Digital Food Photography: Dietary Surveillance and Beyond

The method used for creating a database of approximately 20,000 digital images of multiple portion sizes of foods linked to the USDA's Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) is presented. The creation of this database began in 2002 and its development has spanned 10 years. Initially the images were intended to be used as a kid-friendly aid for estimating portion size in the context of a computerized 24-hour dietary recall for 8-15 year old children. In 2006, Baylor College of Medicine, Westat, and the National Cancer Institute initiated a collaboration that resulted in the expansion of this image database in preparation for the release of the web-based Automated Self- Administered 24 Hour Dietary Recall (ASA24) for adults (now also available for use by children – ASA24-Kids). Researchers in the US and overseas have capitalized on these digital images for purposes including, but not limited, to dietary assessment.