Comparability

Comparability - geographical

There are no common guidelines for international statistics on foodservice.

Comparability over time

The statistics were first conducted in 2013 and initially covered: - Sales of all food and beverages (incl. conventional goods) in total. - Total sales of organic goods broken down into product and customer groups.

Later expansions: - From 2017, sales of all food and beverages are also divided into customer groups. - From and including 2021, sales of all food and beverages are also divided into product groups.

The composition of the product groups has been revised from and including 2021 and in several cases cannot be compared with previous years. However, the 5 main product groups (Colonial, Meat and fish, Dairy products and eggs, Fruit and vegetables, Frozen goods) are largely comparable in all years. Change at main product group level: Vegetable spreads and fruit and vegetable preserves have been moved from Colonial goods to Fruit and vegetables. The census years 2013-2020 are directly comparable in terms of both main and individual product groups.

Coherence - cross domain

Statistics Denmark's study 'Retail turnover of organic food' measures the sale of organic food and drinks in supermarkets and warehouses.

Organic market share in the foodservice sector is described in the latest News from Denmark's Statistics "Sales of food and beverages to foodservice". Organic market share in retail is described in the latest News from Denmark's Statistics: 'Retail sales of organic foods'.

The retail turnover of organic food and beverages is at a higher level than the turnover of organic food service. However, the level of sales in the two surveys cannot be directly compared, as the Foodservice statistics measure wholesalers' turnover without VAT and 'Retail turnover of organic food' measures retail turnover incl. VAT. It includes: - The sale of goods for food service does not include remuneration of employees etc. in the kitchens. The consumption of goods in canteens and catering establishments amounts to an average of 37 per cent. of turnover, excl. VAT (HORESTA, Normtalsanalysen 2012/2013). The costs that do not relate to the purchase of goods are wages etc., room costs (electricity, water, heating), maintenance, administration, marketing, rent etc. and profit after costs. - The final value of the meals in foodservice can be considered higher than the purchase of goods, as service (cooking and serving) is part of the product. As a general rule, this is not the case for sales in supermarkets and warehouses, where the food is brought home for own preparation. - A significant part of the foodservice customers do not sell the meals on market terms (full or partial subsidy).

The composition of sales

The product groups in the two surveys are composed differently and therefore cannot be directly compared at all levels. However, an overall comparison of the distribution of revenue by product group has been made in the Nyt article "Sales of organic products for foodservice 2013".

In the period 2010-2013, the "Organic sales and information association" produced the study "Organic sales in foodservice". Methodological experiences from this study form part of Statistics Denmark's study. In terms of content, the two studies are close to each other, but with certain differences in data collection, content and groupings. In "Organic turnover in foodservice", the population consisted of 15 companies, which were assumed to cover a large part of the market. Companies without organic farming were not included in this study.

Coherence - internal

Not relevant for these statistics (data is from the same source).