Appendix F1_Disclaimer

Appendix F

Informed Consent for Interviews

Exploratory Semi-structured Interviews on Retail Food Loss
Agency: Economic Research Service
Contractor: RTI International

OMB Control Number: #0536-0073
Expiration Date: 04/30/2025

Appendix F: Informed Consent
INFORMED CONSENT FOR INTERVIEW
Principal Investigator
Mary Muth, PhD
Center for Applied Economics and Strategy
RTI International
Purpose
Thank you for your willingness to participate in this interview. RTI International is conducting
this study for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA ERS).
USDA is working to address the problem of food loss and waste through its programs, policies,
and guidance. As part of these efforts, we are asking ten food retail companies to participate in
confidential interviews to help inform the design of a potential national study on retail-level food
loss.
Duration
We expect that participating in this study will take up to 2 hours and 7 minutes. This estimate
includes up to 90 minutes for the interview itself and up to 37 minutes for scheduling the
interview, , reviewing and electronically signing the informed consent, reviewing the list of
interview topics, and corresponding with RTI via email or phone to answer any questions you
may have about the study. Your participation in this information collection is voluntary. All
interview participants will need to sign a written consent. Please let us know if there will be
additional attendees.
Benefits and Risks
Although your participation in this research may not yield any direct benefits, participation may
offer indirect benefits. With your input, USDA ERS may be able to improve the design and data
collection procedures for developing updated national estimates of retail food loss.
Confidentiality
RTI will use Zoom to conduct the interview. RTI’s Zoom platform is configured to meet NISTmoderate requirements thus ensuring that the interview will be secure.
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RTI will prepare an Excel file that summarizes responses to the interviews to prepare a
written report for USDA ERS. The summary file will be saved on RTI’s Enhanced
Security Network..
At the end of the study, the interview responses in Word/Excel files and the Excel file
used to organize and summarize the interview data will be transferred to ERS’s secure
FISMA-moderate cloud-based network using the FISMA-moderate Kiteworks secure file
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sharing system. RTI will destroy the files on their Enhanced Security Network and
provide documentation of the destruction to ERS.
The data are being collected under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act, otherwise known as CIPSEA. CIPSEA provides protection for information
collected for statistical purposes under a pledge of confidentiality. CIPSEA-protected
information is not subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. RTI will combine your
interview responses with the responses from other companies to prepare a summary report for
USDA, ERS.
Assurance of Confidentiality: All information which would permit identification of an
individual, a practice, or an establishment will be held confidential, will be used for statistical
purposes only, will be used only by contractors authorized by USDA ERS to perform statistical
activities only when required and with necessary controls, and will not be disclosed or released
to other persons without the consent of the individual or establishment in accordance with the
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (PL-107-347). By law, every
employee as well as every agent has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to five
years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both if he or she willfully discloses ANY identifiable
information about you or your company.
Information Requests
Should you have any questions or concerns about the study, you may contact us at any time. The
principal investigator may be reached via email at muth@rti.org or via telephone at
919-541-7289.
Withdrawal of Participation
Your participation is voluntary. You may skip questions as you wish and may discontinue
participation at any time.

Please click here to electronically sign the informed consent before the scheduled interview.
[Qualtrics link] – the link states “I have read and understand the informed consent. I agree
to participate in an exploratory interview on retail food loss”.
Name___________________________________

Date_____________________]

NOTIFICATION TO RESPONDENT OF ESTIMATED BURDEN: Public reporting burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 127 minutes per response, including
the time for reviewing instructions and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond
to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The
valid OMB control number for this information collection is #0536-0073. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
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suggestions for reducing this burden to: Linda Kantor, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Economic Research Service (linda.kantor@usda.gov).

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