Download B. Limitations of the Data

INTRODUCTION
1. General
The food supply balance sheet is a record of types of food according to their sources, for
purposes of calculating nutritional values - calories, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins, which
are available to consumers in the year estimated.
It must be emphasized that the reference is to the amount available to the public; i.e., the
quantity offered in shops and markets, rather than the amounts that the public actually buys
or the quantities that the public actually consumes.
The food balance sheet does not include:
a. Food supplements: vitamins and minerals marketed separately; or food enrichments, such
as: calcium added to milk, or vitamins and minerals added to breakfast cereals; but only
the amounts of vitamins and minerals natural present in products.
b. Imported high-calorie foods; e.g., high-calorie drinks for athletes (37 ton per year, in
2002).
The food supply balance sheet calculations are intended to provide information to policymakers regarding the amount of food supplied independently in the country, and the extent of
the State of Israel’s dependence on imports, according to the composition of the food.
The information is also important at the level of policymaking regarding subsidizing basic
food products, the rate of customs duty levied on imports, import quotas set by the Ministry of
Agriculture, and the addition of vitamins and minerals to basic products.
1.1 Seasonal Series of the Food Supply Balance Sheet
Seasonal series of food sources present the history of agriculture and nutrition in the country;
changes in local habits of food consumption; and changes in the patterns of import and
export of food commodities. The composition of the food supply has undergone a number of
changes throughout the years.
A. Supply of Calories
The most outstanding changes were a consistent decline in the relative part of total calories
supplied by cereals and their products – from approximately half of total calories in 1950, to a
third of total calories in 2002.
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In contrast, the relative part of oils and fats rose from 13% in 1950, to 20% in 2002.
Similarly, there was a significant rise in the amount of calories supplied from meat and
eggs – from 6% in 1950, to 11% in 2002.
B. Supply of Proteins
A rise has been noted in the relative part of proteins derived from live sources from 40% in
1950, to 50% in 2002.
Of the proteins derived from live sources, the relative part of proteins derived from meat rose
from 9% in 1950, to 32% in 2002.
On the other hand, the relative part of proteins derived from fish fell from 8% to 3%,
respectively.
The relative part of proteins derived from milk has remained more or less stable, and ranged
from 16% in 1950 to 13% in 2002. The relative part of proteins provided by cereals and
cereal products dropped from 49% in 1950 to 29% in 2002.
C. Supply of Fats
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In the supply of fats there has been a distinct rise in the relative part of fats from live sources,
from 28% in 1950 to 38% in 2002.
Of the fats from live sources, the relative part of fats derived from meat rose from 8% in 1950
to 22% in 2002; and additionally, the relative part of fats derived from oils rose from 46% to
73%, respectively.
1.2 International Comparisons (Tables 6-8) – 2001
An international comparison of the supply of food commodities provides a worldwide picture
of the movements of food, and the dependence among countries in the provision of food.
Israel is high on the list of provision of calories per capita per day in relation to her
neighbours, and is coming close to western countries such as the USA.
Countries
Israel
USA
Egypt
Jordan
Provision of calories
(kcal. per capita per day)
3,765
3,766
3,385
2,769
2. Main Findings
The food supply balance sheet shows that the caloric value of food available to the present
population of Israel stood at 3,765 kilocalories per capita per day in 2001, and 3,752
kilocalories per capita per day in 2002.
2.1 Nutritional Values per Capita per Day, Compared with the
Recommended Dietary Allowance – 2002
The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) recommended level of consumption is set by
the Food and Nutrition Organization of the Medical Institute-Washington, USA.
The RDA was established at a level which provides the nutritional consumption of most of
the adult population (97-98%), excluding population groups with special needs, such as:
babies, pregnant or breast-feeding women and adults over the age of 70.
Supply of calories
per capita per day
RDA – Recommended
Dietary Allowance
per capita per day
Nutrients
(grams)
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fat
116
505
155
50
130
Not set yet
Minerals
(Milligrams)
Calcium
Iron
876
27
1,200
11
Vitamins
(Milligrams)
Vitamin A (I.U.)
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Ascorbic Acid
8,337
2.0
1.8
34.9
197.8
2,667
1.2
1.2
15.0
82.5

In 2002 the total number of calories from fat was 20% of total calories (751 Kcal. per
capita per day out of 3,752), with the Ministry of Health recommendation being that
the total calories from fat not exceed 30% of the total calories.
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2.2 Supply of Main Food Commodities Balance Sheet – 2002
Product
Bread and cereals
Potatoes and starches
Sugar and sweets
Pulses, peanuts and nuts
Vegetables (including sugarmelons)
Fruit (including citrus fruits)
Thereof: Citrus fruits
Imported alcoholic beverages (liters)
Stimulants (coffee, tea and cocoa beans)
Oils and fats
Meat (boneless)
Fish (boneless)
Eggs (single)
Milk (liters)
Mineral water (liters)
2.2.1
Kilogram per capita per year
121
49
37
21
243
134
54
11
6
31
75
7
234
173
46
Supply of Calories by Food Groups – 2002
Total Kilocalories per capita per day
Percentages – total
100
Cereals and cereal products
Oils and fats
Vegetables, fruit and potatoes
Meat
Sugar and sweets
Milk and dairy products
Pulses
Fish and eggs
Beverages and stimulants
2.2.2
30
20
12
10
10
8
7
2
1
Supply of Proteins by Food Groups – 2002
Total grams per capita per day
Percentages – total
116
100
From live sources
Thereof: Meat
Milk and dairy products
Fish
Eggs
From vegetable sources
Thereof: Cereals and cereal products
2.2.3
3,752
51
32
13
3
3
49
30
Supply of Fats by Food Groups – 2002
Total grams per capita per day
Percentages – total
155
100
From vegetable sources
Thereof: vegetable oils
From live sources
Thereof: Meat
Milk and dairy products
72
55
28
16
15
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3. Methods
A. Gathering information on food by:
quantities of local production, changes in stock, exports, imports, animal nutrition, seeds,
industrial uses and depreciation. The quantities are usually received in tons per year.
B. Calculation of the various quantities of products per capita per year, per day.
AS = (Im + P) – (CS + Ex)
FN = AS – (IU + W)
SC = (FN / AP)
DSC = (SC / 365)
P
– Production
Im
– Imports
Ex
– Exports
CS
– Change of stock
AS
– Available supply
IU
– Industrial uses
W
– Waste
FN
– Food, net
AP
– Average present population estimate
SC
– Supply per capita
DSC – Daily supply per capita
C. Calculation of the energy and nutritional value of the products.
The calculation is carried out using coefficients adjusted to Israeli foods. The coefficients are
based on Ministry of Health tables, and were last updated in 2001.
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4. Sources and Limitations of the Data
A. Sources of the Data
Local production is based on data of agricultural production values (based on data from
production boards, large distributors); data from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of
Industry and Trade; and food industries.
Data on imports and exports of commodities are received from customs records, production
boards and large distributors.
Data on the transfer of agricultural commodities between Israel and the Palestinian Authority
are received from the Inspection Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture.
B. Limitations of the Data
There is a low level of credibility in the data listed in Customs records of quantities of
commodities imported or exported. Customs is calculated as a percentage of the value of the
goods, and not by the quantity of the goods; therefore, there is no precision regarding the
quantity of goods or the units of measure of the quantities listed in customs records.
To overcome this problem data from various sources, such as data from Customs and the
Ministry of agriculture, is cross-referenced.
Data received from the Inspection Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, regarding quantities of
agricultural production transferred between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, does not
reflect the total actual transfers, since part of the production passes through points which are
not inspected. In order to overcome this problem, these data are cross-referenced with data
from the Agricultural Coordinator of the Civil Administration in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza
Area.
5. Definitions and Explanations
Food Commodity:
The food commodities recorded here are generally primary commodities, from which
nutritional values are calculated, including those for their derivatives. For example, the item
“wheat” also includes wheat used for the production of bread, biscuits, noodles, etc.
Each food item, with the aid of coefficients, is assigned to its main, primary commodity. For
example, imported cookies appear under “wheat”, fruit juices appear under “fruits”, canned
vegetables and fruit are included in “fresh fruit”.
Maize: appears in the balance sheet as seeds, and in other publications (production value)
as cobs. By multiplying by the factor of 0.41, the corncobs are turned into corn seeds.
From live sources: includes meat, eggs, fish, milk and dairy products and butter.
Beverages: was added to the balance sheet in 2001 – it includes local and imported mineral
water. It also includes wine, beer and imported alcoholic drinks. It does not include locally
produced wine and beer, because they were included under other categories: wine was
included under “grapes” and beer was included under “barley”.
Stimulants: was added to the 2001 balance sheet, and it includes coffee, tea and cocoa beans.
Meat and Fish: appear in the balance sheet without bones or inedible organs (carcass
weight). Each creature has a multiplication factor received from the veterinary services and
the Ministry of Agriculture’s professional training instructors.
Milk: appears in the balance sheet in kilograms (1 liter milk x 1.03 = 1 kilogram of milk).
Eggs: appear in the balance sheet in kilograms (one egg weighs an average of 56 grams).
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Production: Local agricultural production in the year estimated.
For some of the fruits, production data are used from the agricultural year rather than the
calendar year – e.g., for citrus fruit 2001 refers to crops of the 2000/2001 agricultural year.
Change in Stock: Changes in the stocks of commodities (end-of-year stock less beginningof-year stock) from local production and imports.
Exports: Exports abroad and to the Palestinian Authority.
Imports: Imports from abroad and from the Palestinian Authority.
Animal Nutrition: Some of the commodities are intended for animal feed. For example, a
large part of the wheat crop is intended for feeding animals – 634 thousand tons a year.
Seeds: Part of production is planned for seeding; e.g., some pulses are held for seed: 20
tons beans a year, 20 tons lentils a year.
Industrial Uses: Some of the commodities intended for industry (excluding the food industries),
or commodities which are processed and appear elsewhere. For example, some of the sugar
constitutes a raw material for the sweets industry and therefore it appears under “sweets”.
Waste: Quantities of waste are estimated according to factors of perishable goods (such as
fruit, vegetables) and accurate quantities which were ruined or destroyed.
Net Food: Is calculated as follows:
Total available supply less animal feed, seeds, industrial uses and waste.
Net food = available supply – animal feed – seeds – industrial uses – waste.
This is the quantity in tons of food commodities available to the public in the year estimated.
Population Estimate for Calculating Values per Capita:
The values are calculated on an average per capita per day. In order to calculate the number
of persons, the population actually in the country during the year estimated is used –
“Average Present Population ” – excluding tourists and foreign workers.
The estimated population for 2001 is 6,439,000, and for 2002 – 6,570,000 persons (see
Statistical Abstract of Israel – 2003, Table 2.1).
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6. Nutritional Values
A. Calculation of Nutritional Values
In 2001 a change occurred in the method of calculating the food supply balance sheet. The
coefficients for turning food commodities into nutrients were updated with the assistance of
the staff in the Department of Food and Nutrition in the Ministry of Health, and were adjusted
to the food elements available to the Israeli public.
B. Definitions and Explanations
Calories: the energy value of food, measured in kilocalories. One kilocalorie (kcal.) is the
amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree.
Protein: supplies building blocks to body cells that grow and renew themselves. It is one of
the basic elements of tissues in animals and vegetables, as well as a source of energy.
There are two sources of protein: from live sources (meat, fish, milk and dairy products,
eggs) and from vegetable sources.
Fat: a source of energy for the body. There are two sources: live sources (mainly meat) and
vegetable sources - vegetable fats (margarine).
Calcium: a mineral found mainly in bones and teeth. Its main source is milk and dairy
products.
Iron: a mineral necessary for production of red blood corpuscles and for transferring oxygen
through the bloodstream. A lack of iron causes anemia. The main source of iron is cereals
and cereal products.
Vitamins: organic material necessary in small quantities for proper body function. A lack of
vitamins causes serious disruptions in body function. They are found in our natural food.
Vitamin A: essential for healthy eye function and cell creation – for growth. Mainly found in
foods from live sources, in meat, liver and egg yolks. It is also found in carotene, which is
found in carrots and other vegetables.
Thiamin (Vitamin B1): essential for healthy nerve function in the body. Mainly found in the
outer layer of whole-wheat kernels, pasta, bread, brown rice, potatoes, beans, liver, peas
and eggs.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): essential for healthy eye function and transferring hydrogen
throughout the body, for metabolizing proteins and carbohydrates and for turning
carbohydrates and amino acids into fats. It is mainly found in meat and dairy products.
Niacin (Vitamin B3): essential for body activities, in releasing energy from carbohydrates. It
is found mainly in cereals and meat.
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C): essential for the formation of the supportive tissues in the body:
cartilage, bone and teeth. Also participates in creating red blood corpuscles and absorbing
iron in the intestines. Mainly found in citrus fruits, strawberries, melons, tomatoes and
potatoes, and is destroyed by heat.
7. Future Plans
The food supply balance sheet provides information on quantities of food available to the
public. In the future, it is planned to process the food balance sheet based on two main
sources:
a. Data from a household expenditure survey, which provide information regarding the
quantities of food purchased by the public.
b. Data from a nutrition survey recently conducted by the Ministry of Health, which provide
information on the quantities of food actually consumed.
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