Applications of food composition data: Data sources and considerations for use

Sources of food composition data for nutrition professionals include electronic and hardcopy databases, which may be listed in database directories, and data from the food industry and the scientific literature. When data are not available from these sources, it may be necessary to impute or calculate values for a food, and the procedures used should be documented. Considerations for selecting data from various sources for a particular food include the food name and description, reliability of the source, data quality, and data variability. Food composition data are used for many purposes—dietary intake surveys/studies, reference work, patient care, student education, product development, dietary assessment, and clinical research. Understanding of the limitations of the data should be considered before using them for these various purposes. For example, it may not be appropriate to use data from a reference database for clinical studies where food component intakes are related to physiological measurements. More precise data from direct analysis of the food(s) under study may be required. Using food composition data from other countries may be appropriate, but might require modification for local ingredients or preparation methods. The many and varied sources of food composition data should be used with consideration for their appropriateness in national surveys, patient care, education, clinical practice, clinical research, and product development.