Food Balance showing negative variations in 2020, when the evolution of these availabilities from 2016 until the beginning of the pandemic was positive and above those registered in 2012-2015. In 2020, the food product groups with the greatest deviations vis-à-vis the Food Wheel recommended consumption, were: • By surplus, the Meat, fish, and eggs (+11.9 p.p. which compares with +11.4 p.p. in 2016); Portuguese food balance sheet • By deficit, the Fruits and Vegetables (-4.7 p.p. and -8.6 p.p., respectively, compared with -6.5 p.p. and -7.2 p.p. in 2016). In 2016-2020, the Portuguese food balance sheet achieved an average daily caloric intake available for consumption per inhabitant of 4,075 kcal, i.e., twice the value recommended for a healthy average weight adult. In 2020, reflecting the pandemic situation, the caloric content of daily food availability for consumption decreased by 3.6% compared with 2019, corresponding to 3,990 kcal/inhabitant/day, still above the levels reached in the recessive period of the Portuguese economy (2011-2013). More information is available at: Portuguese food balance sheet 2020 (15 October 2021) 28% 23% 20% 18% 5% 4% 2% 30.2% 14.4% 15.3% 17.4% 16.9% 0.7% 5.1% 30.7% 15.8% 13.5% 17.5% 16.4% 0.6% 5.4% Cereals and tubers Vegetables Fruit Milk and dairy products Meat, fish, and eggs Dried pulses Oils and fats 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 2016 food balance sheet 2020 food balance sheet Official food wheel