Threats to Food Security Data: Why the 'Redundancy' Claim Doesn’t Hold Up

Published October 31, 2025

In late September, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) terminated the Food Security Supplement (FSS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS), calling it “redundant” and “extraneous.” Since we began debunking those claims in a blog post, Forsaking Food Security, and in our Rapid Response Data Briefing, additional information has surfaced that further challenges USDA’s rationale.

While USDA claims it will rely on “more timely and accurate data sets,” our review found that none of the national surveys that collect food security data using USDA food security survey modules are capable of replacing the CPS-FSS. The CPS-FSS is unique because it is collected annually, is nationally representative, has a large sample size, provides robust prevalence and state-level estimates, uses the full 18-item food security questionnaire, and captures adult and child experiences.

USDA even acknowledged this in their latest Information Collection Request. Approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in April, the agency wrote that these related surveys “do not provide suitable data for timely and reliable monitoring of the prevalence and severity of food insecurity in the Nation’s households and in critical subpopulations.”

Most glaringly, about half of these surveys are now defunct. While historical data are important, one ended so long ago (2002) that it’s far too outdated to offer timely insights. Of those with a newer vintage, they have significant data gaps such as excluding children’s experiences or being unable to produce state-level estimates. These limitations, detailed below, make clear just how misplaced USDA’s claims of “redundancy” are.

Perhaps most concerning, USDA and other agencies have quietly been terminating the more current food security modules as well. Working in collaboration with colleagues at IPUMS, we discovered that food security questions appear to have been pulled from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). A January 2025 version of the survey overview included them, but a July 2025 version “indicates that food security questions are only collected for selected years (2019–2024).” We have also heard that data collection through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) may be at risk.

It is important to note that while none of the surveys listed below can replace the CPS-FSS, the CPS-FSS cannot replace these supplementary data collections either. The food security modules in these surveys are additive, not duplicative. For example, including food security questions alongside those on health, housing, and education can help uncover how access to food intersects with well-being, living situations, and learning outcomes.

Finally, debates about whether survey questions (like those on food security) are the “right” ones are healthy and necessary. A robust data system invites scrutiny to ensure we collect the best information possible. But one principle is clear and undebatable: You don’t demolish the house before designing and evaluating new plans. Updates to any data collection should be informed by policymaker and community needs, supported by rigorous testing, and piloted alongside existing systems so everyone understands what’s gained (or what might be lost) in a change.

Capturing this data is more critical now than ever, as food insecurity continues to rise due to recent policy decisions. History reminds us why this matters: During the Reagan administration, senior officials denied the existence of hunger in America, claiming there was no food security crisis because no scientific data proved otherwise. This history underscores the danger of eliminating reliable data sources. Without independent, scientifically grounded measures, policymakers can downplay or dismiss growing hardship. Maintaining robust, nonpartisan data collection ensures that current and future administrations can accurately assess the impact of their policies on households, measure progress, and uphold accountability.

Take Action

Submit a comment by Tuesday, November 3, advocating to reinstate the Food Security Supplement, and dataindex.us will send it to your state’s Department of Agriculture.

For additional reading on sources of food security data, read Measuring Food Security with U.S. Federal Data from our colleagues at IPUMS.

Help Protect and Strengthen SNAP

Add your organization to this sign-on letter hosted by FRAC and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in support of the Restoring Food Security for American Families and Farmers Act of 2025, which would repeal the damaging SNAP cuts enacted in the recent budget reconciliation law.

How Other Surveys Compare to CPS-FSS

No other survey provides the same timely insights as the Food Security Supplement (FSS) to the Current Population Survey (CPS) for the nation, states, and critical population subgroups.

American Housing Survey (AHS)

No current data: Only included food security modules in 2015, 2019, and 2021.

No annual data: Historically biennial, not continuous until 2026.

Limited coverage: Uses the 10-item adult module which excludes specific questions about children’s food security experiences.

Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Birth Cohort of 2001 (ECLS-B)

No current data: The final wave of data collection was in 2007. Food security information was collected in parent surveys in select waves.

Limited coverage: Collected only for households with children in select waves.

Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K)

No current data: The final wave of data collection was in 2007.

Limited coverage: Collected only for households with children in select waves.

Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011)

No current data: The final wave of data collection was in 2016.

Limited coverage: Collected only for households with children in select waves. Some waves used the 10-item adult module which excludes children.

Household Pulse Survey (HPS) and Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS)

No current data: Ended in 2024. While being replaced by HTOPS, which hasn’t published data yet, it has concerns about the representativeness of the sample and will be nation-level only.

Limited coverage: May not have always been representative of the population due to the fielding method. Cannot be used for state-level analysis.

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)

Limited coverage: Uses the 10-item adult module which excludes children. Has a significantly smaller sample size than the CPS-FSS.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

No annual data: Data are released only every two years.

Limited coverage: Has a significantly smaller annual sample size than the CPS-FSS. Can’t be used for state-level analysis.

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

Limited coverage: Uses the 10-item adult module which excludes children. State identifiers are not available in publicly released data.

National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS ), also referred to as National Household Food Study (NHFS)

No current data: Only published data are from the 2012 to 2013 survey. In August 2024, field testing (planned for 2025) for a new iteration was approved, but the status of any full-scale implementation in 2027 is unknown.

Limited coverage: Uses the 10-item adult module which excludes specific questions about children’s food experiences. Significantly smaller sample size than the CPS-FSS.

National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH)