Food and Nutrient Databases: Overcoming the Seesaw Between

Comprehensiveness and Completeness

Denise King, PhDLisa Harnack, DrPH, RD

University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center

ncc.umn.edu

Nutrition Coordinating Center

• Mission: To develop, provide, and support state-of-the-art methods and databases for researchers for the collection and analysis of dietary data

• Founded in 1974 to support NHLBI Lipid Research Clinics (LRC) and the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT)

Objectives

• What exactly is a food and nutrient database?

• How are these databases used?• The challenge- completeness versus

comprehensiveness• Solutions to this challenge

What is a food and nutrient database?

Database that quantifies the nutrient composition of foods

Total Protein (g) 1.09

Total Fat (g) 0.33

Total Carbohydrate (g) 22.84

Total Dietary Fiber (g) 2.6

Magnesium (mg) 27

Phosphorus (mg) 22

Potassium (mg) 358

Sodium (mg) 1

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (mg) 8.7

Thiamin (vitamin B1) (mg) 0.031

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) (mg) 0.073

Food and Nutrient Database Uses

Nutrition Labeling

Self Quantified Movement- Diet Trackers

Research

• F.D.A. Ruling Would All but Eliminate Trans Fats The New York Times November 7, 2013

• Study Questions Fat and Heart Disease Link The New York Times March 17, 2014

• Obesity Studies Tell Two Stories, Both Right The New York Times April 14, 2014

Nutrition Surveillance

• NHANES – National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

• FITS - Feeding Infant and Toddlers Study (Gerber)

Medical Management of Diseases

Menu Planning in Institutions

Variety of databases available

Public Private

Common Needs

Includes the Foods Americans Eat

American Palate is DiversifyingSpring Roll

Naan

Arroz con Leche

Tamale

Kreplach

Spanakopita

Cannoli

Chinese Broccoli

TabboulehJambalaya

Caribou Stew

General Tso Chicken

Kept Current with the Marketplace

A High Level of Completeness

• Does the database include the nutrient(s) needed (e.g. oxalic acid)?

• How complete are the nutrient data for foods in the database?

Seesaw IssueComprehensive

Complete

Seesaw Issue

Comprehensive

Complete

Comparison of Completeness

*Source: International Nutrient Databank Directory, http://www.nutrientdataconf.org/indd/index.cfm?event=databases

Accessed Aug 29,2014

Database # Foods # Nutrients Vitamin D Completeness (%)

FNDDS* 7,253 65 59

NCC 18,000 165 100

ESHA* 40,000 133 20

How do we achieve a balance between comprehensiveness

and completeness?

How do we go beyond the label nutrients?

Reverse Engineer Foods to Create Food Formulations/Recipes

Food calculation program that…

Estimates ingredient

amounts that – Follow ingredient statement convention

AND– Produce a recipe with a nutrient composition profile

that closely matches nutrition facts panel information

‘Core’ foods allow reverse engineering to work

Other Challenges

• Language used to describe foods

Descriptive AND user friendly!• Currency – consumer choice is

exploding, an effect of consumer demand and public policy

Future Considerations

• Branded Food Products Database – current nutrition label and ingredient information provided by manufacturers

• International Databases – different languages, nutrient fortification levels present difficulties (FAO-INFOODS)

Resources

• http://www.ncc.umn.edu/• http://www.nutrientdataconf.org/indd/• http://

www.ncc.umn.edu/products/databaseconsiderations.html

• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/• http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=12089• http://www.fao.org/infoods/infoods/tables-and-

databases/en/