Food composition data in Argentina: A systematic review of the literature

• We systematically searched food composition data not included in the Argentine table.
• We searched published and unpublished data.
• We found 138 articles/dissertations matching the inclusion criteria.
• These results can add some information to the available data in the national table.
• Data are available on the Internet with free access.

Food composition data are essential for the assessment of nutrient intake and the development of food policies. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of available published data not previously included in the national food composition table in Argentina (ARGENFOODS), in order to supplement the existing information. An electronic literature search was conducted of literature published from January 1997 to December 2012. An annotated search for non-indexed ‘gray literature’ was also completed. Quality of data was assessed in terms of sampling and analytical criteria. A total of 2474 potentially eligible references were identified, out of which 138 articles and reports met inclusion criteria. These studies provided information about energy value, macronutrients, micronutrients, and/or other components, such as phytochemicals, for 82 individual food items and multi-ingredient foods. Cereals, legumes and their derivatives, milk and dairy products, meat, fish and fish derivatives were the most frequently reported food groups. Non-representative sampling and poor description of the analytical quality control used were the most frequent issues found in evaluation of data quality. These results will contribute to the continuous and systematic updating of food composition databases, which are of paramount importance for public health. Collaboration among data generators, compilers, and users is essential.