Summary of Peer Review Comments on the Household Food Waste in the United States: An Evidence Scan Report

FNA staff identified potential peer reviewers through outreach to federal scientists within USDA with an advanced degree and expertise specific to the questions being reviewed. All peer reviewers were external to the evidence scan process.

Two peer reviewers were assigned to the evidence scan, one from FNA and one from USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS). The reviewers were welcome to provide feedback on any aspect of the evidence scan, but were specifically asked to:

• Determine whether the evidence scan as implemented was appropriate, aligned with the protocol, and captured all relevant evidence.
• Ensure that the description of evidence is clear and comprehensive.
• Confirm that all important research recommendations have been identified or suggest additional research recommendations to encourage future research to inform agency programs, guidance, and/or policy.
• Determine whether the correct judgement has been made as to whether the volume and characteristics of evidence identified is sufficient to conduct a rapid review.

Each reviewer was instructed to submit their comments in written form. In addition, reviewers were informed that the agency would be required to make the peer reviewers' names, affiliations, and a summary of the peer review comments available to the public, but that comments would not be attributed to a specific, named peer reviewer.